The Star Chamber of Stanford by Rony Guldmann is an academic memoir that documents the author’s life and experience as a Stanford Law graduate and academic fellow researching conservatives’ alleged cultural oppression by the liberal elites. As he immerses himself in an investigation that has seemingly arrested all his attention, Guldmann equally stirs the rage of a network of elites who are unhappy with his stance against some of the ideologies and damaging culture taking root in the circles of academia. Guldmann quickly becomes an object of oppression, a man who was once an up-and-coming respected scholar now reduced to a laughing stock and humiliated through demeaning behaviors and gaslighting. Can he use his knowledge to get back at those who have walked over his dignity and self-worth, treating him as a conspiracy theorist?  

This is a fascinating memoir that is written in a voice that is as compelling as any can be. When readers meet the author, he is fired up to make a difference through his fellowship, but then he creates enemies through his quest for the truth and his courage to denounce that which doesn’t align with his personal values and what the institution stands for. The discovery that the price of truth is pain dawns on him powerfully as he navigates a dangerous path involving lies, intimidation, and ambiguation. The author writes about the manner in which he was gaslighted with forensic clarity, allowing readers a clear image of an underdog rising up against a selfish group of powerful elites. The book is written in prose that is gorgeous and captivating and the author offers powerful insights into the inner workings of academia, crafting a tale that is legally nuanced and that features compelling political themes.

Franklin Bauer, The Book Commentary