Interesting but too densely written for me.

A somewhat technical book. Part memoir, tips and general observations on judging. Not for everyone. Despite having an interest in the law, I found some parts of the book are a bit dry and get technical. I enjoyed the book generally.

In particular, I found his sections criticizing both Amar and Scalia very interesting. I like Posner's digs at both the Invisible Constitution and Unwritten Constitution, two books I found less than satisfying. I find great appeal in Posner's urging to turn away from formalist thought (that kind that generalizes and seeks abstract principles) towards realist thought, which amongst other things tries to root itself in empirical data and evidence. It was interesting to see Posner describe judicial restraint, from its intellectual foundation from Trayer to the various judges that practiced their variations. I have yet to actually work on the blue book, but I enjoy Posner's critique of it, which demonstrates his economic thinking both in his cases and towards the practice of law in general. I also thought his observations on judges, (the increase of clerk written opinions, and the increasingly abstract bent of the legal academy) insightful, if unrelatable at the moment. It's definitely a practical book, pointing to tips on managing clerks, instructing juries and writing simple opinions.

If anything the book has inspired me to follow its author more closely. It's generally insightful, controversial and interesting (Posner has interesting opinions on topics as wide as patents for software to semantics to the use of google maps in litigation, and he seems to calls it as it is). My only complaint is that the topics are so wide that it's hard to see the common thread behind the topics. The general theme is that the external world is becoming more complicated, and the judicial system needs to address that head on, not generate internal complexity (through formalism) to escape it. I'll probably reread this book later on when I engage in the profession more. Maybe it's a catcher in the rye sort of book for law students!
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