The standard biography is well, pretty standard: the subject was born on a certain date in a certain town or city. He or she accomplished certain things in their life. If the subject of the biography is dead, the biography will end with the subject’s passing. If the subject is alive, the biography may end with a epilogue of the subject’s present life.
Today I read My Own Words, a biography of Ruth Bader Ginsburg co-written by Justice Ginsburg, Mary Hartnett and Wendy W. Williams. It starts out like any biography. Justice Ginsburg was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1933 to Nathan and Celia Bader. Coming of age in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s, Justice Ginsburg was one of the few women attending law school. After marrying Martin Ginsburg in 1954, she was part of a minority of women who juggled marriage, children and a career. After teaching at Rutgers University for many years, she was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1993.
I wanted to like this book, I really did. Justice Ginsburg created a path that many women today take for granted. The book is much more than the standard biography. It contains press from her early years(she was an editor of her school paper), interviews with Justice Gingsburg and clips of her rulings and opinions during her legal career. The problem is that I could not connect with the material. Maybe I would have been able to enjoy the book if I had an interest in law field. But I don’t and I couldn’t get into the book.
Do I recommend it? No.
Writergurlny 