THE RBG WAY

A self-help book distills the experiences and inspiration of the Supreme Court justice into a series of life lessons.

As journalist Gibian acknowledges, there is no shortage of information about Ruth Bader Ginsburg (b. 1933), whose rise to the Supreme Court and accomplishments within it have been well-documented. So, why this chatty little volume? “This book,” writes the author, “explores the idea that there are lessons we can all take away from RBG’s life and apply to our own lives to maybe become a little more successful in our relationships and careers and efforts to create change.” Unfortunately for readers, the “secrets of success” invoked by the subtitle don’t offer much in the way of revelation. “Ginsburg is proof that working hard and turning in your best work actually does pay off,” writes Gibian in the first of nine chapters, which are divided into three sections “because in full cheesiness, there are three branches of government and the Supreme Court is made up of nine justices.” We learn that Ginsburg overcame childhood hardships and considerable gender discrimination to become “a rock star litigator” and a feminist “badass.” When life presented challenges, she persevered. The author also emphasizes the importance of having a supportive partner or a network of support, because “we all need to have people there to remind us to sleep, shower, and eat” and that “while anger sometimes has a place in this world, it is worth trying to persuade someone to join your line of thought through cold hard facts and a strong argument.” Ginsburg’s career has certainly demonstrated that persuasive reasoning works better than lashing out angrily. In summary, Gibian concludes, “if you want to be like the Notorious RBG, you must follow the path that she laid out: roll up your sleeves, do the work (and do it well) to create change through incremental steps.”

Good advice from a life well lived but nothing you didn’t already know.