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 enlarge | Authors: Stuart Taylor, Kc Johnson
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Category: Book
List Price: $26.95
Buy New: $3.65
You Save: $23.30 (86%)
New (41) Used (43) from $1.95
Avg. Customer Rating:  74 reviews
Sales Rank: 63281
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1st
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 432
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.5
ISBN: 0312369123
Dewey Decimal Number: 364.15320922756563
EAN: 9780312369125
ASIN: 0312369123
Publication Date: September 4, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Until Proven Innocent March 3, 2008
0 out of 23 found this review helpful
I did not like the way the book was written, for this reason I did not finish it, Maybe later I will get back to it, But I don't think so
To many small details that were not interesting however I am glad these young men were found innocent and politic correctness got a black eye from this incident.
 Think twice about sending your child to an "elite" school March 1, 2008
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
The authors of this definitive book on the Duke Lacrosse Rape Case (one a Democrat and one an independent) literally blow away the the church of political correctness that rules over most elite American universities, such as Duke. The authors clearly demonstrate the shocking lack of political diversity within the arts and humanities faculty at Duke, and shows how the steadfast refusal of the "Group of 88" to apologize to the Duke lacrosse team for their rush to judgment in light of overwhelming evidence clearly highlights the lack of character present among most of these individuals. The authors also point out how a number of these academics have dubious academic credentials at best, yet the tenure system guarantees these individuals more job security than a Supreme Court justice. Because all the people at Duke were so enamored with the concept of the case (a bunch of rich white guys taking advantage of a poor black woman), any concept of fairness or adherence to the American concept of "innocent until proven guilty" has been thrown out of the window.
What is more troubling is that had the "colors been reversed," i.e. black members of the basketball team accused of raping a white stripper, then it is also quite likely the "Group of 88" would have stood by the athletes, and likely have prevented the rush to judgment that occurred with the lacrosse team from ever happening. Perhaps it is no surprise to find that the average tuition over the last 30 years at private colleges has increased at double the rate of inflation, while the quality of education has clearly deteriorated.
If you are a parent with a child approaching college age, I strongly advise you to obtain a copy of the book, "Choosing the Right College, 2008-2009" published by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. In it, you will find many examples of the intellectual trash being dumped on students at Duke and many other "elite" universities. The book highlights a number of fine universities that do not worship at the altar of political correctness and actually require students to study a broad spectrum of the greatest works of Western civilization. If the universities of America required the same diversity of their faculty members with respect to their political beliefs that they demand when it comes to race, color, sex, etc., then the students would only benefit. Thanks to the authors for this wonderful book. I am only sad that when all the lacrosse players eventually collect their well-deserved damages from Duke for having "thrown them under the bus," the school administration will likely smile, deny guilt, and pay for it with more massive tuition increases.
 Durham 2006 or Salem 1692? February 29, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This fascinating book lays out the full horror of the grotesque legal assault on members of the Duke University lacrosse team in 2006. Not only do the authors bring to account the out-of-control prosecutor Michael Nifong and several members of the Durham police department, they also hold up to deserved scorn Duke's cowardly president, several senior Duke officials and a strident, hysterical but obviously influential minority of the Duke faculty. As portrayed convincingly by the authors, the wildest faculty members were furious people with thin academic qualifications whose main "achievements" lay in pursuing an unfettered leftist political agenda against numerous politically incorrect "isms." (The authors helpfully include short selections from the web sites or other writings of some. While most of the words those "educators" used in the excerpts are recognizable as being English their thought processes often seem extraterrestrial.) Nor do the authors spare some talking (yapping?) heads of cable TV, including Nancy Grace and Rita Cosby, or the major newspapers like the New York Times that shot first and asked questions later. And of the accuser, the less said the better.
The Salem Witch Trials of 1692-93 came to my mind as I read the book. Although in the Duke case no one was literally hanged or pressed to death, the accused and their teammates were subjected to prolonged vicious treatment in an atmosphere of mass hysteria in which too few people in authority were willing to speak or act with basic sense. There was religious fanaticism at work, though in place of Puritanism, the religion was political correctness. It was heartening to see that in the end, the North Carolina legal authorities gave Nifong the punishment he deserved. Unfortunately, the faculty hangmen and hangwomen seem not to have suffered a bit for their fierce and self-righteous trashing of a central constitutional principle: the presumption of innocence.
The authors researched their subject in admirable depth. My main problem with the book is that it was not well edited; thus it's unnecessarily long, and repetitious in places. Despite these flaws, their book will stand as a monument to how badly awry the justice system - and fashionable American academia - can go in dealing with a case that has inflammatory potential. It can also serve as a cautionary tale of what could and does happen at times to poor people erroneously accused of serious crimes. The authors expand the narrative to review several such examples, including death penalty cases. Fortunately, the real victims in this case -- the lacrosse team members -- were from families who could and did fight back against the gross injustices being done to their sons. In their struggle, they were aided by a dedicated and gifted team of defense lawyers who were the antithesis of the now disgraced prosecutor.
Chilling Disregard for Truth, Integrity and Responsibility by Duke February 25, 2008
It's all about CYA, is the message here. Three guys were dismissed by Duke Univeristy's leadership because it would hurt the "brand" to do anything else.
Now we all know what kind of values are being transmitted by higher education through examples of cowardice and double talk.
Fascinating if scary book.
Until Proven Innocent February 22, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
An excellent documentary, objectively done,that has much to reveal about the flawed justice system in North Carolina and the unfortunate fact that innocent victims of that reprehensible system can readily be destroyed by the corrupt system and its ruthless "good old boy" lawyer/prosecutor/judge advocates.
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