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Taking the Stand: My Life in the Law Audiobook
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#1 New York Times bestselling author Alan Dershowitz recounts his extraordinary coming of age in this legal autobiography, as well as the cases that have changed American jurisprudence over the past fifty years, most of which he has personally been involved in. “Overflowing with fascinating and funny vignettes involving his cases and clients, and probing and provocative insights into contemporary legal controversies.”—The Boston Globe Alan Dershowitz, the preeminent defense lawyer in America today, has been called the “winningest appellate criminal defense lawyer in history.” A professor at Harvard Law School since the age of twenty-five, he has led or been part of the defense team for such storied clients as Bill Clinton, Julian Assange, O. J. Simpson, Claus von Bülow, Mia Farrow, Jeffrey MacDonald, Patty Hearst, Mike Tyson, and countless others. In Taking the Stand, Dershowitz describes his evolution as a lawyer—from a C-minus student in Yeshiva High School to the youngest full professor in the history of Harvard Law School. In his #1 New York Times bestselling book Chutzpah, Alan described his Jewish life. In Taking the Stand, he looks at the people and events that have helped to shape his ideas about the law. He describes his formative years as a clerk for the United States Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. In the course of his career, he confronts the challenges of First Amendment law, the ongoing tension between individual freedom and national security, the questionable science often employed to prosecute accused murderers, the evolution of civil rights—and why the abortion rights debate in society hasn’t moved forward since Roe v. Wade. Filled with unforgettable cases and inside legal “baseball,” Taking the Stand is a deeply personal account of one of the legendary legal minds of our time.
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“One ofthe most distinguished lawyers of his generation reflects on his life and extraordinarycareer. Readers acquainted only with Dershowitz’s TV persona will likely besurprised by the keen sense of humor, the graciousness offered opponents (witha few notable exceptions), and the tenderness toward family, friends andmentors the controversial law professor reveals here. They'll surely recognizethe outsized ego and the passionate, full-throated advocacy of the many andvaried legal causes with which he's so often identified…Dershowitz has becomean important voice with an active role in the evolution of American law,touching on an astonishing breadth of issues…An engaging recounting of a lifeof serious purpose and splendid flair.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
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“From his experience on the front lines of so many pivotal cases in recent history, Professor Dershowitz made the law real for his students. He effortlessly translated how our most basic philosophical principles are alive and well in the modern justice system. In doing so, he underscored not just a commitment to equity and integrity, but a deep faith in the power of the law to make our country more honest and fair.”
— Congressman Joe Kennedy III -
“I loved this book. If I could trade lives with anyone, Dershowitz would be high on my list, minus the death threats and tchotchkes.”
— Larry David, Emmy Award-winning actor and comedian -
“Alan Dershowitz’s real life use of science to win murder cases rivals anything on CSI and any other fictional drama. Cheers for a riveting autobiography.”
— Ted Danson, Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actor -
“The list of legal issues and controversies that bear Dershowitz’s thumbprints is breathtaking…Love him or hate him, Dershowitz has lived a life that matters, hugely and enduringly. He is a man in full at a time when most of us aspire to be little more than a presence on Twitter.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“Certain to attract rapt attention.”
— Barnes&Noble.com, editorial review -
“Riveting, compelling, touching, and tender.”
— Jewish Voice -
“In Taking the Stand, Dershowitz commands the stage…He fills his book to overflowing with fascinating and funny vignettes involving his cases and clients and probing and provocative insights into contemporary legal controversies, ranging from censorship to civil rights, national security, sexual harassment, rape, abortion, the separation of church and state, and the use of scientific evidence in murder cases. Whether he is discussing people or policies, he leaves no doubt about where he stands.”
— Boston Globe -
“From beginning to end, this memoir is both entertaining and enlightening. We see a young and inquisitive Dershowitz continually arguing with the authority figures in his early life, never satisfied with the answer, ‘just because’…Dershowitz uses his experiences to relate some very important points: the necessity of civil rights, the proper application reasonably can to help a client.”
— Library Journal (starred review) -
“One of the most high-profile lawyers in America, known for his work on newsworthy cases...raises provocative questions about the many dilemmas in modern American jurisprudence, including those related to the separation of church and state, affirmative action, human rights, and the right to privacy. Dershowitz offers much of interest.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Alan Dershowitz’s autobiography is a page-turning story of a special life.”
— Stephen Trachtenberg, president, George Washington University -
“Dershowitz…knows how to tell a story, which makes his material entertaining. Listeners will come away with a better understanding of complicated legal issues and of his at times thorny, yet ever vivid, personality. It’s a blessing that Dershowitz only narrated the introduction himself, leaving the rest to his daughter Ella, as he doesn’t have the most mellifluous of voices. It’s not that common for a woman to narrate a man’s first-person memoir, yet this approach works. Verdict: Recommended to those with an interest in legal matters or the man himself.”
— Library Journal (starred audio review)
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About Alan M. Dershowitz
Alan Dershowitz is an American lawyer, academic, and author of thirty nonfiction works and two novels. A former professor of law at Harvard University, he is a regular contributor and political analyst for CNN and Fox News.
About Alan M. Dershowitz
Ella Dershowitz has worked as a television, film, and stage actress. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Yale University.