Books: My Grandfather's Son

My Grandpa reads a lot more nonfiction than I do. Every time I see him, he has a new book about history or politics. He's especially fond of autobiographies, so it wasn't much of a surprise when he gave me "My Grandfather's Son," by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

On the bench, Thomas has been characterized as taciturn. This autobiography, though, feels like the writing of someone who needs to acknowledge the sacrifices and effort that others expended for him. Thomas starts with his early life growing up in Pinpoint, Georgia, dirt-poor and feeling the effects of segregation. A remarkable and unlikely path to the Supreme Court follows, with the climax of the book being chiefly about his bitter confirmation fight.

Now most people have strong opinions about Justice Thomas' jurisprudence. Unfortunately, the book ends right before any description of his work on the court. I suspect that the case opinions contain everything Thomas has or had wanted to say about the cases that have been before him.