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tifferschang's review against another edition
3.0
The tragedy and complexity of the Trayvon Martin case attracted me to read anything I could in regards to the case. Bloom's book does an excellent job of covering all the issues related to the case, from implicit and explicit racism, to gun ownership laws, to stand your ground laws. My biggest concerns from the book stemmed from her initial chapters describing the juror, Maddy's experience. Those entire passages are more gossip-oriented and utterly ridiculous and diminish Bloom's clout - clout that she spends the rest of the book trying to earn back, ultimately taking away from the Martin case.
leaton01's review against another edition
4.0
Bloom provides a very strong analysis and discussion of the Trayvon Martin Case that would be essential reading for anyone looking to make sense of the various legal and cultural issues surrounding the case. She goes further to highlight how Martin's case is representative of the experiences of minorities--particularly African Americans--in our culture due to historical and cultural dynamics that perpetuate institutional racism. She notes that while there has been clear progress, there are also places where we have stagnated or neglected the complexities of race relations. Lisa Bloom's approach is sometimes a little over the top (such as when she creates courtroom dialogue to show how it should have gone), but overall, her argument is spot on.
If you enjoyed this review, feel free to check out my other reviews and writings at By Any Other Nerd/
If you enjoyed this review, feel free to check out my other reviews and writings at By Any Other Nerd/
jessfeldish's review against another edition
4.0
For every media circus I can't stomach as its happening in real time, I would be so lucky to have a summary and interpretation like this book. I didn't care for part 2 of this book but the explanation of the trial and unraveling all of the layers was done well.
aloyokon's review against another edition
4.0
A gripping account of the events leading up to the Travyon Martin case, how it was botched, and what can be implied from it concerning bias in the criminal justice system.
mjanemartin's review against another edition
4.0
I really didn't want to read this book. I heard Lisa Bloom give a talk recently and I perceived her as a "rock star" persona, playing to the crowd. And this is the third non-fiction book in a row I've read on race...I wanted a break from the topic. But, I recently joined a discussion group on what's happening in Ferguson (a suburb of my ST Louis). They wanted to read the book...so I reluctantly bought it.
The book is divided into two parts. The first being the Trayvon Martin case, the second being a discourse on race. The first part was very close to five stars for me. I had only followed the Trayvon case in a general sort of way...I didn't have the luxury of watching the trial on TV. I knew some blame had been cast upon the prosecution. Bloom must be an amazing attorney/debater and I couldn't help think that if I ever got into trouble, I would want her at bat for me. She makes some valid points and frankly makes the prosecution look like bungling boobs. Her main contention was Zimmerman said several times his gun was in his waistband in the back of his pants and Trayvon grabbed it while he straddled him. If he was lying on his back on the ground, how could Trayvon have seen the gun or gotten to it? She contends Zimmerman had his gun drawn from the get go. Another issue was with the biggest witness the prosecution had...his friend Jeantel and how woefully lacking the prosecution was in preparing her. They offered her little preparation, no emotional support and treated her almost as hostile.
It's useless to theorize what happened. As the dead can't speak, we only have Zimmerman's side. But all the prosecution had to disprove, was that Zimmerman's suspicion, ultimately fear, was "reasonable"...not reasonable eliminates self defense (ie, you can't say "he looked at me sideways and I was afraid so I shot him"...that's not "reasonable.") How could his suspicion have been reasonable? Even on the phone with the police, Zimmerman offered no more than "he looks suspicious." If he was afraid, why did he follow him? He wasn't afraid, because he had a gun. Bloom states Zimmerman's suspicion using a syllogism:
1. two black burglars had robbed a house in the neighborhood.
2. Trayvon was black.
3. Therefore, Zimmerman was suspicious of Trayvon and that suspicion of Trayvon was reasonable.
The prosecution, who never played the race card (in a trial that was all about race), basically conceded this point.
You might as well say, (Bloom's example):
1. Nine out of ten child molesters are male.
2. Eduardo is male.
3. Therefore, Child Protective Services should take his kids away.
Zimmerman's logic extrapolates backwards from a small subset (burglars) to a large group (black males). It's just not reasonable. We need some "Mind Your Own Business Laws", not more "Stand Your Ground." Zimmerman's racial bias and unreasonable fear, set this whole tragedy in motion. And if you think you don't suffer some bias, google "Implicit Bias Test." Harvard has one. You can pick your minority...LGBT, Muslims, Christians...take your pick. The test is free and cheat-proof. Even almost half of the African Americans taking the test for racial bias, get results of having preference for European people. How disheartening is that?
The second part was three stars. Same old stuff, same statistics blah blah, although she does it eloquently. She tackles "Black on Black crime." She argues against the statement, "blacks commit all the crimes", talks about the prison system. She takes them all on. She's a great debater.
All that being said, there were some holes in the book. There seemed to be parts of the trial she never addressed. My assumption was that she only put forward parts she took issue with or thought were botched. IDK. It gave it a lopsided feel to me or not very thorough.
In short, it's an easy read. But, I think most people have made up their mind about this case by now. I doubt reading this book will change many opinions. If you believe in Zimmerman's guilt, this book will affirm what you know, maybe providing more detail and depth. If you believe Zimmerman is innocent, this book will only infuriate you. Don't go there.
The book is divided into two parts. The first being the Trayvon Martin case, the second being a discourse on race. The first part was very close to five stars for me. I had only followed the Trayvon case in a general sort of way...I didn't have the luxury of watching the trial on TV. I knew some blame had been cast upon the prosecution. Bloom must be an amazing attorney/debater and I couldn't help think that if I ever got into trouble, I would want her at bat for me. She makes some valid points and frankly makes the prosecution look like bungling boobs. Her main contention was Zimmerman said several times his gun was in his waistband in the back of his pants and Trayvon grabbed it while he straddled him. If he was lying on his back on the ground, how could Trayvon have seen the gun or gotten to it? She contends Zimmerman had his gun drawn from the get go. Another issue was with the biggest witness the prosecution had...his friend Jeantel and how woefully lacking the prosecution was in preparing her. They offered her little preparation, no emotional support and treated her almost as hostile.
It's useless to theorize what happened. As the dead can't speak, we only have Zimmerman's side. But all the prosecution had to disprove, was that Zimmerman's suspicion, ultimately fear, was "reasonable"...not reasonable eliminates self defense (ie, you can't say "he looked at me sideways and I was afraid so I shot him"...that's not "reasonable.") How could his suspicion have been reasonable? Even on the phone with the police, Zimmerman offered no more than "he looks suspicious." If he was afraid, why did he follow him? He wasn't afraid, because he had a gun. Bloom states Zimmerman's suspicion using a syllogism:
1. two black burglars had robbed a house in the neighborhood.
2. Trayvon was black.
3. Therefore, Zimmerman was suspicious of Trayvon and that suspicion of Trayvon was reasonable.
The prosecution, who never played the race card (in a trial that was all about race), basically conceded this point.
You might as well say, (Bloom's example):
1. Nine out of ten child molesters are male.
2. Eduardo is male.
3. Therefore, Child Protective Services should take his kids away.
Zimmerman's logic extrapolates backwards from a small subset (burglars) to a large group (black males). It's just not reasonable. We need some "Mind Your Own Business Laws", not more "Stand Your Ground." Zimmerman's racial bias and unreasonable fear, set this whole tragedy in motion. And if you think you don't suffer some bias, google "Implicit Bias Test." Harvard has one. You can pick your minority...LGBT, Muslims, Christians...take your pick. The test is free and cheat-proof. Even almost half of the African Americans taking the test for racial bias, get results of having preference for European people. How disheartening is that?
The second part was three stars. Same old stuff, same statistics blah blah, although she does it eloquently. She tackles "Black on Black crime." She argues against the statement, "blacks commit all the crimes", talks about the prison system. She takes them all on. She's a great debater.
All that being said, there were some holes in the book. There seemed to be parts of the trial she never addressed. My assumption was that she only put forward parts she took issue with or thought were botched. IDK. It gave it a lopsided feel to me or not very thorough.
In short, it's an easy read. But, I think most people have made up their mind about this case by now. I doubt reading this book will change many opinions. If you believe in Zimmerman's guilt, this book will affirm what you know, maybe providing more detail and depth. If you believe Zimmerman is innocent, this book will only infuriate you. Don't go there.
jennyrisberg's review against another edition
5.0
If Lisa Bloom was on this case, Zimmerman would be in prison.
cate577c3's review
5.0
Bloom analyzes the evidence in the Treyvon Martin case, and her conclusions are shocking and appalling. Well researched and well written, the second section reviews the state of race relations in the US, and what our refusal to discuss this topic costs us.
dreamerf641c's review
4.0
This is a very basic book. If you were outraged by the Zimmerman/Martin trial, this is a good book to read, as the author lays out a step by step account of the missteps of the trial, but the latter half of the book feels like a simplified account of The New Jim Crow.
Still, this book will probably be more easily paletable for the people in your life who haven't read The New Jim Crow either because of the title, or because it was written by a black woman, and the focus on legal cases makes the entire book more interesting.
All in all, this book might not be worth the expense of hardcover, but it will make an excellent present come paperback.
Still, this book will probably be more easily paletable for the people in your life who haven't read The New Jim Crow either because of the title, or because it was written by a black woman, and the focus on legal cases makes the entire book more interesting.
All in all, this book might not be worth the expense of hardcover, but it will make an excellent present come paperback.
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