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Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hardcover – October 27, 2015
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New York Times Bestseller
Featured in the critically acclaimed documentary RBG
"It was beyond my wildest imagination that I would one day become the 'Notorious RBG." — Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 2019
She was a fierce dissenter with a serious collar game. A legendary, self-described “flaming feminist litigator” who made the world more equal. And an intergenerational icon affectionately known as the Notorious RBG. As the nation mourns the loss of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, discover the story of a remarkable woman and learn how to carry on her legacy.
This runaway bestseller, brought to you by the attorney founder of the Notorious RBG Tumblr and an award-winning feminist journalist, is more than just a love letter. It draws on intimate access to Ginsburg's family members, close friends, colleagues, and clerks, as well as an interview with the Justice herself. An original hybrid of reported narrative, annotated dissents, rare archival photos and documents, and illustrations, the book tells a never-before-told story of an unusual and transformative woman who transcended divides and changed the world forever.
- Print length240 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherDey Street Books
- Publication dateOctober 27, 2015
- Dimensions7.5 x 0.83 x 9 inches
- ISBN-109780062415837
- ISBN-13978-0062415837
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“The authors make this unassuming, most studious woman come pulsing to life....’Notorious RBG’ may be a playful project, but it asks to be read seriously...That I responded so personally to it is a testimony to [its] storytelling and panache.” — Jennifer Senior, New York Times
Carmon and Knizhnik write powerfully about the progression of Ginsburg’s legal career. In particular, they make vivid the development of her trademark arguments ... In her fierce honesty, resolute realness, and, yes, innate sense of style (those collars!), Ginsburg emerges as a cultural icon worthy of her own fanbase — Kate Tuttle, The Boston Globe
"Brooklyn, New York, represents no fear, confidence, and speaking your truth, and my dad and Justice Ginsburg lived those words. I think he would be honored to share the 'Notorious' title with her, and it's up to us to honor their legacies by continuing to fight for equality and justice for all by voting and getting into good trouble." — CJ Wallace, son of Notorious BIG
“What a wonderful book: The annotated dissents! The knockout photos! Why she likes to write through the night! The litany of big cases she won as a lawyer, and how she picked them! How she made Bill Clinton cry! Notorious RBG is a laugh-out-loud joy to read.” — Rachel Maddow
“A deeply original mashup of pop culture and serious scholarship. I plan to give a copy to both of my daughters.” — Gilbert King, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Devil in the Grove
“This rigorously reported book shines a new light on the groundbreaking cases Ginsburg litigated challenging gender stereotypes.” — Louise Melling, Deputy Legal Director, ACLU
“If you admired RBG before, Carmon and Knizhnik will make you fall in love with her, not only as a feminist hero but a human being.” — Vogue
“Clark Kent had Superman. Ruth Bader Ginsburg has Notorious R.B.G…. Carmon and Knizhnik have turned R.B.G’s robe into a cape.” — New York Times Book Review
“[The Notorious RBG] book mixes cheeky fan art with a serious – and stirring – account of Ginsburg’s life and work, covering everything from her trailblazing legal career to her current exercise regimen.” — Rolling Stone
“After this treatment, surely, Biggie would agree that RBG truly is notorious.” — NPR.org
“[F]ull of feminist fairy dust. Read it.” — Elle.com
“[R]iddled with fascinating revelations about the beloved and, yes, notorious U.S. Supreme Court justice…the book eloquently and thoroughly demonstrates once and for all that RBG backs her whip smart, often snarky one-liners with a substantive feminist legacy.” — Mic
“You may never get to chat with RBG herself, but through the book, you can let her quotes inspire you and guide your way in all of life’s events.” — Bustle
“In her fierce honesty, resolute realness, and, yes, innate sense of style (those collars!), Ginsburg emerges as a cultural icon worthy of her own fanbase.” — Boston Globe
From the Back Cover
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
“The authors make this unassuming, most studious woman come pulsing to life. . . . Notorious RBG may be a playful project, but it asks to be read seriously. . . . That I responded so personally to it is a testimony to [its] storytelling and panache.”— Jennifer Senior, New York Times
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg never asked for fame—she has only tried to make the world a little better and a little freer.
But nearly a half-century into her career, something funny happened to the octogenarian: she won the internet. Across America, people who weren’t even born when Ginsburg first made her name as a feminist pioneer are tattooing themselves with her face, setting her famously searing dissents to music, and making viral videos in tribute.
Notorious RBG, inspired by the Tumblr that amused the Justice herself and brought to you by its founder and an award-winning feminist journalist, is more than just a love letter. It draws on intimate access to Ginsburg's family members, close friends, colleagues, and clerks, as well an interview with the Justice herself. An original hybrid of reported narrative, annotated dissents, rare archival photos and documents, and illustrations, the book tells a never-before-told story of an unusual and transformative woman who transcends generational divides. As the country struggles with the unfinished business of gender equality and civil rights, Ginsburg stands as a testament to how far we can come with a little chutzpah.
About the Author
Irin Carmon is a journalist covering gender, politics, and law. She’s a contributing writer for the Washington Post’s Outlook section and a distinguished fellow at the Athena Center for Leadership Studies at Barnard. She has been a national reporter at MSNBC, Salon, and Jezebel.
Shana Knizhnik is a civil rights attorney. While a student at NYU law school, she created the Notorious R.B.G. Tumblr, a feminist website dedicated to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her lifelong fight for equality and social justice.
Product details
- ASIN : 0062415832
- Publisher : Dey Street Books; Annotated edition (October 27, 2015)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 240 pages
- ISBN-10 : 9780062415837
- ISBN-13 : 978-0062415837
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 7.5 x 0.83 x 9 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #80,378 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #57 in Lawyer & Judge Biographies
- #739 in Women's Biographies
- #2,237 in Memoirs (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
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Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg
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About the authors

Irin Carmon is a journalist, author and speaker. She is a senior correspondent at New York magazine and co-author of Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

SHANA KNIZHNIK is the creator of the Notorious R.B.G. Tumblr. Shana graduated cum laude from New York University School of Law in 2015, and is currently clerking for Federal Court of Appeals Judge Dolores Sloviter on the Third Circuit. At NYU, she was an Articles Editor for the New York University Law Review and served on the boards of OUTLaw and the Coalition on Law and Representation. She has interned at the ACLU, The Public Defender Service for DC and The Legal Aid Society. After her clerkship, she will begin her career as a public defender.
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book delightful, stimulating, and fun to read. They appreciate the wonderful insights and educational information. Readers describe the writing style as comfortable, clear, concise, and flowing smoothly. They describe the author as brilliant, inspiring, and principled. They find the story entertaining, funny, and full of hilarious details. Customers also say the story is well-told and refreshing.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book delightful, stimulating, and fun to read. They appreciate the nice background of Justice Ginsburg's life from childhood to almost-retirement. Readers also mention the legal opinions are a really nice touch that helps cement the narratives.
"...This book is much more light-hearted, innovative, lively, and just fun to read--but the core of a solid study of RGB is there...." Read more
"...A fascinating read which includes her educational background as well as her early work with the ACLU...." Read more
"...The inclusion of Ginsburg's legal opinions is a really nice touch that helps cement the narratives surrounding her famous cases...." Read more
"...Court Justice's "swag." But fundamentally this is a wonderful book about the difference an individual can make...." Read more
Customers find the book provides wonderful insights into the life of an incredible woman. They say it's educational, interesting, and stimulating. Readers also mention the information is good and remarkable.
"...An invaluable addition to the growing literature on this most interesting and significant of Supreme Court justices." Read more
"...An entertaining and educational read which gave me more information on the inner workings of our Supreme Court..Most highly recommended." Read more
"...The book's breezy style has a deeper and more serious significance, as well...." Read more
"What an incredible woman of so many achievements! This is an inspirational read--I would especially recommend as a gift for a girl or woman in your..." Read more
Customers find the writing delightfully easy to read, comfortable, and light-hearted. They say the book feels like a textbook, with concise and flowing writing. Readers also appreciate the illustrated timelines and graphs.
"...In part, the book is biographical, facilitated by some innovative timeline and other charts...." Read more
"...The timelines and graphs are easy to understand and give you a sense of the struggle for personal civil rights over time...." Read more
"...were fine, but a lot of the cartoons and all of the charts were nearly impossible to read...." Read more
"...It is a quick, easy read, but filled with information about RBG from her childhood too late in life...." Read more
Customers find the author's style inspiring, wonderful, and timely. They say it's a great introduction to the woman who is truly dedicated and smart. Readers also mention the book is a good judge of her character.
"What an incredible woman of so many achievements!..." Read more
"...The Notorious RBG made me an admirer of this slight, spirited, principled woman...." Read more
"...The authors have the words and inform us about this incredible woman with dry wit, some cartoons, photos, interviews all wrapped up in some very..." Read more
"...This is a great introduction to the woman, legal advocate, and judge who though small in stature was mighty in intellect." Read more
Customers find the book entertaining, funny, and engaging. They say it's full of hilarious details that flesh out RBG's story. Readers appreciate the good balance of humor and gravity.
"...This book is much more light-hearted, innovative, lively, and just fun to read--but the core of a solid study of RGB is there...." Read more
"...An entertaining and educational read which gave me more information on the inner workings of our Supreme Court..Most highly recommended." Read more
"...It’s written with modern hip-hop verbiage which is perfect for millennials or the lover of music! This book shed a different light in RBG...." Read more
"I wanted to love this book, but it fell a little short. It’s pretty repetitive and skips back and forth in time and subject...." Read more
Customers find the story well-told, refreshing, and interesting. They say it's a good recount of history of the women's rights movement. Readers also appreciate the humorous and touching anecdotes.
"...book I think isn't quite as laser-focused as its subject, it's a well-told story of someone doing what's right in a time of divisiveness and..." Read more
"...Hope she is able to serve til she is in triple digits! The author did a great job." Read more
"...really attempt to provide a balanced point of view, but it's full of great stories and excerpts from Justice Ginsburg's opinions and dissents...." Read more
"RBG’s life is so impressive that it can shine through in any kind of biography...." Read more
Customers find the book full of pictures and imagery. They also appreciate the beautifully illustrated pages.
"...Many photos, some obviously I would say, drawn from RBG's own files, enhance the presentation...." Read more
"...The book also is chock-full of photographs, cartoons, quotations, her favorite recipe: Marty Ginsburg’s recipe for pork loin braised in milk, and..." Read more
"...It is filled with pictures and imagery, along with details of her life and career...." Read more
"...image-based materials that even zooming in on them there was not a sharp enough image to be able to see the information in the tables...." Read more
Customers find the pacing of the book fast, timely, and easy to read. They appreciate the good turn-around time and efficient delivery. Readers also mention the book is a quick book to read with good information on RBG.
"...There is a good amount of time going into Justice Ginsburg's personal background/life as well as her professional life and accomplishments, which..." Read more
"...It is a quick, easy read, but filled with information about RBG from her childhood too late in life...." Read more
"...It is a very brisk, easy read that presents the incredible education and career track of this fascinating woman...." Read more
"Prompt, efficient delivery. Reasonable cost purchase." Read more
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In part, the book is biographical, facilitated by some innovative timeline and other charts. Many photos, some obviously I would say, drawn from RBG's own files, enhance the presentation. By chapter 4, the authors are moving into substantive legal issues. This section is innovative because of several techniques of the authors. First, they focus on some key Ginsburg cases as counsel by examining the text of her briefs through annotating the language in particular sections and carefully dissecting why it is there. Reed v. Reed is a prime example of this technique. Secondly, the important body of work that RBG developed during her years supervising and as counsel for the ACLU's Women's Rights Project are encapsulated in a double page chart (pp. 74-5), which at once underlines the significance of her efforts as well as organizing by category the cases in a concise but meaningful chart design. Her legal career at Rutgers and Columbia is also covered.
By chapter 5, the focus is her judicial career on both the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (thanks to Carter) and eventually the Supreme Court via a Clinton nomination. Particularly effective is the discussion of the VMI case, one of Ginsburg's great victories as a Justice. Chapter 6 focuses upon her late husband Martin Ginsburg, somewhat colorful for a tax lawyer, and an important key to understanding Ginsburg the person and what factors have shaped her life.
I found the most interesting chapter (7) to be on her working on the Supreme Court. Her relations with Sandra Day O'Connor, Rehnquist, and of course Scalia are explored. The important topic of writing opinions is also covered, as are her relationships with clerks and how her chambers operates--or as I like to say, "how the sausages are made."
Chapter 8 covers the critical role she has played as a dissenter in a majority conservative court. Her revival of oral dissents on occasion is important, as is her philosophy of dissenting. Several of her important dissents, including in the recent Voting Rights Act case, are subjected to annotative analysis to emphasize the points supporting her minority view. Another two page chart (pp. 148-9) focusing upon her dissents covers the ground expeditiously but comprehensively in a most cogent format. Chapter 9 deals with the personal side of the Justice, including her love of opera and life style.
Of current critical importance is the final chapter on her refusal to step aside so a younger liberal judge can be appointed to replace her before the 2016 election. She has come under a great deal of misinformed pressure to take such a step, to which fortunately this incomparable fighter has refused to yield. However, obviously, time is time and how long this 80 plus year old dynamo will continue her service is problematic--one does note that several brushes with cancer have not deterred her determination to serve out her term.
The book concludes with a number of appendices on various interesting topics. There are several effective traditional bios of the Justice, Linda Hirshman's recent joint RBG and O'Connor bio being a prime example, and the RGB lilterature continues to grow in recognition of her many contributions. This book is much more light-hearted, innovative, lively, and just fun to read--but the core of a solid study of RGB is there. One cannot conclude reading this book without going away with a strong sense of RBG as a person. An invaluable addition to the growing literature on this most interesting and significant of Supreme Court justices.
A fascinating read which includes her educational background as well as her early work with the ACLU. Some of her Women's Rights Projects are detailed and one that caught my attention was the AF Nurse case in 1970. CAPT Strich was pregnant and refused to quit or get an abortion. Pregnant women were also given a general discharge instead of an honorable one. The book also delves into her time on the Supreme Court and covers that portion in depth including the influence of social media.
Many things struck me when reading this book. She referred to her marriage to Marty as her 'life partner'. It was an incredibly rich marriage for all of the right reasons and the note he left for her on June 17, 2010 was powerful and poignant. The second item that really caught my attention was the manner in which she values the work of her secretaries. Any of her clerks must value them as she does or they will answer to her. This is a true 'people person'. The tradition that occurs in the robing room and the look around her chambers are treasured glimpses into both areas.
At some point in the future, I will make RBG's favorite Marty Ginsburg's Recipe for pork loin braised in milk. Sounds delicious to me.
'Notorious RBG' illustrates that a little chutzpah goes a long way. An entertaining and educational read which gave me more information on the inner workings of our Supreme Court..
Most highly recommended.
The inclusion of Ginsburg's legal opinions is a really nice touch that helps cement the narratives surrounding her famous cases. However, my favorite parts were the more personal, tender glimpses at what made up RBG. Her wisecracking husband Marty, her shared-love of opera with Scalia, her workout routine, her relationship with her children, the anecdote about asking for tickets for the play Cock. I would have loved even a little more of this background color; what sort of person takes on systematic sexism and racism for decades?
On the negative side, the shtick of the book didn't work for me. Some of the side remarks were a little too eye-rolling for me, like unironically saying "Burn." It veers sometimes too closely to the sort of hero worship that I think Ginsburg would be hesitant to encourage; the authors don't seem sure whether they want to deconstruct the pop culture icon or embrace whole-hog Ginsburg's 'notoriety.'
RBG is a tremendous figure and the sort of human being we should all aspire to be. As silly as some of the memes around her are, it is a credit to her steady, solid lifetime of work that she has earned her permanent place in the American consciousness. Even if the book I think isn't quite as laser-focused as its subject, it's a well-told story of someone doing what's right in a time of divisiveness and backwards thinking.










