Machinery of Death

by David R. Dow (editor), Christopher Hitchens (Foreword), Mark Dow (Editor)

Thurgood Marshall said that the more people learned about the death penalty, the more they'd be against it. It's racist, unfair to poor people and the mentally retarded, and far too often ends horribly in the state sanctioned murder of innocents. And no one, no matter how much they're paid, likes to be involved with death itself. In Machinery of Death , death penalty lawyer David R. Dow and writer Mark Dow bring together diverse views from lawyers, wardens, victims' families, executioners and inmates to show how America's death penalty system actually works, and what it does to those who come in contact with it. Arguing that the more we know about the system the more we'll oppose it, the book offers harrowing story after story of racist juries and unjust rulings, of backward judges and public defenders, and of families facing the ultimate decision. Together, these intimate and shocking writings show that in practice, the death penalty is impossible to administer in a fair, workable manner. This is the first death penalty book to look beyond innocence and morality, arguing against executing even the guilty people. Machinery of Death is a crucial link in the fiery public debate over the meaning and usefulness of this deeply flawed system.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction

316 pages, Paperback

First published May 10, 2002

Reviews

[Christen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is 20 years old, and some of it feels a bit dated. The first part and one of the later essays are a bit too dry. But there are many essays from many viewpoints. I wish there had been one written by someone on death row. The end of the book is probably better than the start and I sobbed through most of the last section. If you are looking for a book on the death penalty from a variety of perspectives (all anti-death penalty), this is a good one. But I truly prefer David Dow's other material. It is a lot more concise and readable.

[Hope Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought-provoking chapters written by many authors as avowed abolitionists of the death penalty.

[Syd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been against the death penalty since I was a teenager, but this book opened my eyes to the horrible flaws in the system even more...especially regarding the appeals process. The essay on how abolitionism relates to feminism was extremely thought provoking.