Harr, Jonathan

• A Civil Action

  • This is a very readable story about a civil suit brought by a law firm representing several families in Woburn, Mass. against two large corporations involved in dumping toxins that made their way into the local water table. It starts with the basics behind each family's story, then goes on to show pre-trial manuevers, scientific exploration and a variety of legal games that really make the whole system seem like a crapshoot.

    A book like this really makes me stop and think. I mean, I almost went to law school myself, and it still holds a fascination for me, but I have to ask myself if I could be happy in this kind of legal world. I mean, how can someone feel good about themselves when they make a living basically exploiting loopholes in the legal system? On another level, this book makes me happy that my wife and I decided several years ago to forego tap water whenever possible.

    Anyway, like the trail, the book has a tendency to bog down in crazy little details, and it certainly seems to be biased in favor of the plaintiffs, putting the lawyers for the two corporations (and the judge who frequently ruled against the plaintiffs) in a bad light. Still, I really enjoyed it. It was as good as any John Grisham book I've read, at least.

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