My own words

Review by Booklist Review

Supreme Court justices don't usually attain rock-star status. Tell that to the Notorious RBG, as she's been dubbed. After nearly a quarter-century on the bench, Ginsburg is unquestionably the most starworthy of a cohort that typically relies heavily upon anonymity. The subject of an opera, a blog, and what is probably an embarrassing array of kitschy memorabilia, Ginsburg has captured the popular imagination for the depth of her devotion to basic rights for all humanity but most especially for those causes that advance gender equality. With the assistance of her official biographers, Mary Hartnett and Wendy H. Williams, who introduce each chapter, Ginsburg offers a compilation of her finest writing, beginning with an editorial for her school newspaper when she was only 13 years old and culminating with highlights from the Court's most recent term. Paying homage to the trailblazers she has admired throughout her career, Ginsburg also speaks to the broader issues and background ruminations behind groundbreaking Court decisions. Readers will gain unprecedented insight into the inner workings of the Supreme Court and garner unparalleled appreciation for one of its finest minds.--Haggas, Carol Copyright 2016 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

This collection of Supreme Court Justice Ginsburg's writings, spanning 70 years, is an excellent introduction to the remarkable career of a Renaissance woman whose views on the world, coupled with her sharp, frank commentary on current events, has earned her a cult following on the Internet. Selected by Ginsburg and her authorized biographers, Hartnett and Williams, the collection covers a wide range of subjects, including gender equality, judicial independence, her respect and affection for colleagues with different views, and her passion for opera; there's even an editorial Ginsburg wrote as an eighth grader in 1946 for her Brooklyn elementary school newspaper on the importance of the new U.N. Charter. The audio edition includes archival recordings of Ginsburg's speeches. The other pieces are read in a straightforward manner by actress Lavin. This works well. While it's wonderful to connect directly to Ginsburg, the justice reads aloud very slowly and precisely, with pauses between phrases so nothing is lost; it would be difficult to listen to an audiobook composed entirely of her recordings. A Simon & Schuster hardcover. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

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Review by Library Journal Review

In her first book since joining the Supreme Court in 1993, Justice Ginsburg, along with official biographers Hartnett and Williams, presents a collection of speeches and writings on a number of important issues in our society. Listeners of this collection will gain a deep understanding of the author's life and career. Although this is not her official biography, listeners are offered unprecedented access to the justice affectionately referred to as the "Notorious RBG." Aided by biographical context and anecdotes from Hartnett and Williams, the book covers Ginsburg's early life, her lifelong battle for women's rights, the inner workings of the Supreme Court, and much more. From the precocious to the professional, the collection contains an article Ginsburg wrote as a teenager in her school newspaper and even offers listeners original audio recordings of dissents on major Supreme Court rulings. Narrator Linda Lavin does a solid job of bringing Ginsburg's mettle to life. VERDICT A must listen for "Notorious RBG" fans, individuals in the legal field, and those interested in political history. ["Should be required reading for first-year law students and for the rest of us as well": LJ 10/15/16 review of the S. & S. hc.]-Sean Kennedy, Univ. of Akron © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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My Own Words 1 Editorial for the School Newspaper Highway Herald, June 1946 ELEANOR ROOSEVELT had been the first lady throughout most of Ruth Bader's childhood. Ruth's mother, who deeply admired the first lady, often read Mrs. Roosevelt's "My Day" newspaper columns aloud to Ruth. Eight months after President Roosevelt's death, Eleanor Roosevelt was appointed by President Truman as a U.S. delegate to the newly established United Nations General Assembly. The UN Charter, in its preamble, declared as one of its aims "to regain faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small." Eleanor Roosevelt, pursuant to that goal, became in April 1946 the first chairperson of the newly created U.N. Commission on Human Rights. In the wake of World War II, Ruth and her mother followed closely as Eleanor Roosevelt led the efforts that would result, in 1948, in the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a document Roosevelt celebrated as "the international Magna Carta for all mankind." Two months after Eleanor Roosevelt was chosen to head the UN Commission on Human Rights, Ruth Bader, by then a thirteen-year-old eighth grader and editor of her school newspaper, the Highway Herald, wrote a column of her own. Her column, the first piece in this collection, was a sign of things to come. While other students wrote about the circus, school plays, and the glee club, Ruth discussed the Ten Commandments, Magna Carta, Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, and United Nations Charter. Highway Herald, June 1946 Published by Pupils of Elementary Public School 238, Brooklyn, New York Editorial by Ruth Bader, Grade 8B1 Since the beginning of time, the world has known four great documents, great because of all the benefits to humanity which came about as a result of their fine ideals and principles. The first was the Ten Commandments, which was given to Moses while he was leading the Israelites through the wilderness to the land of Canaan. Today people of almost every religion respect and accept them as a code of ethics and a standard of behavior. Up until the thirteenth century, conditions under the kings of Europe were unbearable for the commoners. Taxation was high, living conditions poor and justice unknown. It was then, in 1215 AD, that the barons and peers of England met and drew up a charter called the Magna Carta. After forcing King John to sign it, the document was declared the governing law of the land. This gave the English peasants the first rights ever granted to them. When William of Orange, a Dutchman, was offered the English throne, his chief ambition was to use the military powers of Britain to aid his beloved Holland in its war with Spain. In accepting this offer, he had to grant certain concessions to the English people. So, in 1689, he signed the Bill of Rights. This limited the King's powers and gave much of the government control to parliament, another important stride in the history of the world. The Declaration of Independence of our own U.S. may well be considered one of the most important steps in the shaping of the world. It marked the birth of a new nation, a nation that has so grown in strength as to take its place at the top of the list of the world's great powers. And now we have a fifth great document, the Charter of the United Nations. Its purpose and principles are to maintain international peace and security, to practice tolerance, and to suppress any acts of aggression or other breaches of peace. It is vital that peace be assured, for now we have a weapon that can destroy the world. We children of public school age can do much to aid in the promotion of peace. We must try to train ourselves and those about us to live together with one another as good neighbors for this idea is embodied in the great new Charter of the United Nations. It is the only way to secure the world against future wars and maintain an everlasting peace. Excerpted from My Own Words by Ruth Bader Ginsburg All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

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