For over forty years, Aryeh Neier has stood with the vanguard in the struggle for rights. Since joining the staff of the American Civil Liberties Union in 1963, he went on to become the youngest executive director in its history; to found and direct Human Rights Watch-the world's leading rights watchdog organization; and, most recently, to serve as president of the Open Society Institute. In Taking Liberties, Neier recounts this remarkable career. With striking detail and surprising candor, he recalls the persons he has encountered, the struggles in which he has taken part, and what, given the sometimes unintended consequences of these efforts, he might have done differently along the way. The memoir of a movement as well as a life, Taking Liberties offers unparalleled insight into the history of human rights. It is essential reading for anyone interested in international law, human rights, civil liberties, and-from the Guantanamo detentions to the war crimes tribunals-the crucial issues of our day.
