The U.S. Constitution And Fascinating Facts About It

by Terry L. Jordan

In The U.S. Constitution & Fascinating Facts About It you'll see the entire text of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence--and much more! You'll find interesting insights into the men who wrote the Constitution, how it was created, and how the Supreme Court has interpreted the Constitution in the two centuries since its creation.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, Reference, Law, American History, Philosophy

96 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1998

Reviews

[Vannessa Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The U.S. Constitution can protect the American people from politicians with criminal behavior but it can only protect the American people when the American people have studied the U.S. Constitution.

What's great about The U.S. Constitution and Fascinating Facts about It is it is small enough to carry in a purse or pocket so whenever someone tries to steer you in the wrong direction you can pull out the book and ask them to show you where it says that in the U.S. Constitution.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Aphrodite · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not sure how to rate this book since its the Constitution.

[Marc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite literally, a pocketbook, close to the size of an index card---this little gem provides full text for the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and some facts about the U.S. Supreme Court. Brief intros/padding between sections provide background and context such as trivia about the "founding fathers," important dates, some choice quotes, and landmark court decisions. All the texts and more are online here: https://www.constitutionfacts.com/

I decided to read it last weekend in honor of Independence Day. I'm not sure I've ever read the entire text of the U.S. Constitution before, although I've read probably half of it in bits and pieces. I'm American by birth, nearly 45 years of age, with 17 yrs of schooling and never once heard the name John Hanson (the "first" to hold the office of "president" prior to the U.S. Constitution being written and ratified).

The Constitution's brevity and flexibility seem remarkable and farsighted. Then again, I haven't read any other country's constitution (unsurprisingly, but still rather cool, you can do so online at Constitute, as well as make comparisons amidst different constitutions). This is by no means any sort of an academic book and takes more of a general interest approach with a tone that attempts to garner interest and heighten curiosity about these essential democratic texts. Still, I was surprised there's not even a mention of the Magna Carta, nor any other possible source of influence or inspiration, as if the founders were just some bright guys starting from scratch.

Governance and collective interests are a messy, never-ending project. Think about just how deeply we're still struggling with the first, so-called "self-evident" truth that followed independence:
All of us are created equal.

[Auggie Heschmeyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mr. Jordan pads out the pages of this otherwise-short book with the most basic facts about the great (and not-so-great) men who helped craft the greatest and most influential system of governing the world has ever seen. Unfortunately, he writes with a "gee-whiz" sensibility that begins to grate almost immediately; there's only so many facts followed by exclamation marks I can take before wanting to put a book down. But let's be honest, no one's coming to this book to read Jordan's prose. You're there for the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence and boy, are they worth putting up with the crap. Not only are the documents revolutionary in their ideologies, but they're fascinating and, while simple, expertly written pieces of legal writing. The combined knowledge of all the prestigious men behind the writings bleeds through the words and you can almost imagine yourself sitting in a sweltering room in 18th-century Philadelphia. You may live the effects of these documents every day, but it's worth taking some time out of your life to actually give them a read.

[Tim Jennings · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not the easiest thing to admit, but I realized I really hadn't read the constitution in full since elementary school and even then I don't think I understood any of it. So I found this on my bookshelf and figured now was the perfect time to do so. With all of its flaws, the constitution is an interesting snapshot of the USA in its early stages. There is additional information about the founding fathers and each founder's unique impact on the nation. Additionally I was pleasantly surprised that this book also included the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and information about the Supreme Court. My favorite tidbit included was that George Washington was not the first president, it was John Hanson who served a one year termed after the Articles of Confederation was signed.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every American should have a copy of the pocket size book with the entire text of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence. There are lost of interesting facts about our most importing documents along with the Founding Fathers and Supreme Court.

[Erich Franz Linner-Guzmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the United States. Something all citizens of the country should fully know and understand.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential and important reading.

[Aaron N. Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh. So leaders are just breaking this, like, all the time. And have been for years. That's cool, I guess.

Four stars bc this is an incredibly nifty volume I picked up at a B&N for $3. I've kept it in my library for years and will continue to do so.

[Ben Pearman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Notwithstanding that the US Constitution is vague, antiquated, and grants very few explicit rights relative to most other countries’ constitutions, it’s still the greatest legal document ever created... I guess. And I really mean that. I’d still agree that the document is a one-of-a-kind, literally miraculous legal masterpiece, but should I? Not so sure. It is also, after all, paradoxically deeply flawed.

Interesting fact: US citizens’ explicit Constitutional right to “bear arms” (2nd Amendment) is similarly written into only two other countries’ constitutions... Guatemala and Mexico. 🤔

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is small, easy to read, and filled with necessary knowledge any American should know.

I personally carried this book on my person through my four years of college. And it became an indispensable daily tool.

It provides a comprehensive look at the roots and origin of our nation's functioning, laws, and founding fathers, as well as the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.

If you are a citizen who lives in America or in a country that has any form of extensive relations with America, then this book is reliable and essential basic reading.

[Kia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought this edition to replace a pocket edition I'd been given years earlier that I could no longer locate. It's always a fascinating document to read. This book contains not only the Constitution but also the Articles of Confederation and the Declaration of Independence. There is a dandy section on the Supreme Court, including some of the best known Supreme Court cases. It's a handy reference item that everyone should have.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This booklet is less than 100 pages but I found myself spending nearly a year going through it and examining its relation to current events today. It is neither an unchanging nor perfect piece but it is an amazing document. Despite any flaws it may have, it's role in guiding our nation is nothing short of spectacular.

The addition of fascinating facts about the Constitution and the legal cases that were decided due to it, add to enjoyment.

83 out of 100

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Constitution bit was pretty sweet, but the Facts, for the most part, weren't particularly fascinating -- though I did enjoy the fact that there was once a proposed amendment to the Constitution to rename our country "The United States of the Earth." It failed in 1893, but nowadays, it might just have a shot.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is essential for interpreting the headlines in the media these days. Ben Franklin said, "Our Constitution is an actual operation." Read it straight through and be amazed at how current it all is, how graceful the language is, how extraordinary and generous the vision of the Founding Fathers.

[Preston Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A most excellent annotated overview of the U.S. constitution: perhaps the most important American document ever created. Includes raw annotated text, notes on historical context, as well as interesting relevant tidbits regarding the men and women that contributed to it.

Overview: 5 of 5.
Recommended to: Americans of all ages and statuses.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had some very interesting facts about the U.S. Constitution which I didn’t know. A good read if you are curious on the origins of the United States and the history behind the government of the United States. I feel like everyone needs to read this book, because the Constitution made the United States what it is today.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent booklet of nearly 100 pages which includes the Constitution, all subsequent amendments, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, a synopsis of how the Supreme Court works with highlights of landmark cases, and more. This will be a great booklet to reread over the years.

[Tara Mensing · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little book will be very handy in the classroom. It is very informational and absolutely filled with facts on the "Founding Fathers", signers of the Constitution, landmark cases in Supreme Court history, a glossary to name a few! It is a MUST HAVE for every intermediate classroom and above!

[Ruthie Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

We all (US citizens, at the very least) need to read the US Constitution every now and then to be informed, of course, and to remind us how far we have come as a nation and show us how far we still need to go.

[Simon · Rating 2 out of 5]

If it was just the US Constitution I would have liked it, but throwing in the Articles of Confederation was not right. I did like how each Amendment had a title that the author used to explain the what was the gist of the Amendment. I plan on using that.

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the last several years my local public radio station (WDET Detroit) has had a summer reading book club. This summer we read the Constitution. It's been an interesting thought provoking deep dive into what the Constitution says versus what we believe it says.

[Haelyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not much of a plot, and the characters were sometimes confusing to understand. Some things that were said got canceled out later on, which got odd. Thankfully very short, and takes less than 30 minutes to read.

[Frederick · Rating 5 out of 5]

So THIS is what everybody's been misinterpreting!

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading this.

[Chrissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great little pamphlet! So many facts I’d never heard.

[Bailey Barber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Likes:
- Had very interesting facts about the constitution and its origin
- Makes understanding the constitution easier
- It was cool to read about amendments that were never ratified
- defines words in the constitution that I didn't know before

Dislikes:
- I don't really like history so it wasn't the most fun to read
- Some words were very confusing to me
- Some parts were more boring than others

This small book is a very good read for people wanting to learn more about the constitution. It gives important and even fun facts about the origin of it and the people who made it. I'm glad we got this book in government because it made understanding the constitution easier. I would recommend this book to people who like to learn about history and just want a little more background knowledge on the constitutionalists and amendments.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This tiny booklet contains the US Constitution, the Articles of Confederation, the Declaration of Independence, biographies of the Founding Fathers, and an outline of Supreme Court procedures, as well as many facts about US history and government. There was certainly hard work taken to include all these facts in a slim booklet, but even though it is dense with information, it comes across somewhat as trivia. There is little context for the facts in here, despite them being very interesting. However, this book is still informative if confusing sometimes, and I learned a lot.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not sure what inspired me to read this book but I'm glad for it. Sadly I will need the "cliff notes" for it because although English is my 1st language, I'm not fully understanding the Constitution and I want to. I really enjoyed the fascinating facts about the Founding Fathers and presidential trivia!

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Durham County Library's Durham Reads Together program for providing a copy of this U.S Constitution, and encouraging our community to read it together. It was great to read it through again. I'm looking forward to the related programs coming up during October.