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Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth…
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Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg (edition 2015)

by Irin Carmon (Autor), Shana Knizhnik (Autor)

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1,6509410,573 (4.17)101
I knew RBG was awesome, but I didn't know she was this awesome. Everyone should read this. It gets slow with the annotated "good parts" versions of her court opinions. But stick with it, or only read the pull-quotes. The last 40 pages or so are some tributes, lots of footnotes (quite appropriate), and a good index.

Don't delay, read it today. ( )
  wunder | Feb 3, 2022 |
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I'm not really one to read biographies nor do I spend much time reading feminist writings but when this book was on sale for kindle for a few dollars I thought it might be good to learn more about this little lady on the Supreme Court. I'm glad that I made the purchase.

While there are some dry sections here most of this is an easy read and it illuminates just how different the world was when RBG was a young woman. Her accomplishments are impressive and the world she navigated seems impossible for such a recent past. I'm grateful to have my eyes opened and to appreciate the work of those who fought to make the world a better place.



( )
  hmonkeyreads | Jan 25, 2024 |
What an energetic, gutsy, and critically influential woman! This is a great book group selection. ( )
  jemisonreads | Jan 22, 2024 |
Wow, what an exceptionally strong and independent woman. She was lucky enough to find a man back in the day that not only could handle it but encouraged it. I cannot imagine what this world would be like if all men were not threatened and felt like less by a woman being this way. I had not seen any of the movies on her so this was a real good read. I encourage all people, left or right, to learn about her. Even if you don't agree with her politics (equal rights for all), she has a lesson on pushing forward through adversity and challenges. She reminds me a bit of what my grandmother was like. I wish I had been able to be more confident in myself. ( )
  KyleneJones | Jan 3, 2024 |
Excellent. An accessible depiction of the life of one of the most important women in US history. I definitely recommend! ( )
  veewren | Jul 12, 2023 |
I left this on my TBR for quite a while but it's time to move it to DNF. I'm down with the subject and information but I didn't care for the format, and ended up skimming for things I didn't know and moving on from there. ( )
  Kiramke | Jun 27, 2023 |
There may be only one woman standing between the dark ages (red-state, christian religious extremist, conservative racism/misogyny) and an evolved progressive America. And its not Hillary. ( )
  stickersthatmatter | May 29, 2023 |
Fairly short but interesting bio of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She is very inspiring. ( )
  bangerlm | Jan 18, 2023 |
An amazing book about a totally remarkable individual who has given so much to this country. Her devotion to the constitution is unfailing. There are numerous pictures that follow RBG through her life. At 83 she has faced monumental adversity yet came back stronger and more determined every time. With no desire to retire from the bench, I can only look forward to great things from this irrepressible woman. ( )
  Connorz | Jan 4, 2023 |
An inspirational introduction to arguably one of the most notorious women in American History - Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Early on RBG challenged the status quo - not necessarily in a loud or fiery way - but slowly, firmly and intelligently. She believed change was best made one small step at a time, rather than quickly and all at once. In this way, throughout her career she fought for the rights of women, POC and the LGBTQ community. She also fought many personal demons along the way, but she never gave up. Her partner Marty who supported her every step of the way, should also be commended. Nowadays that can be hard to find and even more so 50 years ago.

RBG is an inspiration for generations to come (men and women) and I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about her and her notorious life. ( )
  Ash92 | Dec 27, 2022 |
Read. Everyone must read.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg is one of my heroes. While I’ve always had an ear for politics (when your mother works in public education, you learn about politics young), but it wasn’t until I took AP Government back my senior year of high school that I finally started to think about politics for myself and make up my own mind about how I would react to certain political events instead of parroting my mother’s opinions.

When we studied particular court cases, I always looked for opinions written by either Ruth Bader Ginsburg or Sandra Day O’Connor, and I used to compare the two of them for fun. My political education continued at the University of Pittsburgh – the full title of my major was: Early American History and the Foundations of American Government with a special focus in American legal history and it’s foundations in British common law. Yep, I’m a dork. For awhile I thought about becoming a lawyer, until I realized I didn’t like political philosophy… but I digress – back to RBG!

A few years ago, Shana Knizhnik created the now famous Notorious RBG meme and it took off like a shot, particularly as RBG’s opinions and dissents were starting to be discussed more by the American public, not just the news and law lovers like myself. She is an icon – not only for lawyers, but for women everywhere. Her fight to be taken seriously throughout all stages of her career, especially as a young mother, was difficult to say the least. Her husband supported her and never limited her opportunities to be the best in her field. Just as RBG owed a great deal to Sandra Day O’Connor breaking the gender barrier on the Supreme Court, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor would not be in the positions they are today as her benchmates if RBG had fought as hard as she did.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a remarkable woman and her the story of her life is one that I will share with every child I know, if for no other reason than to fully drive home the point that they can be absolutely anything that they want to be, so long as they work hard at it! ( )
  smorton11 | Oct 29, 2022 |
This is an excellent quick read on the life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. My only criticism of the book is that it’s more of a ‘love letter’ to RBG and doesn’t examine her career with a critical eye. But if you want an overview of RBG’s life, it’s a good place to start. ( )
  thewestwing | Aug 12, 2022 |
I really enjoyed this book. I knew about her major decisions and dissents, as well as her legendary work ethic.

But this book really pulled her life's work into a cohesive, intentional whole. And I loved learning more about her personal life and her younger, pre-Supreme Court days.

A wonderful read, the author interspersed stories of RBG's life with the her writing on decisions and especially dissents interwoven throughout the book. ( )
  sriddell | Aug 6, 2022 |
Inspiring, timely, badass. I love her! I need to get a paper copy so I can read the excerpts mentioned. May we all follow her lead, with confidence, poise, bravery, wit and strength. Cheers to RBG and much thanks for her work. #GoForNine ( )
  BarbF410 | May 22, 2022 |
I knew RBG was awesome, but I didn't know she was this awesome. Everyone should read this. It gets slow with the annotated "good parts" versions of her court opinions. But stick with it, or only read the pull-quotes. The last 40 pages or so are some tributes, lots of footnotes (quite appropriate), and a good index.

Don't delay, read it today. ( )
  wunder | Feb 3, 2022 |
What an insightful book about an interesting lady! Really enjoyed this, it's a quick and easy read! Highly suggested! RBG is my new hero! ( )
  bookdrunkard78 | Jan 6, 2022 |

I see some reviews here at GR claim this is a dry textbook or is somewhat boring. Well if you have no interest in the law, then yes, it will be boring.

I am not an American, but I see this book as a fascinating inside look into how the Supreme Court of the USA works. It also tells the story of RBG's life, her education, her career, her marriage and the effect she has had on the legal system.

There are a ton of photos, sketches, doodles and drawings as well as copies of some important legal dissents, notes and other ephemera that are creating by a Justice during the course of her working life.

There are 10 chapters and they take up just over half the book. The rest is taken up with Author bios and appreciations, Appendices, Source Notes (explaining the numerous numerical numbers scattered through the text), an Index and other legal stuff that COULD be ignored if you really wanted to ignore them.

I give this 4 out of 5 stars. Even if this part biography and part legal opus, no layperson could possible read this like a novel, and rip through it in one day. But it certainly does give out a ton of information. ( )
  Robloz | Sep 23, 2021 |
The RBG in the title is, of course, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, one of the first women lawyers in the US, and later Supreme Court judge.

She was an amazing woman who brought about a lot of good for women, but I was a bit disappointed that this wasn’t really a biography as much as a look at her work and career, and the changes she brought to US law. There were bits and pieces of her personal life, but not a lot. I listened to the audio and it was not interesting to listen to various laws being read. It was pretty short – it felt like it was abridged but it wasn’t. This was published in 2015, before her death… and also before Trump made it into office. For me, this was simply “ok”. ( )
  LibraryCin | Sep 10, 2021 |
Although I admire the subject of this book, the treatment here is far too panegyrical. The impression is that RBG has no character flaws of any kind and is never wrong. A biography of RBG would be a good thing, but this is little more than hagiography. And we certainly don't need an entire chapter on how she dresses. ( )
  kwhafar | Aug 22, 2021 |
A good page turner on the Notorious RBG. Don't get a Kindle edition if you want to get a better view of the pictures and artwork in there. ( )
  SocProf9740 | Jul 11, 2021 |
I described the experience of reading "Notorious RBG" to a friend as: "This book is awesome, and I am awesome for reading it." ( )
1 vote Jeslieness | Jun 29, 2021 |
Summary: A profile of the Supreme Court Justice, centered around her dissenting opinions read from the bench but also tracing her career, her marriage, work out routines and more, liberally illustrated with photos and images.

In the 2012-2013 session of the Supreme Court, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg read five of her dissents orally from the bench, a record, and perhaps a commentary of sorts on the court’s majority. She attracted the attention of feminists and one of the authors, Shana Knizhnik, whose Tumblr account, named after the deceased rapper Notorious B.I.G., Notorious RBG. This spawned a cottage industry of T-shirts, posters, and memes celebrating the diminutive yet formidable Justice.

The authors chronicle her rise, and contend that it was not always an icon of feminism. Yes, she was a pathbreaker in the legal profession, teaching at Rutgers and Columbia and co-founding the Women’s Rights Project, an analogue to the NAACP’s strategy of making incremental progress through legal precedents. This led to her appointment to the DC District Court of Appeals, and then to the Supreme Court under Bill Clinton. Throughout the time, she and others characterized her as a moderate. Only late in life, through the influence of her clerks, her senior status as a liberal on the court, and the rightward movement of the court did she become a fierce representative of the resistance.

The authors include excerpts from her dissents, striking for their readability, something she believed in. But this is not all work and no play, although RBG had a Herculean work ethic, often working late into the night on opinions. She had a storybook marriage to Marty, who she met at Harvard Law. It was a truly egalitarian marriage and one in which Marty often arranged his work around Ginsburg’s court work. He also happened to be the better cook (there is even a recipe of Marty’s in the appendix).

Then there were her relationships with other Justices, the deep respect she had for Rehnquist, despite their differences, as “the Chief,” the support she gave younger women including Justices Sotomayor and Kagan, and the unusual friendship with Antonin “Nino” Scalia. They shared a love of opera, and there is even a picture of the two riding an elephant together!

Finally, part of her endurance had to do with her physical workout routines. She could do twenty pushups! The book, which ends during the Obama administration, details her determination to keep working, particularly in a brief window of time when she was in a majority and wasn’t making her mark with her dissents. No doubt, there will be many questions about the wisdom of her choice.

What this book makes clear is that there will be no questions about the distinctive character and contribution of Justice Ginsburg on the bench, from her opinions to her jabots! While not a full-fledged biography, and clearly an account by those who liked their subject, this book, liberally illustrated with photographs and illustrations from throughout her life, demonstrate that “notorious” is not a bad word to describe RBG. ( )
  BobonBooks | Jun 1, 2021 |
An enjoyable, quick read about one of the most famous, and paradoxically, least fame-hungry justices. Aside from a few passages where I rolled my eyes hard, it was a nice modern take on a biography of a monumental living figure. ( )
  Ghost1y | May 16, 2021 |
This was a somewhat lighthearted and "popular" biography of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. It wasn't too heavy on legal scholarship, but mostly explained her identity as a person, her general legal philosophy, and some important cases and other interactions. She's not my favorite justice, but of the liberal side, probably my least unfavorite, and this book does a pretty good job of introducing her to the public.

It was written before Obama left office; it would be interesting to know how RBG feels about being on the court today where any presumptive replacement wouldn't merely be middle of the road but fairly right wing. ( )
  octal | Jan 1, 2021 |
My only complaint is that I want MORE. ( )
1 vote sjanke | Dec 9, 2020 |
Last week, I drove across the United States to move from the DC area to New Mexico. This was the very first book I had queued up to listen to. I didn't know much about Ruth Bader Ginsberg prior to this book, other than the very superficial, and I fell in love with the amazingly smart, moral, and determined woman that the authors wrote about.

I will admit that when I first heard about this book, I wasn't sure what to expect. The meme cover and the tongue-in-cheek title made me think this wouldn't be a serious book. I was wrong. The authors conducted a deep look of RBG's life and the book is full of quotes from her family and friends, and the lady herself, who read over the draft book and gave it her approval.

The last hour of the audiobook was particularly hard and painful to listen to. It was the morning of November 9, and I was listening to the authors describe RBG's hope for the 2016 election and that we might elect our first female president in Hillary Clinton. Ouch. That really hurt.

But learning about RBG and her life-long fight and dedication to justice gave me some hope that she will continue to sit on the bench and read her dissents as long as she is able. ( )
  wisemetis | Dec 7, 2020 |
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