The Nine

The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court
$15.95
I must start out by saying that this is not a book that I would normally choose to read. It was my book club book pick that the group voted on. With that said, this is definitely a book that took me out of my comfort zone and I am very glad that I read this book. Mr. Toobin goes into great detail of the inner workings of the Supreme Court justices, their backgrounds as well as their personal and political beliefs. He interviewed "the nine" justices (Rehnquist, Stevens, O'Connor, Scalia, Kennedy, Souter, Thomas, Ginsburg, Breyer), plus the most recent two (Roberts & Alito). He also interviewed their clerks and added great details of Court History to blend the information. Toobin goes into great detail to show the controversies that have affected the court on both sides of the liberal and conservatives on the court. This book was a reminder that all members of the Supreme Court, the highest body in the United States, are appointed by the current President and confirmed by the Senate. Also, the President selects individuals who share his idealogical views. Toobin shows how these choices affect major decisions faced by the courts. This book does cover controversial issues that have come before the court including segregation, abortion, gay rights and affirmative action. It was a thought provoking and engaging book and it reminds us of what the constitution stands for and how much has changed in our own society since then. It was not a quick read, at least for me, and it is definitely dry reading at some points. If you don't have a legal background, you just may find yourself needing a dictionary at your side. Also, using google searches for background information will be helpful. I would recommend this book for those interested in history and legal issues and for those of us who should know about what is going on in our own government!

Year Zero
$17.99
i will admit i was dissapointed with this at first, but it grew on me. i am one insane NIN fan. i have been trying to collect everything by them!but anyway this album is OK for the most part. different but still good.

The Downward Spiral
$17.98
The Downward Spiral being NIN's 2nd studio album and 1994 release was both a critical hit and a smash hit in several countries, reaching the top ten in both in the Billboard 200 and in the UK. Allmusic, Rolling Stone and [...] all gave it high marks. The sound is a mix between industrial rock and industrial metal and contains very well-written lyrics. The book contains all the lyrics and some very strange art. The album spawned two singles "March of Pigs" and "Closer". 4/5.

The Fragile
$24.98
The album is dense, and it needs a lot of listenings before you can get into. A double album is always something special, because only true artists can afford such a challenge! And Trent, after the already classic album "The Downward Spiral" was able to make a work even greater.

The first album, the best, starts with a sequence of 7 tracks that are among the best songs ever written by him:

Somewhat Damaged
The Day the World Went Away
The Frail
The Wretched
We're in This Together
The Fragile
Just Like You Imagined

Then it closes with a ballad, "The Great Below", with really beautiful lyrics.

The second album has great tracks too, like "Into the Void", "Where Is Everybody?", "Please" and "The Big Come Down". The band sounds great, and the production is high-quality as usual.

That's for sure NIN best album and one of the last masterpieces of rock.