featured on booktv? sent us an e-mail at booktv at c-span.org. tweet us at or post on our wall at facebook.com/booktv. >> we're joined here right outside of the history and biology room by justice of the courts sandra day o'connor. this is her fifth book, stories from the history of the supreme court, out of order. so when did you discover that you enjoyed writing? >> nothing changed there but there were just lots of things to write about. >> 40 doing at the book festival today? is i don't think you're talking about your book? >> no, not really. my brother has a new book out. and jim told me that i had to

bring my brother and i said i want and that is why we are here. >> alan day is your brother. what is his book about? >> for a long time he had the most in the country and he had two branches up in north dakota where he could take the sources and keep them. the federal government has the responsibility for them, so they paid something for the care of the horses and that was what happened. >> one of the first stories was the former chief justice and thomas jefferson were related and did not like each other we met. >> yes, that is right. is not amazing?

>> it was amazing that they didn't like each other and it was so difficult to manage. but they did. >> the marberry versus madison case during president jefferson, exactly what did i case established? >> well, i don't know that today we can say much of anything. >> been established the court? >> yes, and it was treated as an equal branch and given a lot of credibility when the court was still young. >> one of the things you write about in out of order is that it

hangs in the justice private dining? >> yes, they do. isn't that something? >> justice, can you talk about other things in your book two why do justices enter that way? >> we actually don't. the fact of the matter is that behind the curtain i guess the equal division means that they end up three, six, nine, and there they are, and they march in. >> the handshake before you go into the courtroom. what happens? >> well, you know, that's very important to feel your hand, to let me shake your hand and feel the warmth of someone's hand.

you have a momentary bond and it's one that matters. and it's a wonderful way to try to it ensure goodwill among people. >> you write in your book that you quit shaking the hand of one justice. >> that was because he grabbed my hand and i thought i was going to lose my hand. and it was something where he was so strong and he didn't realize how he was hurting my hand and so i had to do something to save my hand. >> you don't talk much about

yourself in this book. you're the first female justice on the court. what do you remember about september 25, 1981? >> well, nothing special. they are all special days. >> that was my first day on the court and i had the hope that my service on the court would be worthwhile in that i could make a solid and significant contribution. i didn't know that day whether i could or not. you don't know how you are going to get along with your colleagues and you just don't really know what will come before the court and you don't know how you will be challenged. but my hope is that i could do well enough that no one would be unhappy if they had a woman on

the court. and that was very important. that we could make a valuable lasting contribution and i hope that i could. >> i'm going to test your memory a little better. he served as the supreme court justice from 1888 or 1987. it's not a name that comes readily to mind. >> he is not particularly remembered but i think that he did all right. but he wasn't there at a time when he had to sign onto some incredible important conceptual case. so he isn't particularly remembered. >> why we know him so well way back. >> well, he was an iron.

out of order. and all the things he worked on. >> president lincoln was in the best of that either. >> not the best two is important that the justice it along with the president? >> i think so. it is the president who will steal a vacancy if there is one. and i think that he certainly would want to be in a good relationship with the man who is going to fill that vacancy. as you think about so-and-so, i'm considering so-and-so. it's very important, i think. >> what about congress? >> well, congress is so big and diverse that it probably doesn't matter. you hope that the justices are not going to do anything in particular that will cause

unhappiness among congress and members of congress. but that's not likely. they are a diverse body and that is okay. >> one of the things that often strikes people about justices is the friendship. there's only nine of you. >> well, you don't expect any particular relationships or friendships because you want to keep things working while at the court and so that means it's better if you don't develop some animosity that makes it harder to get a decision. and i think that every justice on things better. you can reach an agreement on the issue of government. >> justice sandra day o'connor.

this is her fifth book and she wrote a book about being raised on a ranch and that was on our book program. you can watch it online at booktv.org white c-span.org. thank you for being with us. >> you are watching booktv on c-span2 with top nonfiction books and authors every weekend. television for serious readers. >> here are some programs to watch out for on booktv this weekend. on sunday we will be live with a reporter and author talking about the supreme court and she will take your questions from noon to 3:00 p.m. eastern. on "after words", heather cox richard looking at the beginnings of the republican party. and books about the camp david