This book is a cursory overview of the history of the Supreme Court of the United States, purporting to vindicate the view that the court has generally worked to make law consistent with the interests of the privileged. Hence the title. Unfortunately, what could have been a worthwhile project reads as if it was dictated at a good clip, largely off the top of the learned author's head. As someone who is accustomed to reading legal history, biographies of judges, and court decisions, I can only lament that this author seems to have missed the opportunity to write a very good book and opted instead to write a breezy one that is not much better than mediocre. Perhaps Professor Powe felt this book would convince a good slice of the American populace of the accuracy of his thesis if he kept things short and to the point. He need not have worried: the average American is watching "American Idol" or mourning Michael Jackson, not wondering if the Supreme Court has been inclined to go along with "the American elite."

This volume contains an index, a list of cases referenced in the text, and a chronology. It would be useful for a Political Science student taking a class on constitutional history or possibly constitutional law.

For those who are very serious about constitutional history, there is the late Bernard Schwartz's excellent "A History of the Supreme Court," which is still the standard. Also recommended are two books by Akhil Reed Amar, "The Bill of Rights: Creation and Reconstruction," and "America's Constitution: A Biography."

I really enjoyed this book. I have read many, many books on the Supreme Court, its history, and the lives of those who have served upon it, and this one rates among the most enjoyable panoramic histories I've read. It may not appeal as much to one who selects this as an introduction to the Court's history, as I believe it is written more for persons already familiar with the area -- but for those readers, it offers a rewarding insight into each of the cases, controversies, and personalities, and the interactions of these forces, which have shaped the Court and the Country since its founding days.