---
layout: post
title: The Supremes
date: 2010-02-01
tags: ["Book Reviews","Freedom"]
---

Most of you know (or maybe not) that I have a bit of an obsession with the [Supreme Court](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States).

[![IMG_0946](/images/623823_1cacea34a9_m.jpg)](http://www.flickr.com/photos/confusticate/623823/ "Supreme Court, Stairs by Jeremy Beker, on Flickr")

As the only of the three branches of government that I really have any respect for, I enjoy reading and listening to the workings and decision making process of the justices.  To be clear, respect does not always mean I agree with the decisions, but even when I don't, I fully respect the members of the court and the institution as operating in a way I like.  Contrast that to the other two branches of government where I sometimes agree and sometimes disagree with the outcomes, but I rarely respect the process and motivations of the members.

Right after the State of the Union, I was poking around iTunes to see if anyone had posted the audio (to no avail), but came across a set of interviews that [C-SPAN](http://www.c-span.org/) did with each of the Justices.  They are available as [podcasts](http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=335635911).  Each runs between 30 minutes and an hour and it is just a one-on-one interview with the justice.  So far, I have listened to [Justice Alito](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justice_Alito), [Justice Scalia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justice_Scalia), [Justice Sotomayor](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justice_Sotomayor), [Justice Kennedy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justice_Kennedy), and former [Justice O'Connor](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandra_Day_O%27Connor).  Each is unique as you would expect, but I have loved them all.  While I have had the pleasure of seeing Justice O'Connor, Justice Scalia, and Justice Ginsburg speak in person, it is not often that most people hear the Justices speak publicly; this is a great opportunity if you are curious.

If you are interested in more resources, I also recommend [American Original: The Life and Constitution of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia](http://www.confusticate.com/cgi-global/amazonbounce.pl?isbn=0374202893&assoc=gothmogstolkiena) which I read on our cruise last month.  A few other books I have enjoyed on the court are [Becoming Justice Blackmun: Harry Blackmun's Supreme Court Journey](http://www.confusticate.com/cgi-global/amazonbounce.pl?isbn=0805080570&assoc=gothmogstolkiena), [The Majesty of the Law: Reflections of a Supreme Court Justice](http://www.confusticate.com/cgi-global/amazonbounce.pl?isbn=081296747X&assoc=gothmogstolkiena) by former Justice O'Connor, [The Supreme Court](http://www.confusticate.com/cgi-global/amazonbounce.pl?isbn=0375708618&assoc=gothmogstolkiena) by former Chief Justice Rehnquist, and [The Brethren: Inside the Supreme Court](http://www.confusticate.com/cgi-global/amazonbounce.pl?isbn=0743274024&assoc=gothmogstolkiena).