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Rating: 
Summary: the best book no one has read
Review: A friend recommended this book as "the best book no one has ever read," and was he ever right. I have always been fascinated by Clarence Darrow and have come to view him as almost a mythical figure, "the lawyer for the damned." The beauty of this book is that it paints a much more human picture of Darrow, highlighting the bad as well as the good, but without in any way being malicious. My admiration for Darrow was still intact after the book, but my understanding of him is now much fuller and realistic. Cowan's account of the trial of Darrow for trying to bribe jurors is riveting and dramatic. I hope that some potential readers find this review, otherwise the possibility arises of this becoming the most favorable review that was never read.
Rating:
Summary: A Perfect Book
Review: This has been one of my favorite books for years.This work is intensely engaging on any number of levels. It discusses Darrow's trial for jury bribery, but places that trial at the very center of fascinating stories. _The People v. Clarence Darrow_ works as biography, writing about a pivotal moment in Darrow's career and in his life. It works as history, as this trial was at the center of the early war of capital vs. labor. It works as drama, as Cowan convincingly portrays the dozens of fascinating people involved in this trial in one way or another. And it works as a legal drama. The legal techniques, the arguments, and the absolute importance of this trial to Darrow's life and to the cause of labor generally make this one of the trials of the century, and the story is gripping throughout. Finally, Cowan just does a great job with the craft of writing. The characters are real, the story unfolds dramatically. I was never bored, and actually looked forward to reading each new chapter. As you can tell, I can't recommend this book enough.
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