My Beloved World - Sonia Sotomayor

This was the perfect follow-up to Sisters-In-Law that I read earlier this year.  It's the story of the third woman and first Hispanic to be appointed to the Supreme Court.  Her life was one of early hardship guided by the drive of her mother to get a good education for her children.  She is modest about her exceptional intelligence and measured in sharing her beliefs.  I came away with a deep respect and admiration for her achievements.

Some quotes:

"Not every experiment is a success.  that's the nature of doing science" She quotes her science teacher then she goes on to add: "The nature of doing many things, I might add: success is its own reward, but failure is a great teacher too, and not to be feared."

"In my experience when a friend unloaded about a boyfriend or spouse, the listener soaked up the complaint and rememberd it long afer the speaker had forgiven the offense." 

"Dressing badly has been a refuge much of my life, a way of complelling others to engage with my mind, not my physical presence.  I'm competitive enough that I'll eventually withdraw from any consistently losing battle".

Published: 2013  Read: November 2017  Genre: Autobiography

Sisters in Law - Linda Hirshman

Subtitle: How Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg Went to the Supreme Court and Changed the World

Reading the story of the first two women supreme court justices reawakened the feminist history I lived and embraced for life in the 1970s.  These two very different women finally brought a female perspective to the court.  The stories of their treatment and experiences is fascinating.  I was surprised at O'Connor's pragmatic conservatism and cheered Ginsburg's consistent push for change.  I discovered a lot about the operation of the Supreme Court and how its members function in getting their job done and relating to their colleagues.  Great read.

Published:  2015 (hardback)  Read: October 2017  Genre: History, biography