A review by kaylielongley
Brainstorm by Richard Dooling

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.