It is Womenâs History Month, and what better time of year to crack open a book about the history of feminism, women in law, and the Notorious RBG? This week, I dove into the book My Own Words by Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Mary Hartnett, and Wendy W. Williams. Iâm here with my honest analysis in order to help you decide if you should read it too. Spoiler alert: you probably should.Â
My Rating: I would give My Own Words 4.5/5 stars. The book was very insightful, both on the way that the Supreme Court works and also on the history of womenâs rights. It was witty, well-researched, and thoughtful. Ruth Bader Ginsburgâs works are excellent, but sometimes dense and tricky to follow, because their original audience varied from ânormalâ people to lawyers and other judges. Still, in general, it was a very inspiring and intriguing book, and one I would recommend to people interested in learning more about RBG, the law, and the history of womenâs rights.
What is My Own Words? My Own Words is a collection of Ruth Bader Ginsburgâs written and spoken works from throughout her life, ranging all the way from her 8th grade school newspaper to court decisions she made at age 83. It is not a traditional biography; rather, it organizes and explains works that have been created over the course of several decades in a way that is easy to understand. The book is separated into 5 main sections:
- Part 1: Early Years and the Lighter SideÂ
- Part 2: Tributes to Waypavers and Pathmarkers
- Part 3: On Gender Equality: Women and the Law
- Part 4: A Judge Becomes a Justice
- Part 5: The Justice on Judging and Justice.
Throughout the book, there are also several excerpts from other writers. My favorites are an opera script that was written about Justices Ginsburg and Scalia and the remarks of Marty Ginsburg (her husband), whoâs very funny.Â
Although the book as a whole is very good, there were a few parts that I really loved. First, I really loved Justice Ginsburgâs discussion of her friendship with Justice Antonin Scalia. Despite the fact that they often held completely opposite opinions, they were very close friends. The bookâs discussion of collegiality, conversation, and commitment to the greater good is something I think would really benefit modern politics. I also loved learning about RBGâs gender equality cases as a lawyer early in her career. She kicked off the renewed womenâs rights movement in the â70s with the Moritz v. Commissioner case. This case, which actually centered around a man who was being denied a tax deduction to help take care of his elderly mother (the deduction could be provided to daughters, but not to sons under the same conditions), served as an ice-breaker for fighting against laws that explicitly promoted sex-based discrimination. Several other similar cases are also included in the book. Finally, one of my personal highlights was being able to read some of Justice Ginsburgâs dissenting opinions. As a pre-law student, I really loved the logical, well-researched way she described her own decisions and dissenting opinions.
So, to conclude, would I recommend this book to people? Yes! Itâs a really lovely and inspiring book, full of history, humor, and logical explanations of complex concepts. That said, I donât think everyone would necessarily enjoy it. I loved it because Iâm fascinated by law and feminist history, but also because Iâm comfortable reading non-fiction thatâs on the denser side. Thatâs not everyoneâs cup of tea. If itâs not yours, thatâs totally okay! You could listen to the audiobook, or if youâd rather choose your own adventure, Ruth Bader Ginsburg has tons of speeches you can listen to and watch. Whether you read the book or not, take some time this month to learn about inspirational women from history. They still have a lot they can teach us.
