Description: Justice Breyer sees the Constitution as a guide for the application of basic American principles to a living and changing society rather than an arsenal of rigid legal means for binding and restricting it. In this important book, he makes clear why he thinks judges should place more emphasis on the consequences of legal decisions and less on literal readings of the law.
Review Quotes: "A brisk, lucid and energetic book, written with conviction and offering a central argument that is at once provocative and appealing. . . . Deserves a place of honor in national debates, now and in the future, about the role of the Supreme Court in American life." -"The New Republic"
"An important contribution. "Active Liberty" serves to clarify the stakes in contemporary disputes over the courts, rightly emphasizing areas of common ground alongside those of controversy."-"The Washington Post Book World"
"Provocative and well-argued.. . . . What we need more of, "Active Liberty" insists, is not activist judges but activist citizens." -"The New York Times"
""Active Liberty" will likely influence not only public debate but also how lawyers craft their cases." -"The Wall Street Journal"
"From the Trade Paperback edition."