Pick of the Week: Notorious RBG

Notorious RBG. It sounds like a rap album and that’s kind of the point. RBG (Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, as she is more formally known) may not be laying down recording tracks, but she is one tough lady. She’s hung on at the court through cancer, the passing of her husband, and other difficult moments. She has a brilliant mind and writes readable, understandable opinions (many dissents, as of late) that can contain some fierce bite. She’s gained followers for her dissents, which she reads in court.

Notorious RBG started as a Tumblr devoted to Justice Ginsburg. The Tumblr site gained in popularity and out of that popularity came the book.

Notorious RBG is packed with photos, graphics, and timelines that create an immersive experience for the reader. It may not be the most intimate biography ever written, lacking scandalous details (though, considering the subject, they may not exist), but Notorious RBG offers breadth and a realistic account of Justice Ginsburg’s life and legacy. For a biography of a sitting Supreme Court justice, Notorious RBG is surprisingly readable and can even be enjoyably perused in an afternoon sitting. As the Supreme Court gains headlines because of the controversy surrounding the seat made vacant by the death of Justice Scalia, Notorious RBG may be the perfect book for anyone whose interest in the high court has been piqued.