Modern Day David and Goliath story

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	• The Appeal (Random House Large Print (Cloth/Paper)) John Grisham Random House Large Print, 2008 - 576 pages average customer review:based on 443 reviews view larger image
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Modern Day David and Goliath story

Jeannette Baker is a meek woman living in a small town Mississippi trailer park smack in the heart of a place called "Cancer County." Within eight months, she had watched her husband, and then her only child, die of cancer caused by drinking water contaminated by Krane Chemical's illegal dumping of toxins. Jeannette uses up all her remaining courage and strength to sue Krane Chemical, the prototypical multinational conglomeration run by a filthy-rich-yet-still-insatiable Carl Trudeau. And when an appeal is filed, the case goes all the way to the state Supreme Court. Like Krane Chemical itself, John Grisham uses Jeannette Baker as a mere pawn to tell the story of how absolutely anything, even a seat on the state Supreme Court, is for sale in America.

Grisham's twentieth novel presents yet another modern day David and Goliath story. The common person against the corporation. Poor vs. rich. Main Street vs. Wall Street. Good vs. greed. This moral tug-o-war is common territory for the author of The Firm, The Pelican Brief, and The Rainmaker, to name but a few of his fast-paced thrillers of this ilk. Certainly if you are among the many fans of Grisham's favored themes, you will get your fill with The Appeal. It's all there: juicy courtroom scenes, good-hearted small town lawyers, cold-blooded big city lawyers, bureaucratic corruption, Supreme Court justices, a rigged election. Although not nearly as fast-paced and gripping as some of his best work, The Appeal remains a satisfying read.

What saves this book from being just more of the same from Grisham is its timeliness. Within the context of today's age of hyper-bureaucracy, when the average shopper must make a real effort to buy something that isn't produced by a mega-corporation, The Appeal feels eerily perceptive. It asks (and answers) the question, "Can a major election be bought?" In this book, Grisham illustrates a campaign's effective use of "truthiness," a concept that means appealing to a voter's gut feeling as opposed to actual fact. In doing so Grisham comments on an American superficial inclination to elect the candidate they would rather have a beer with. Grisham utilizes common ploys in today's political playbooks in order to illustrate how easy it is to convince the majority of voters to support the less capable candidate. In doing so, the author prompts readers to wonder in fear if powerful people are as devious, callous and cunning as Krane Chemical's CEO Carl Trudeau.

What do you think? Can a major election be bought? You won't get John Grisham's answer until the very end of The Appeal.

Quill says: Read it before you vote!

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Good return from Grisham

I caveat this review with the mention that I read very few books of fiction. When I do I prefer Grisham style business/law stories.

The book had a very slow start for my taste, but about half way in I started to get very interested. I will concur with another reviewer that Grisham rather abruptly ends the story....much faster than he started it. Would have liked more details on how things went down in the end.

It is a good read for the simple fact that much of his story really does play out in states and counties around America. Scary thought that makes we want to be more aware of the real life political races in my back yard.

I enjoyed the book but be prepared for a few boring chapters as he lays out the history. Worth it in the end though.

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The Appeal by John Grisham

This is the best book John Grisham has written. Everyone should read it now. Certainly before 11/4. It's not only a page turner but also a thought provoker.

Palin?

The rise of this judge reminds me an AWFUL lot of Palin's recent entry to the political scene. Out of nowhere, with a wholesome background and almost no political experience, she gets propped up by the good ol' senator and a smarmy political team...hmmm...did McCain read this?

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

In a crowded courtroom in Mississippi, a jury returns a shocking verdict against a chemical company accused of dumping toxic waste into a small town?s water supply, causing the worst ?cancer cluster? in history. The company appeals to the Mississippi Supreme Court, whose nine justices will one day either approve the verdict or reverse it.
Who are the nine? How will they vote? Can one be replaced before the case is ultimately decided?

The chemical company is owned by a Wall Street predator named Carl Trudeau, and Mr. Trudeau is convinced the Court is not friendly enough. With judicial elections looming, he decides to try to purchase himself a seat on the Court. The cost is a few million dollars, a drop in the bucket for a billionaire like Mr. Trudeau. Through an intricate web of conspiracy and deceit, his political operatives recruit a young, unsuspecting candidate. They finance him, manipulate him, market him, and mold him into a potential Supreme Court justice. Their Supreme Court justice.

The Appeal is a powerful, timely, and shocking story of political and legal intrigue, a story that will leave listeners unable to think about our electoral process or judicial system in quite the same way ever again.

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