Speak Now is the best written book I've ever reviewed for this program. It is an account of the Hollingsworth v. Perry civil trial which resolved the conflict surrounding California's Prop 8 and eventually made it before the Supreme Court. The trial is recounted by Kenji Yoshino, a married gay Professor of Constitutional Law at the NYU School of Law.
Regardless of your views on the controversial subjects explored in the trial, the books is excellent reading. Yoshino presents a compelling case for why trials (instead of popular referendums) are the appropriate venue to force an "unusually direct, disciplined, and comprehensive confrontation between opposing sides." In reviewing the documents and retelling the story of the trial, Yoshino accurately and concisely documents what the plaintiffs and proponents of Prop 8 had to say about the nature of rights, the definition of marriage, the history of discrimination, and the future of the family. Along the way, Yoshino makes some important distinctions between legislative and adjudicative facts and the process of rational-basis review that would be otherwise lost on laypeople like myself.
While Yoshino does write from a position of admitted bias, he portrays his political and ideological opponents with dignity and sympathy, further underscoring his point that the courtroom is a just and humane venue to hold civilized argument over one of the most pressing issues of our time. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the subject.
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