Synopsis
When I was writing this book, there were times I was gripped by surprise and disbelief. I did not idealize the Supreme Court as a perfect place. But I did not expect it, either, to be a place that is tolerant of men and women who take integrity lightly.

It is impossible to pore over this book without developing a keen awareness of how important change is in an institution we like to call the "last bulwark of democracy."

I brought to this work a journalist's inquiring mind, accompanied by the hope that this spurs a national conversation. And I take away from this book a deeper appreciation for the saving grace of a vigilant public.

I've gained insights along the way, the most basic being that this narrative cries for a return to the old-fashioned mantra of character and leadership, one with an unimpeded view of the common good. It is not always from the Justices' masterful and high-minded rhetoric, in page after page of decision, that we read them. Rather, it is in the lives they lead, the actions they take.

How the Supreme Court will push the need for deeper change will etch its imprint on the nation's soul.