The struggle over the outcome of the 2000 presidential election inspired countless books offering as many arguments. But over two years later, most of them now seem like hasty political missives. Howard Gillman's "The Votes That Counted" had a different aim from the beginning: to serve as a lasting, authoritative document of the 36 days between the election and its legal resolution, to offer an accessible overview of the legal strategies and debates, and to assess the influences of politics and law on the judges who shaped the outcome of this historical controversy.