The New York Times bestselling book from Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg—a comprehensive look inside her brilliantly analytical, entertainingly wry mind, revealing the fascinating life of one of our generation's most influential voices in both law and public opinion (Harper's Bazaar). My Own Words showcases Ruth Ginsburg's astonishing intellectual range (The New Republic). In this collection Justice Ginsburg discusses gender equality, the workings of the Supreme Court, being Jewish, law and lawyers in opera, and the value of looking beyond US shores when interpreting the US Constitution. Throughout her life Justice Ginsburg has been (and continues to be) a prolific writer and public speaker. This book's sampling is selected by Justice Ginsburg and her authorized biographers Mary Hartnett and Wendy W. Williams, who introduce each chapter and provide biographical context and quotes gleaned from hundreds of interviews they have conducted. Witty, engaging, serious, and playful, My Own Words is a fascinating glimpse into the life of one of America's most influential women and a tonic to the current national discourse (The Washington Post).
Calming, insistent words for equality
When a boy, I grew up a Republican in the conservative upstate of South Carolina. I knew about feminism from the news and school, but the history of struggle was not a central part of my household. In 1993, I heard of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s appointment to the Supreme Court by Bill Clinton, but she was not on my “team.” Therefore, I didn’t pay close attention. Only as an adult did my awareness and curiosity about socially progressive movements grow. How did we get to where we are. What’s worth keeping, and what more needs to be done? I came to appreciate our feminist movement demanding equal dignity for women. Later still, I observed how so many women looked up to Ginsburg – so much so that she was commonly known by only three initials RGB. The cult following her, a diminutive woman who seemingly did not seek out the spotlight, produced artwork, biopics, movies, and more in veneration. I learned that I needed to learn more about her. After reading a biography, I came to appreciate her large contribution to US society. Although the Women’s Equal Rights Amendment to the US Constitution never passed (which it should), Ginsburg brought many of its precepts into current practice through her Supreme Court cases in the 1970s. Decades later, her dissents against a conservative court majority became legendary because of their brevity, beauty, and erudition. I have grown to appreciate her active mind, work ethic, and deep sense of justice. This book records her best writings and speeches in one volume. The audiobook even shares recordings of her speaking – a special treasure. Her ideas and reasoning will guide legal scholars for several generations, and I, a researcher and not a lawyer, am grateful to have access to them here. In these words, her demeanor calms against a contemporary backdrop of hyper-partisanship among the political classes. I suspect that spirit will be needed in coming decades, too, and this book will light a path.
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