Before she was a politician, Warren wrote a controversial book about family life and economics. Many presidential candidates write books. Most are invariably forgettable — the product of the same collaborative writing process that produces a “major address” but without the excitement of live performance, an audience, or a charismatic performer. Elizabeth Warren is different. She’s written extensively — as a prominent legal scholar focused on bankruptcy — long before she entered politics. She lays out ideas that she hoped would provoke or persuade rather than win elections.