The introduction to the second section of the book notes her partiality to the vägmärken, or way-pavers, who came before her. The motifs that run through this almost surprisingly readable book are less about legal doctrine and more about people. Other speeches and articles describe her experience of day-to-day life at the Court, as well as her reflections of how that has changed - or not - in her two and a half decades there.

The first section includes some of her own earliest writing - for her high school newspaper - as well as tributes to her by her late husband, with whom she shared five decades of marriage, as well as her own tributes to Antonin Scalia, her close colleague (and frequent sparring partner) for over two decades on the Supreme Court. The introductions and summaries throughout the book give us a rich biographical sketch that frames the documents beautifully. We get a sense of Ginsburg’s life, both as a person and a Justice. Her first published book since her appointment to the Supreme Court in 1993, it is a compelling documentary history that features selections from key speeches, articles, briefs, and decisions that tell the story of her life and career.

My Own Words was supposed to be the second of a planned two-volume autobiography by Ruth Bader Ginsburg, but it has been released first.

My Own Words by Ruth Bader Ginsburg