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10 reviews for:
What Is Life Worth?: The Unprecedented Effort to Compensate the Victims of 9/11
Kenneth R. Feinberg
3.74 AVERAGE
10 reviews for:
What Is Life Worth?: The Unprecedented Effort to Compensate the Victims of 9/11
Kenneth R. Feinberg
3.74 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
challenging
emotional
reflective
Interesting and thoughtful. Reading this, one would not immediately assume that it would be fodder for a movie.
4.5/5 for topic, but it was really well written, concise, and well narrated, so 5/5.
I found out about the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund while reading The Only Plane in the Sky (read that book!!) and so was interested in reading this. Overall, I’m glad I read this. It was interesting to learn about how Kenneth ended up in this position and to think about the processes, logistics, and emotions involved in the fund
'What Is Life Worth?' explains the real story of an unprecedented decision in US contemporary history that affected thousands of families of 9/11 victims. Told by the 9/11 compensation fund Special Master himself, this is one of those 'where to draw the line' moments. Kenneth Feinberg explains in detail where he drew the line when deciding how to fairly compensate 9/11 victims, and the complex moral and philosophical situation that followed the 2001 terrorist attacks.
After the Sept. 11 attacks, the US government was concerned many families would sue the airline industry and other entities related to the attacks (WTC, FAA, FDNY, Boeing, etc.), which would end in an economic crisis and years of limitless —and possibly senseless— litigation. To discourage endless class action lawsuits that could prove catastrophic to the economy, and to provide closure and support to the families, Congress decided to enact a statute giving Ken Feinberg very extensive power to manage an unprecedented compensation fund based on financial hardship caused by the attacks. For nearly two years, Feinberg, alongside dozens of top-notch attorneys and government employees, met with hundreds of affected families, and created a detailed and tailored formula to compensate them in a fair manner with public funds.
The whole book is based on countless questions that in many cases don't seem to have a perfect answer. How differently should poor and rich families be compensated for their loss on 9/11? If 9/11 victims are compensated, shouldn't victims of other terrorist attacks and similar incidents (e.g. Oklahoma Bombings) be compensated as well? How could someone measure potential earnings and success if a victim had not been deceased, for compensation purposes? How should the manner of death affect compensation when comparing 9/11 victims who died in different circumstances? How could the fund acknowledge heroism when compensating families of those who sacrificed their lives for others during the attacks? If families affected by the attacks received donations from private charities prior to the official fund, should they be deducted from the final compensation? (If so, totally? Partially? Case-by-case?) Who should receive compensation if a victim's family has a conflict or disagreement among members? How could the fund fairly compensate a same-sex partner not legally entitled to their loved one's estate? (remember that same-sex marriage was not yet legally recognized in 2001, and the application of family law would largely depend on the state where the victim resided.)
Apart from explaining the tough decisions that Ken Feinberg had to make on his own, this book includes testimonies of families and other parties related to the incidents, real conversations with grieving individuals, what the attacks could mean for the future of national security and tort law, how different grief and faith manifests in victims, and how the 9/11 attacks defined American solidarity and feeling of national unity after the devastating incidents.
I picked up this book after watching 'Worth', the Netflix movie based on Feinberg's fund. I really enjoyed both, and although the book has more information and details about specific victims and families, you can get a good grasp of the important concepts and thoughtful questions that led to how the compensation fund ended up working. If you liked this book, I really encourage you to watch the movie, since it adds visual context to the attacks and grief that families underwent. (Plus, I believe Michael Keaton plays Feinberg very well!) And if you otherwise watched the movie first (like me!), read the book only if you're interested in the topic and would enjoy more details and first-hand testimonies of the attacks. I'm glad I did!
After the Sept. 11 attacks, the US government was concerned many families would sue the airline industry and other entities related to the attacks (WTC, FAA, FDNY, Boeing, etc.), which would end in an economic crisis and years of limitless —and possibly senseless— litigation. To discourage endless class action lawsuits that could prove catastrophic to the economy, and to provide closure and support to the families, Congress decided to enact a statute giving Ken Feinberg very extensive power to manage an unprecedented compensation fund based on financial hardship caused by the attacks. For nearly two years, Feinberg, alongside dozens of top-notch attorneys and government employees, met with hundreds of affected families, and created a detailed and tailored formula to compensate them in a fair manner with public funds.
The whole book is based on countless questions that in many cases don't seem to have a perfect answer. How differently should poor and rich families be compensated for their loss on 9/11? If 9/11 victims are compensated, shouldn't victims of other terrorist attacks and similar incidents (e.g. Oklahoma Bombings) be compensated as well? How could someone measure potential earnings and success if a victim had not been deceased, for compensation purposes? How should the manner of death affect compensation when comparing 9/11 victims who died in different circumstances? How could the fund acknowledge heroism when compensating families of those who sacrificed their lives for others during the attacks? If families affected by the attacks received donations from private charities prior to the official fund, should they be deducted from the final compensation? (If so, totally? Partially? Case-by-case?) Who should receive compensation if a victim's family has a conflict or disagreement among members? How could the fund fairly compensate a same-sex partner not legally entitled to their loved one's estate? (remember that same-sex marriage was not yet legally recognized in 2001, and the application of family law would largely depend on the state where the victim resided.)
Apart from explaining the tough decisions that Ken Feinberg had to make on his own, this book includes testimonies of families and other parties related to the incidents, real conversations with grieving individuals, what the attacks could mean for the future of national security and tort law, how different grief and faith manifests in victims, and how the 9/11 attacks defined American solidarity and feeling of national unity after the devastating incidents.
I picked up this book after watching 'Worth', the Netflix movie based on Feinberg's fund. I really enjoyed both, and although the book has more information and details about specific victims and families, you can get a good grasp of the important concepts and thoughtful questions that led to how the compensation fund ended up working. If you liked this book, I really encourage you to watch the movie, since it adds visual context to the attacks and grief that families underwent. (Plus, I believe Michael Keaton plays Feinberg very well!) And if you otherwise watched the movie first (like me!), read the book only if you're interested in the topic and would enjoy more details and first-hand testimonies of the attacks. I'm glad I did!
Excellent and enlightening overview of the incredible 9/11 victims compensation fund.
I checked this book out from the library because it was a recently added.
It was very interesting to hear how the 9-11 fund worked and the stories of many of the people. It is interesting to hear how this type of fund would not work for other tragedies but was the right thing for 9-11.
It was very interesting to hear how the 9-11 fund worked and the stories of many of the people. It is interesting to hear how this type of fund would not work for other tragedies but was the right thing for 9-11.
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
One of my favorite books. Mr. Feinberg inspired me to re-evaluate what I wanted to do in my life. His emphasis on the role mediation plays in the law fascinated me. I've read this book 10+ times, and with each read I learn something new. I highly recommend this book.