Ruth Bader Ginsberg: A Life

by Jane Sherron De Hart
Ruth Bader Ginsberg: A Life cover
Good Books rating 4.3
Biography and Memoir
Technical
  • ID: 165
  • Added: 2025-09-03
  • Updated: 2025-09-03
  • Reviews: 4
Reviews
bookmarks.reviews · Unknown · 2025-09-18
insightful 4.50

The reviewer praises Jane Sherron De Hart's biography of Ruth Bader Ginsburg as a comprehensive and well-researched work that captures the essence of Ginsburg's life and career. They highlight the book's ability to provide a nuanced understanding of Ginsburg's contributions to law and society.

Jane Sherron De Hart's biography of Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a monumental achievement, offering a detailed and insightful look into the life of one of America's most influential legal minds. The reviewer appreciates the depth of research and the balanced portrayal of Ginsburg's personal and professional journey. They particularly admire how the book contextualizes Ginsburg's legal battles and her impact on gender equality. The reviewer also notes that the book is not just a chronicle of Ginsburg's life but a reflection on the broader societal changes she helped bring about. Overall, it's a must-read for anyone interested in law, feminism, and American history.

Quick quotes

    The reviewer says, "Jane Sherron De Hart's biography is a comprehensive and well-researched work that captures the essence of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's life and career.

    They highlight, "The book provides a nuanced understanding of Ginsburg's contributions to law and society.

    The reviewer notes, "It's a must-read for anyone interested in law, feminism, and American history.

scribepublications.com.au · Unknown · 2025-09-18
inspiring 4.50

The reviewer praises the book as a comprehensive and engaging biography of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, highlighting her significant contributions to law and society. They appreciate the detailed research and the balanced portrayal of her life and work.

This biography of Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a must-read for anyone interested in her life and legacy. The reviewer found the book to be meticulously researched and well-written, providing a deep dive into Ginsburg's legal career and her impact on gender equality. They particularly enjoyed the personal anecdotes and the way the author balanced her professional achievements with her personal life. The reviewer also noted that the book is accessible and engaging, making it suitable for both academic and general readers. Overall, they highly recommend it to anyone looking to understand the life of this remarkable woman.

Quick quotes

    The book provides a comprehensive and engaging look at the life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

    The author's detailed research and balanced portrayal make this biography a standout.

    A must-read for anyone interested in her significant contributions to law and society.

goodreads.com · Unknown · 2025-09-18
excellent 4.20

Reviewers praise Jane Sherron de Hart's extensive biography of Ruth Bader Ginsburg for its thorough research and engaging narrative, though some note a lack of personal insight into Ginsburg's thoughts and feelings. The book is seen as a comprehensive account of Ginsburg's life and legal career, highlighting her contributions to gender equality and civil rights. Some reviewers find the book's focus on historical details and cases to be both a strength and a weakness, as it provides depth but sometimes lacks personal anecdotes.

Reviewers generally agree that Jane Sherron de Hart's biography of Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a well-researched and engaging account of the justice's life and career. The book is praised for its extensive documentation and detailed narrative, which covers Ginsburg's early life, her legal work, and her tenure on the Supreme Court. Reviewers appreciate the book's comprehensive approach, which includes over 100 pages of chapter notes and a bibliography citing hundreds of resources. However, some reviewers note that the book's focus on historical details and cases sometimes comes at the expense of personal insight into Ginsburg's thoughts and feelings. While the book is seen as a valuable contribution to the historical record, some reviewers find that it lacks the personal anecdotes and reflections that could make it more compelling. Overall, the book is seen as a thorough and informative biography that provides a deep understanding of Ginsburg's life and her impact on the legal landscape.

Quick quotes

    This extensively documented account, incorporating more than 100 pages of chapter notes and a bibliography that cites hundreds of resources, is also quite engaging and very easy to read.

    This is a wondrous tale, recorded well, that resounds as an American epic.

    The public's familiarity with Ginsburg's life presents a challenge for a serious biographer, but Jane Sherron de Hart... has succeeded with a masterful biography that adds depth and insight to Ginsburg's only-in-America life story.

scotusblog.com · Unknown · 2019-01-11
insightful 4.00

The reviewer praises Jane Sherron De Hart's biography of Ruth Bader Ginsburg for its detailed account of her early life and legal career, particularly her work on women's rights. However, the book's later sections on her Supreme Court tenure are less compelling due to a lack of personal interviews and the author's ideological bias.

The reviewer highlights that Jane Sherron De Hart's biography, 'Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life,' provides a comprehensive look at Ginsburg's early life and her significant contributions to women's rights. The book excels in detailing Ginsburg's early career, her experiences with sexism, and her strategic approach to litigation. The reviewer appreciates De Hart's insights into Ginsburg's evolution as a feminist and her influential work at the ACLU. However, the sections covering Ginsburg's time on the Supreme Court are less engaging. The reviewer notes that De Hart's reliance on transcripts and opinions, rather than personal interviews, weakens this part of the book. Additionally, the author's ideological stance sometimes detracts from the analysis. Despite these criticisms, the biography offers a thorough overview of Ginsburg's career and her transformation into a progressive icon.

Quick quotes

    The book is strongest when it focuses on Ginsburg’s early life and her work before her appointment to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 1980.

    De Hart traces some through lines that help explain how Ginsburg developed the ideas of equality that informed her determination to secure equal treatment for women under the law.

    These criticisms aside, De Hart offers the reader a comprehensive tour of Ginsburg’s Supreme Court career.

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