Book Review

Who owns death? Capital Punishment, the American Conscience, and the End of Executions by Robert J. Lifton and Greg Mitchell.

Rating: 4.5/10

Yet another book arguing the usual stuff against capital punishment. But because I haven't read many of the others, there was some interesting new information to be found in this book. It makes some excellent points about the arbitrary way in which the death penalty is meted out by juries (though how exactly this invalidates cp itself is not mentioned), great case studies and examples from history etc, but also, unfortunately, from scripture. On the whole, I would call this book very well researched, but otherwise a flop.

After the first couple of chapters, it gets tired and starts repeating itself. It quotes from the Bible way too many times, as if hoping to counter scriptural arguments for cp with more scripture. It overstates the 'inhumane execution methods' argument, and has a large section of personal interviews with all the wrong people (i.e. people who are so obviously biased against cp because of their profession: e.g. executioners). This means that most of the book is filed with emotional bilge, which leaves little room for solid (i.e. valid, usable in a debate) argumentation.

Well, perhaps this is just the debater in me speaking. I suppose the average reader doesn't mind emotional statements in a policy book?