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kaylielongley's review against another edition
4.0
Though Brain Storm’s plot involves the darker, grayer side of the law, the book is really a love letter to the social sciences. Brain Storm is not only fun to read, it’s enlightening, dynamically reviewing the individual differences and subtleties that afflict humans to create biases, commit crimes based on perceived difference, and grapple with the concept of the self and soul, all while examining social organizations that enforce maladaptive behaviors and legal associations that reprimand them. In short, there’s a lot going on here, and understandably so, as author Dooling is a practicing lawyer himself and well acquainted with the curiosities of human nature. The brains, or rather characters, in question include Joe Watson, a young lawyer who is considering infidelity, along with a career switch to anthropology, world literature, or king of the Internet, Rachel Palmquist, a neurologist who is the target of the lawyer’s quasi-adultery (Watson’s words, not mine), and the defendant himself, Jimmy Whitlow who may either be the smartest or dumbest bigot this side of St. Louis. Sure, Dooling discusses everything from the pervasive nature of the Internet and hate crimes to shady government practices, but these hot topics are balanced by its underlining themes, provocative characters, and boisterous humor.
crispymerola's review
3.0
An uneven, wild ride. Dooling tackles neuroscientific determinism, hate crime law, and fidelity in this sprawling legal thriller(?). The story is hard to classify, as things go off the rails after a major reversal of fortune just past the midpoint. This is where Dooling starts to really love the smell of his own farts - Digressions abound, and once-satirical, sharp characters morph into caricatures. But worst of all, Dooling decides to dump maple syrup all over his ending.
Brain Storm is at its best when Dooling taps into his legal background to deliver nuanced, humorous, passionately-written takes on law and the people who practice it. The book is a legal drama of sorts, so these sections feel appropriate while remaining thrilling to the reader and authentic to the life of the author. It's all the more disappointing, then, that Dooling robs our protagonist of a strong climax in the form of the trial. This central conflict is solved in a deus ex machina that's unsatisfying dramatically and thematically - I'm left underwhelmed as someone who cared about the characters, and as someone who wanted the themes of the story to be supported by its conclusion.
Dooling cares about a variety of fascinating topics. He writes with passion, and his prose is engaging (if positively OVERCOOKED). I'm very happy I read this, even though it didn't quite come together.
Brain Storm is at its best when Dooling taps into his legal background to deliver nuanced, humorous, passionately-written takes on law and the people who practice it. The book is a legal drama of sorts, so these sections feel appropriate while remaining thrilling to the reader and authentic to the life of the author. It's all the more disappointing, then, that Dooling robs our protagonist of a strong climax in the form of the trial. This central conflict is solved in a deus ex machina that's unsatisfying dramatically and thematically - I'm left underwhelmed as someone who cared about the characters, and as someone who wanted the themes of the story to be supported by its conclusion.
Dooling cares about a variety of fascinating topics. He writes with passion, and his prose is engaging (if positively OVERCOOKED). I'm very happy I read this, even though it didn't quite come together.
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