The Opening Episode

11/03/21 • 104 min

Our series on books and authoring takes a look back at - what else? - the opening of a book. What comes first can make all the difference, but what makes for a great opening? And there are things before the opening - the forward, the preface, the dedication, the title, the cover. It’s all grist for our mill, with classic openings as well as deep dives into Akhil’s own books’ kickoffs.

Previous Episode

72 Term Papers

What began as an exploration of sources of authority - citations, rankings, reviews, sales - now continues with our inside look at book writing and publishing. For those who have considered eventually writing a book themselves - and who among us hasn’t? - we take a deeply honest and nuanced look at all aspects of the process, including many most of us take for granted. Professor Amar’s personal approach to book writing is discussed, and one short example of it tells the story of Story himself - Joseph Story, that is, and his ongoing role in Akhil’s ambitions.

Next Episode

Putting a Head to Our Gun

Gun rights are in the news again as the Supreme Court hears New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen. Professor Amar discusses his landmark work on the Bill of Rights, and invites you to join him in an analysis of the issues in this and other “rights” cases. These cases require an appropriate methodology, and we are treated to a master class in the tools we need to perform this analysis. As we jump into the case, we will be armed with the framework we need for 2nd amendment cases, 14th amendment cases, and indeed most of the landmark cases that have come before the court over the past half-century, and will be before us, and the Court, now and in the near future.