DeCew's writing is crystal clear and fully accessible to an intelligent reader without a formal background in philosophy or law. She carefully explains the relevant legal history of the concept of privacy and the current narrow understandings, shows the historical and contemporary conceptual and legal problems, develops and defends her own broader understanding, then applies her conception of privacy to burning issues on the contemporary legal landscape. I know of no other book quite like this.

This book is a careful, well-written, thoroughly researched, and original piece of scholarship. DeCew begins with a thoughtful history of the notion of privacy, then discusses narrow views of privacy as found in U.S. law. She applies her analysis to four well-established thorns in the side of public policy—abortion, gay and lesbian sexual practices, drug testing, and information technologies. Her discussions are well developed, learned, and beautifully clear. They are a pleasure to read.