an ambitious and important study that provides detailed comparative evidence of the extent and characteristics of that 'American exceptionalism.' ... Unusually Cruel meticulously brings together existing research to document comprehensively precisely how the US diverges from these ostensibly comparable countries.
Robert Heynen, Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Books
Outstanding and timely. Howard presents a breathtaking account of American ... Read more'exceptionalism' in the most revealing and negative connotation of that term.
Mary Fainsod Katzenstein, Stephen and Evalyn Professor of American Studies, Emerita, Cornell University
In the recent flurry of writing about the United States' extraordinary level of incarceration, this book stands out: it brings together the expertise of a lawyer, the analytic skills of a political scientist, and the passion of a person with a new calling and vocation' all combined in one author. The result is simultaneously salutary, depressing, and encouraging.
Jennifer Hochschild, Henry LaBarre Jayne Professor of Government, Harvard University
Howard makes a convincing case that we have much to learn from other nations about our criminal justice system, and he provides a practical approach for recalibrating it to one that is both effective and fair.
Marc Mauer, Executive Director of The Sentencing Project
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