A Bounty of Books

Unfair: The New Science of Criminal Injustice by Adam Benforado examines the American criminal justice system and its effectiveness. Examined especially in light of new advances in humanity's understanding of the human brain and how it works, Unfair not only identifies common problems and biases, but offers solutions to these problems as well.

Benforado does a phenomenal job of making a complex subject easily understandable. Both the criminal justice system and neuroscience are full of technical terms and complex ideas; how these two topics overlap and interact is an area just now being examined. Benforado uses real world examples to illustrate the biases and problems and that some of the new research is suggesting. Some of the points he makes are so obvious that one wonders why anyone thought doing certain things in the criminal justice system were ever a good idea. Others are more nuanced and require more thought.

I really appreciated the fact that Benforado offers solutions to the problems he points out. He acknowledges the challenges inherent in changing the way things have always been done, but also points out that that is no excuse for not changing in the face of evidence that says it is wrong.

Unfair is a thoughtful book that examines a crucial topic in American society. One doesn't have to be an expert to understand this book. Reforming the criminal justice system is important enough to put some effort into understanding the problems inherent in the system in order to find effective solutions. Unfair is an important addition to this conversation.

Blogging for Books provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255