Reviews for The soul of the first amendment
Choice
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Abrams is a significant figure in the fight for First Amendment liberties, having litigated many landmark cases, including the Pentagon Papers case and Citizens United,and having authored numerous defenses of those liberties in works such as Friend of the Court: On the Front Lines with the First Amendment (CH, Feb'14, 51-3510). Although the current book is relatively short (six chapters divided into three sections), it is packed with what Abrams refers to as his "ruminations" on constitutional law, especially freedom of expression. Starting with a history of the origins and language of the First Amendment, Abrams moves on to discuss how Canada, the UK , western Europe, and the US, alike in so many ways, diverge when it comes to the protection of hate speech, libel, and privacy. Following an excellent examination of Bridges v. California (1941), Abrams goes into some detail on the issue of campaign spending and his approval of Citizens United, which allowed unlimited spending in elections by corporations. In a final rumination the author muses on the more normative aspect of First Amendment rights, asking not what these rights are but how to exercise them responsibly. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readership levels. --Michael Wayne Bowers, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Publishers Weekly
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Lawyer and First Amendment expert Abrams, whose resume includes representing the New York Times in the Pentagon Papers case and Sen. Mitch McConnell in Citizens United, explores the American right to free speech in this thoughtful and concise volume. Abrams assumes little prior knowledge from the reader, providing a useful history of the Founding Fathers' Constitutional debates around the topic as well as interesting analyses of contemporary applications. One example is the "so-called right to be forgotten," which allows negative information to be deleted from the Internet. Abrams stresses that even repugnant statements are more broadly protected in the U.S. speech than under many European democracies. He also explains why the identity of those asserting First Amendment claims should not be determinative. Many readers will find the most value in Abrams's discussion of Citizens United, and his justification for granting First Amendment protections to corporations in general, and not just media companies. Even those troubled by the Citizens United decision, which allowed more corporate money into U.S. elections, are likely to emerge with a greater understanding of the Supreme Court majority's logic in that controversial case. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
