SKU: 10010252235

The Great Dissent: How Oliver Wendell Holmes Changed His Mind--And Changed the History of Free Speech in America

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The Great Dissent: How Oliver Wendell Holmes Changed His Mind--And Changed the History of Free Speech in AmericaNo right seems more fundamental to American life than freedom of speech. Yet well into the twentieth century that freedom was still an unfulfilled promise, with Americans regularly imprisoned merely for speaking out against government policies. Indeed, free speech as we know it comes less from the First Amendment than from a most unexpected source: Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes. A lifelong skeptic, he disdained all individual rights,

No right seems more fundamental to American life than freedom of speech. Yet well into the twentieth century that freedom was still an unfulfilled promise, with Americans regularly imprisoned merely for speaking out against government policies. Indeed, free speech as we know it comes less from the First Amendment than from a most unexpected source: Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes. A lifelong skeptic, he disdained all individual rights, including the right to express one's political views. But in 1919, it was Holmes who wrote a dissenting opinion that would become the canonical affirmation of free speech in the United States.

Why did Holmes change his mind? That question has puzzled historians for almost a century. Now, with the aid of newly discovered letters and confidential memos, Thomas Healy reconstructs in vivid detail Holmes's journey from free-speech opponent to First Amendment hero. It is the story of a remarkable behind-the-scenes campaign by a group of progressives to bring a legal icon around to their way of thinking and a deeply touching human narrative of an old man saved from loneliness and despair by a few unlikely young friends.

Beautifully written and exhaustively researched, "The Great Dissent" is intellectual history at its best, revealing how free debate can alter the life of a man and the legal landscape of an entire nation."

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Picador USA
Published: 09/09/2014
ISBN: 9781250058690
Pages: 322
Weight: 0.80lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.00w x 1.00d

Review Citations: New York Times Book Review 10/19/2014 pg. 28

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SKU: 10010252235

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billy
Louisville, US
★★★★★ 5
My dog is a toy destroyer
Color: Consuela the Cactus - Large, Size: Large Dog, Color: Consuela the Cactus - Large, Size: Large Dog
I’ve had a hard time trying to find toys that my dog, Zara loves because she’s actually very picky. Ive gotten plenty of Kong toys that are well known to be indestructible but she wants nothing to do with them. Then I got her ropes and that seemed to be good for a while until she was getting sick in the middle of the night from eating all of the string. Stuffed toys aren’t good because she’ll rip them within seconds and eat all of the stuffing. I felt like I’ll never score the perfect toy for her. I found the three layered cactus toy and decided to give it a go. It’s clearly designed to be ripped and destroyed to get the ball in the middle which is actually really cute and fun to see all of the layers. The cactus arms have stuffing and of course that’s the first thing she went for and ate. I had to watch her and make sure I took the stuffing away before she ate it. And before I knew it, she ate half of the first layer fabric lol once she got through the first layer, all she’s been doing is walking around the house with the toy in her mouth. But now she’s tired and passed out on the couch from all of the fun. This toy won’t last long with a toy destroyer but it sure does give them something to do and it’s a cute toy. I do recommend!!
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Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2024
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Verified Purchase
Klara Gengler
Charlottesville, US
★★★★★ 5
Last a while. Will be buying more toys soon.
Color: Consuela the Cactus - Large, Size: Large Dog
Best dog toy I have ever bought. I have three dogs, two at the time I bought this toy. It took them over a year to break through the first layer. The flower comes off first so be careful your dog doesn't swallow it. It still has the second layer so it still looks like a cactus. No stuffing to clean up when they tear into it, which makes it far less messy than other toys. One of my dogs is obsessed with fetch so I use it like a ball inside. The oval shape makes it hard to ensure when it bounces that it will bounce straight. It's bounced into walls and other stuff that I wasn't intending it to hit. Not much of a squeak so I can let them play with it for hours and I don't get annoyed with the noise. Great toy that lasts a while.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2025
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Verified Purchase
Cassie
Massapequa, US
★★★★★ 5
Nice Value
Color: Consuela the Cactus - Large, Size: Large Dog
Very cute! Its soft and feels like it is well made. It is a heavier toy and a tougher one. Not a plush toy. I will order again for our older dogs. Nice value for sure!
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Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2026
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Blakely McAllister
Fort Morgan, US
★★★★★ 5
Great toy for our best boys!
Color: Consuela the Cactus - Large, Size: Large Dog
You can never go wrong with BarkBox toys and this was no exception. Our dogs like toys that have squeakers and that they can tear into. This style of toy fits the bill. The design is cute as well. I’ve had this in the house for months and, while it’s definitely seen better days, it’s still intact and they haven’t gotten to the inner layer. (Not for want of trying.) The perfect type of toy for our fur babies.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2026
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Verified Purchase
Amazon Customer
Carnegie, US
★★★★★ 5
Survives 7 months so far.
Color: Christmas Consuela, Size: Large Dog
It is still intact after nearly 7 months of constant play. My blue heeler normally destroys toys in just a few weeks. Consuela has exceeded expectations of survival with an extremely chewy, destruction prone dog.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2026

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