I live in Massachusetts, and Elizabeth Warren is one of my two U.S. Senators. Naturally, I was familiar with some of her background and with many of her outspoken views about politics and government. I knew that she worked toward making reforms in the banking industry. But I wasn't following politics much, back when she started to make a name for herself. Maybe it was time for me to know more.

A Fighting Chance is a standard kind of memoir, with a distinct focus on Warren's career and favorite projects. She doesn't devote many pages to her upbringing or her Oklahoma origins. It's on to teaching, earning a law degree, landing law professorships in Texas, and eventually ending up at Harvard. Along the way, she developed a keen interest in understanding the reasons why people declare bankruptcy. She began to investigate the issues surrounding the rising rate of bankruptcies in this country. Her research led her to take on the bank executives themselves. (This is work that she continues to do, as I write this review in 2023.)

A fair amount of the book follows Warren as she navigates the unfamiliar waters of running a political campaign: something that she had never expected to do. If you haven't read or heard this kind of story from any other U.S. senator or representative, then this part may be an eye-opener for you. Criss-crossing even a small state to meet as many voters as possible seems like a never-ending assignment. It is. It's a commitment that most of us don't have to do or to worry about. But isn't it a good idea that someone dedicates their time to do it?

Warren's detractors may be surprised to learn that she is an unabashed and gushing lover of dogs. Big dogs. And so, as we learn more about her life and work, we also get to meet Trover, Good Faith and Otis. Yes, Elizabeth Warren has a softer side than the one you usually see in the media.

As is my habit, I listened to the CD version of this book (on 9 discs, for more than 11 hours). Of course, Warren supplied the narration herself. She shares so much detail, especially in key conversations, that she must be the kind of person who keeps a daily journal. I have to admire this habit. She is a good writer and a good reader. And she puts as much passion into her presentation as you would expect.

When this book was released in 2014, Warren had served just two years in the Senate. Its publication helped to introduce her to a wider audience, perhaps with the intention of aiming her for a higher position in federal government. Three years later, however, she would become even better known when one of her lengthy speeches earned the reaction of, "Nevertheless, she persisted."

You don't have to be a Massachusetts resident or a member of the same political party to enjoy spending time with Elizabeth Warren. Just be someone who has a bank account. And/or a big dog.