The Atlanta Lawyer August/September 2019 | Page 29
B O OKS
TO READ
Hidden gems every lawyer
should take the time to read
4
Triptych by Karin Slaughter
Many subscribe to the myth of the
dyslexic GBI agent. Slaughter makes him
come alive in this thriller set in Atlanta.
Triptych is the first of the Will Trent
series of novels set in Atlanta. All of them
capture the spirit of the city accurately,
though not adulatorily.
8
A Man in Full by Tom Wolfe
A monumental novel (over 700 pages) that
took Atlanta by storm when first published,
it motivated local readers to claim to be the
model for specific characters. The quest for
notoriety fascinates because ultimately the
book does not favorably portray the city.
5
1
Babylon Sisters by Pearl Cleage
One of a series of novels set in Atlanta’s
West End, the book captures the
neighborhood in an engrossing story that
eventually consumes the entire city. Cleage
may be the best writer working in Atlanta
right now.
2
The Evidence of Things Not Seen by James
Baldwin
Baldwin took on the child murders that
plagued the city from 1979 to 1981. He
concluded that the case against Wayne
Williams was fatally flawed, a significant
argument now that the 30 year old case is
being re-opened.
3
Rage in the Gate City: The Story of the
1906 Atlanta Race Riot
The “story” of the riot is composed
of the circumstances that led up to it.
Misunderstandings, hatred, deceit, and
every other unfortunate human trait ran
rampant in Atlanta at the beginning of the
last century. The book details the bad (and
the good) in a fascinating narrative.
Wit and Wisdom of Georgia Law edited
by John L. Respess, Jr.
Read this self-published collection of
excerpts from court opinions – actually
they are reminiscences – if you can afford
it. Amazon will sell you a used hardcover
copy for $796. It can be found in local law
libraries, however.
9
Untamed: The Wildest Woman in America
and the Fight for Cumberland Island
by Will Harlan
Thank Carol Ruckdeschel for keeping
Cumberland Island from development as
Hilton Head Island. Will Harlan, followed
her relentless fight against “improvement”
of the island. Harlan traces the history
of the island from its first development
as a playground for the Carnegies to the
second attack by developers, leading to its
preservation as a National Seashore.
6
Outcasts United: A Refugee Team, an
American Town by Warren St. John
The history (so far) of the Fugees, the
soccer team in Clarkston composed of
refugees from countries beset by war. Their
perseverance, intelligence, determination,
and success makes a truly American tale.
7
March (Trilogy) by John Lewis, Andrew
Ayden, and Nate Powell
Who better to write the autobiography
of the Civil Rights Movement than John
Lewis? Written in the form of a graphic
novel, March visually recounts the struggle
as witnessed by the youngest leader in the
movement.
10
The Race Beat: The Press, the Civil Rights
Struggle, and the Awakening of a Nation
by Hank Klibonoff.
Before Klibonoff became a Peabody winning
podcaster he had been deputy managing
editor of the Atlanta Journal. He teamed up
with Gene Roberts to document the role
that the press played in the Civil Rights
Movement. It won the Pulitzer Prize.
MICHAEL JABLONSKI
Law Office of Michael Jablonski
[email protected]
Not only do lawyers have to keep up with changes in the law, but they must develop an
understanding of the cultures with which they work. A major component of persuasion, if
not advocacy in general, includes the realization that not everyone thinks in the same way, or
acts consistently, or possesses the same view of history.
We set about to list books that we feel are essential reading for anyone practicing law in
Atlanta. The list is by no means exhaustive. We welcome suggestions of additional titles that
should be included in future lists. The order in which a book appears in the list does not
necessarily indicate a preference.
www.atlantabar.org THE ATLANTA LAWYER
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