The Right to Privacy by Ellen Alderman and Caroline Kennedy.

Cafe Society
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This book tries to answer these and many other troubling questions in our fast-paced, modern society.

Published by
Random House and authored by Ellen Alderman and Caroline Kennedy (John, Jr.'s sister), this book uses a simple, down-to-earth, non-technical language that anyone can understand.

It seems assaults on our right to privacy are all around us. The book starts the story at the beginning of the 20th Century, and how the U.S. Supreme Court began slowly incorporating all the provisions of the Bill of Rights, using the “substanative due process” requirements of the 14th Amendment. [http://207.68.164.250:80/cgi-bin/linkrd?_lang=EN&lah=5a6431b0bd5fc322b1e440c8d72e4f77&lat=1022139572&hm___action=http%3A%2F%2Fboards.straightdope.com%2Fsdmb%2Fshowthread.php%3Fthreadid%3D111499%26goto%3Dnewpost](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=111499&goto=newpost <[url)&gt;]Louis Brandeis was the first person to conceive of this right in the 19th Century.

So one has to ask oneself then. Was the 1965 Griswold v. Conneticut decision that recognized this right a natural “evolution” from the courts earlier decisions, or did they go too far?

The book also talks about personal intrusions on this right and tort law. There are many interesting facts thrown in along the way (did you know California has this right written right into their constitution?). This is a wonderful book, whatever your political ideology may be. And I highly recommend it for all ages.

:smiley:

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I should have explained that the U.S. Supreme Ct. was using this clause in the 14th Amendment to make the U.S. Bill of Rights applicable to the states. A previous Supreme Ct. decision said that the U.S. Bill of Rights only applies to the federal government. If you have any further questions, read the book!:slight_smile:

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i bought and read this book, as well as “in our defense.” very interesting and very readable. i heartily recomend them both.