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Title: The Genesis of Justice : 10 Stories of Biblical Injustice That Led to the 10 Commandments and Modern Morality and Law by Alan M. Dershowitz ISBN: 0-446-67677-2 Publisher: Warner Books Pub. Date: 01 February, 2001 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.94 (17 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: If History Begins in Sumer, Law Begins in Genesis...
Comment: ....let's discuss this enlightening book which explores the stories
from the first book (Genesis) of the five books of Moses (Torah) from
the perspective of law and justice. Based on Torah, Talmud, rabbinic
commentaries, the Hasidic commentaries of Rabbi Levi Isaac of
Berditchev, and the legal insight of a yeshiva educated Harvard law
professor, the reader follows the development of the concept of
justice. Consider the flawed personalities in the Book of
Genesis... it's like watching 5 seasons of Law & Order: Adam and
Eve (expulsion); Cain and Abel (murder and favoritism); Noah, Abraham
and Isaac (attempted murder, the akedah), Hagar and Sarah; Abraham,
Sodom and ten good people (collective punishment?); Esau and Jacob
(bait & switch, verbal contracts and trickery); Jacob and Laban;
Hamor, circumcision, and Jacob's sons; Joseph and his
brothers. Dershowitz provides an enlightening read and ready access to
commentaries that remove the rose-colored glasses from the stories you
heard as a child.
Rating: 3
Summary: thoughtful, repetitive interpretation of origins of justice
Comment: It pains me to write an unflattering review of "The Genesis of Justice," as I admire both the integrity and intelligence of its author, Alan Dershowitz. Professor Dershowitz is at his best in descriptive analysis; he dissects ten stories from the book of Genesis in his attempt to prove his essential thesis: the Bible "uses stories of injustice to teach about the need for justice." If you judge "Genesis" by that standard, he has succeeded admirably. Dershowitz is a talented and prolific writer; his style is graceful and his arguments are exquisitely prepared and developed.
However, a discerning reader ought expect more than biblical exigesis and patterned presentations of pro and con arguments about the stories selected. This volume reads much more like a series of interrelated, independent magazine-length stories than a comprehensive treatment of his selected thesis. By book's end, the reader can almost anticipate heavily repeated phrases to appear once and again. Sadly, his final four chapters seem almost to appear as a post-script rather than serve as a stirring summation of the understandings gained through synthesis and interpretation of the book of Genesis.
Lest I appear disrespectful of Professor Deshowitz's efforts, I must praise his own passion for justice. His obvious quest for understanding, for combining a search for truth, understanding and retribution make this work an important philosophical keystone for anyone who hopes to understand how our culture reflects and aspires towards the ideals of justice articulated in the Bible. His own admonition that justice is a state never achieved but constantly sought after is both a warning and a call to action. "The Genesis of Justice," though flawed by repetitions and poor editing, is an important contribution to both our understanding of the Bible and our hopes for justice.
Rating: 5
Summary: Engaging and Entertaining...
Comment: For those with an open mind and a thirst for new Biblical insights, this book is a delight. It is just what you might expect from a brilliant legal mind, and more. Alan Dershowitz shares his research and analysis in an engaging and entertaining style on a subject for which he obviously has a tremendous passion.
Maimonides, Soren Kierkegaard, Abraham Ibn Ezra, Franz Kafka, Blaise Pascal, Everett Fox, and Bob Dylan are just a small handful of the voices invited to the party. The genius of this work is that while it presents so many different viewpoints (without necessarily adopting one "correct" interpretation over another), Dershowitz is still able to clearly show the reader that within the complex and confusing assortment of narratives that is Genesis, there exists a straightforward path toward the Law. This path, while full of injustice along the way, does not merely show us the need for the Law; it shows a developing legal system in process.
No matter how familiar you may think you are with the book of Genesis, you will be able to experience the narratives afresh. Dershowitz holds up the book of Genesis like a crystal in sunlight, its beauty seen in the reflections of light, observed at a number of different angles.
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Title: The Case for Israel by Alan Dershowitz ISBN: 047146502X Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Pub. Date: 01 August, 2003 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Why Terrorism Works by Alan M. Dershowitz ISBN: 0300097662 Publisher: Yale Univ Pr Pub. Date: 04 September, 2002 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: Shouting Fire: Civil Liberties in a Turbulent Age by Alan Dershowitz ISBN: 0316181412 Publisher: Little Brown & Company Pub. Date: 09 January, 2002 List Price(USD): $26.95 |
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Title: The Best Defense by Alan M. Dershowitz ISBN: 039471380X Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 12 May, 1983 List Price(USD): $17.00 |
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Title: Letters to a Young Lawyer by Alan M. Dershowitz ISBN: 0465016316 Publisher: Basic Books Pub. Date: 16 October, 2001 List Price(USD): $22.00 |
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