The Supreme Court.

• Position: Review

The Supreme Court by Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist

Fifteen years after he became the first sitting Chief Justice to write a book about the U.S. Supreme Court, Rehnquist had added new chapters and substantially revised his work.

The Supreme Court begins with the personal story of his introduction to the Court as a law clerk to Justice Robert Jackson in 1952. From there it describes the Court's early evolution and function. Finally, it explains how the Court operates today.

Among the topics the author includes is how the Court must necessarily limit itself to deciding cases that have a...