Reading the Constitution: Why I Chose Pragmatism, Not Textualism by Breyer, Stephen
Reading the Constitution: Why I Chose Pragmatism, Not Textualism by Breyer, Stephen

Reading the Constitution: Why I Chose Pragmatism, Not Textualism

New York Times Bestseller In a provocative and brilliant analysis, retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer deconstructs...
$51.74 AUD
$51.74 AUD
SKU: 9781668021545
Product Type: Books
Please hurry! Only 0 left in stock
Author: Stephen Breyer
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Subtotal: $51.74
Reading the Constitution: Why I Chose Pragmatism, Not Textualism by Breyer, Stephen

Reading the Constitution: Why I Chose Pragmatism, Not Textualism

$51.74
Reading the Constitution: Why I Chose Pragmatism, Not Textualism by Breyer, Stephen

Reading the Constitution: Why I Chose Pragmatism, Not Textualism

$51.74
Author: Stephen Breyer
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Description
New York Times Bestseller

In a provocative and brilliant analysis, retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer deconstructs the textualist philosophy of the current Supreme Court's supermajority and makes the case for a more pragmatic approach of the Constitution.

"You will not read a more important legal work this election year." --Bob Woodward, Washington Post reporter and author of fifteen #1 New York Times bestselling books

"A dissent for the ages." --The Washington Post

"Breyer's candor about the state of the court is refreshing and much needed." --The Boston Globe

The relatively new judicial philosophy of textualism dominates the Supreme Court. Textualists claim that the right way to interpret the Constitution and statutes is to read the text carefully and examine the language as it was understood at the time the documents were written.

This, however, is not Justice Breyer's philosophy nor has it been the traditional way to interpret the Constitution since the time of Chief Justice John Marshall. Justice Breyer recalls Marshall's exhortation that the Constitution must be a workable set of principles to be interpreted by subsequent generations.

Most important in interpreting law, says Breyer, is to understand the statutes as well as the consequences of deciding a case one way or another. He illustrates these principles by examining some of the most important cases in the nation's history, among them the Dobbs and Bruen decisions from 2022 that he argues were wrongly decided and have led to harmful results.

Author: Stephen Breyer
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 06/10/2025
Pages: 368
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.62lbs
Size: 8.38h x 5.50w x 0.88d
ISBN: 9781668021545

About the Author
Stephen Breyer is a former associate justice of the Supreme Court who served there for twenty-eight years until retiring in 2022. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Shipping & Return

Returns Policy

You may return most new, unopened items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. We'll also pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.).

You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).

If you need to return an item, simply login to your account, view the order using the "Complete Orders" link under the My Account menu and click the Return Item(s) button. We'll notify you via e-mail of your refund once we've received and processed the returned item.

Shipping

We can ship to virtually any address in the world. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations.

When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Depending on the shipping provider you choose, shipping date estimates may appear on the shipping quotes page.

Please also note that the shipping rates for many items we sell are weight-based. The weight of any such item can be found on its detail page. To reflect the policies of the shipping companies we use, all weights will be rounded up to the next full pound.

Review