The Year of Living Constitutionally: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Constitution's Original Meaning

by A.J. Jacobs

The New York Times bestselling author of The Year of Living Biblically chronicles his hilarious adventures in attempting to follow the original meaning of the Constitution, as he searches for answers to one of the most pressing issues of our time: How should we interpret America’s foundational document?

A.J. Jacobs learned the hard way that donning a tricorne hat and marching around Manhattan with a 1700s musket will earn you a lot of strange looks. In the wake of several controversial rulings by the Supreme Court and the on-going debate about how the Constitution should be interpreted, Jacobs set out to understand what it means to live by the Constitution.

In The Year of Living Constitutionally, A.J. Jacobs tries to get inside the minds of the Founding Fathers by living as closely as possible to the original meaning of the Constitution. He asserts his right to free speech by writing his opinions on parchment with a quill and handing them out to strangers in Times Square. He consents to quartering a soldier, as is his Third Amendment right. He turns his home into a traditional 1790s household by lighting candles instead of using electricity, boiling mutton, and—because women were not allowed to sign contracts— feebly attempting to take over his wife’s day job, which involves a lot of contract negotiations.

The book blends unforgettable adventures—delivering a handwritten petition to Congress, applying for a Letter of Marque to become a legal pirate for the government, and battling redcoats as part of a Revolutionary War reenactment group—with dozens of interviews from constitutional experts from both sides. Jacobs dives deep into originalism and living constitutionalism, the two rival ways of interpreting the document.

Much like he did with the Bible in The Year of Living Biblically, Jacobs provides a crash course on our Constitution as he experiences the benefits and perils of living like it’s the 1790s. He relishes, for instance, the slow thinking of the era, free from social media alerts. But also discovers the progress we’ve made since 1789 when married women couldn’t own property.

Now more than ever, Americans need to understand the meaning and value of the Constitution. As politicians and Supreme Court Justices wage a high-stakes battle over how literally we should interpret the Constitution, A.J. Jacobs provides an entertaining yet illuminating look into how this storied document fits into our democracy today.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Humor, Politics, Memoir, Audiobook, Book Club

304 pages, Paperback

First published May 7, 2024

Reviews

[Clif Hostetler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This report of A.J. Jacobs’ year of living constitutionally is a lighthearted—sometimes goofy—retelling of his experiences, but it ends up being surprisingly educational. He bounces around among the big issues such as “originalism” versus “judicial activism” while also bringing out obscure niches in the Constitution of the United States such as letters of marque and reprisal.

Intermingled among all this information Jacobs tells of his adventures trying to live life as those in the 18th century. This includes his experience walking around New York City wearing a tri-cornered hat while carrying an 18th century musket. He petitions the federal government—a right explicitly mentioned in the Constitution—using a goose quill pen and ink made with 18th century ingredients. He even admits that he accidentally spilled some of this ink on the carpet of a congressman’s office.

Jacobs claims to do stuff so crazy that I began to wonder if he really did those things, or was he writing fictional imaginings. One example is quartering a soldier in his apartment—the Third Amendment explicitly mentions that it must be done with the owner’s permission.

No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Jacobs wanted to give his permission knowing that if the soldier misbehaves he has the right to kick him out. The first people in uniform that he approached declined—they probably thought he was a dangerous pervert. It was at this point that I was convinced he was pulling the reader’s leg (i.e. not being serious). But then he managed to get a soldier to stay in his apartment for three nights. Jacobs describes conversations with this soldier in such detail that I’m convinced that he’s reporting the truth.

I found this book to be a painless way to learn about the Constitution of the United States. Even readers who are not interested in the subject will learn something in spite of a lack of interest.

Here's a link to a number of excerpts from the book that were collected as Highlights by Lynn on Goodreads.com.
https://www.goodreads.com/notes/19588...

[britt_brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and irreverent. I thoroughly enjoy Jacobs’s lifestyle experiments. If you haven’t read The Year of Living Biblically, or any of his others, you’re missing out on some legit good points, but also general hilarity and embarrassment at his expense. Bless his patient family! PS. His quill-written letter to Majorie Taylor Greene regarding her constitutional originalism is hysterical.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC for review. To be published May 7, 2024.

Here the author intends to live with the tools and mindset of someone living when the U.S. Constitution was drafted in 1787. The author is a white make, so that may work out OK for him, but if he were a woman or a person of color, maybe he wouldn’t be so enthusiastic about taking this on. And he definitely takes advantage of things like air conditioning and penicillin, so…. But I quibble. This is what this author does and I’ve read some of his stuff before. He’s going to act as an originalist, that is, one who believes we should strictly follow what the founders said and what their intent was, so, the most conservative. Also known as the people who took away the right of women to control their bodies. But I’m not bitter! Much.

Something I learned (and I went to law school, so shame on me), there is no Constitutional right to a secret ballot. One used to go to the polling place and loudly state who he (yep, he) was voting for. Jacobs tries to do this and it’s quite funny. There’s a lot of time spent explaining the Bill of Rights, Federalism and what have you. Jacobs also makes a half-hearted attempt to have Congress issue him a letter of marque so he can be a legal pirate (the last one was given in 1815.)

There is a basic primer on constitutional rights and originalism, plus an attempt to be humorous by looking at life in the 1700s. Then there’s this chilling thought: a resident of Wyoming has three hundred times more power in the U.S. Senate than a resident of California. I live in a state where that math comes out in my favor and that is still terrifying.

I liked this, but I’m not really sure who this book is for. Most people who would read it (people like me) already know much of what is here. The author’s wife and children must be saints. That or this pays really well.

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me preface this review by saying I am not American. I requested this on NetGalley because I have very good memories of Jacobs’s The Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible (I am not religious either) and was looking forward to the same kind of humour.

I was not disappointed, this book amused me a lot with its ridiculous situations and laughable interpretations. It was educational, made you laugh and made you think. It should be compulsory reading for *certain* Americans. Like for starters, those in Congress.

As a Canadian, I admit I started this book thinking the Constitution was an old document that had nothing to do with today’s reality, and it was a strange document for a whole country to base their ethics on. And well. I still think that.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall Rating: 4.84
Delightful book for anyone who wants to dip their toes into the founding of our Constitution and political history of America.

Engagement: 5.0
I found this book to be both entertaining and educational - which is rare. Jacobs brings brevity and wit to a stodgy and difficult subject - what were the founding fathers thinking when they wrote the constitution, and how should we use (or discard) this document when shaping the future of our country. I enjoyed how he emersed himself into the world of the Founding Fathers, and imparted the wisdom he learned from that style of living to the reader, as well as what he learned from the Constitution and constitutional scholars alike. A quick read, I highly recommend it!

Storyline: 4.5
As my preamble notes (IYKYK), this is a delightful book regarding the founding of our country and the creation of (arguably) our most important document - the Constitution. While the book, at under 300 pages in paperback, does not even attempt a deep dive into the constitution, the founding fathers, or some of the more boring amendments of the constitution, it does provide a nice primer into what our founding fathers intended. Written chronologically, and focusing on some of our more popular and controversial amendments, Jacobs explores the what the framers may have meant by freedom of speech, why the right to bear arms is so controversial, and which amendment may surprisingly be the most successful. I knocked a 1/2 point off because I still don't know if I can successfully petition congress to become a pirate... I mean a privateer!

Readability: 5.0
*Edited 09.22.25 - I forgot the mention of the pillory and its (clears throat) "recreational" use mentioned in the book. While by no means spicy, parents may want to steer clear of this novel for their younger readers if they want to avoid some interesting dinner questions... or just cross that quick little note from the book!
While I think Jacobs geared this book toward adults, I think anyone with a sixth grade reading and American History education with a high-school education would find this book both easy to read and helpful for anyone wanting to dip their toes into politics, American history, or understanding our federal laws. While Jacobs doesn't hide his democratic leanings, I do think he represents both sides fairly and equally. He also cites all his quotes and books referenced within, which I find super helpful for anyone wanting that deep dive after finishing this book.

[Brigette · Rating 5 out of 5]

AJ Jacobs is one of my favorite authors and I was so happy to be given the opportunity to read this book ahead of publication. Jacobs has written a number of books like his life is a memoir; living Biblically, reading the encyclopedia and more. Following his experience following the Bible, Jacobs followed the Constitution for a year. I always learn from his books and it makes me think of things in a new way.

The book starts on Election Day and Jacobs tries to vote publicly, since voting privately is not in the Constitution. This funny fact is interspersed with other truths - the book doesn’t shy away from what the Constitution missed - African Americans, women, gay people and more. The author says he even wrote the book by hand and quill. It was hilarious to imagine him carrying an antique musket around or saying his thoughts out loud rather than social media.

This book is a refreshing and interesting way to read about early history and laws. One fascinating thing I learned was that the Supreme Court would be most surprising to the founding fathers today - it gained power at the expense of Congress and the President. The AI section where it answered as James Madison was pretty engaging as well.

This book ultimately goes the distance to dissect the document and other amendments. Honestly it seems harder to live by this one than the Bible. I cannot recommend this book enough! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

[Jeff · Rating 1 out of 5]

I saw a story about this book on "CBS Sunday Morning" a few weeks ago and thought it sounded interesting.  I regretted my purchase before I was finished with the author's introduction.  Strike one:  the author decided to illustrate the second amendment by walking around New York City carrying a musket and bayonet everywhere.  Nobody did that in 1787.  Reeks of narcissistic, agenda-driven stunt. Strike two:  Maybe it was meant to be a joke, but he wrote that his children invoke the first amendment every time they call him names.  Even joking about that (calling a parent names) is unfathomable to me.  If it's a joke, not funny; if not, it's so far removed from my experience to make it too weird. (Yes, I am very old-fashioned in some ways.)  Strike three:  In a couple of paragraphs, he goes on and on about what he describes as the shockingly brutal and horrific language used in the Constitution.  If you're triggered by words in an historic document, maybe you should stay away from history.  I bailed on this book in the first chapter, not worth my time.

[Brent Burch · Rating 4 out of 5]

A humorous and thought-provoking journey through the interpretation, over the years, of the true meaning of our constitution. A.J. Jacobs takes the reader into various parts of our founding document that have been either argued to death or been completely looked over. No matter which way you fall on the political spectrum, you'll find something to like in this even-handed look at what is the glue that holds this country together.

Recommended.

[Rod Van Alyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received The Year of Living Constitutionally as a Goodreads Giveaway. Very entertaining. Jacobs’ humor induced a few laugh out loud moments and helped to keep a potentially dry subject fresh. Very educational and an excellent source for additional material to learn more about the founding fathers and the constitution. Thank you Goodreads.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful way to delve into the Constitution of the United States. Often laugh out loud funny, but also calling for a great deal of thought and consideration. And now I want to bake and share an election day cake.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Longer review to com. In short: amusing but also irritating. Jacobs tries to live as though he were in 1789, but appears to spend more time brooding over their failing to have the mores of 2023 than actually trying to understand their thinking.

Full review:
Although I am a fan of A.J. Jacobs’ ludicrous life experiments (trying to take seriously every bit of health advice he was given for a year, trying to literally follow every single rule in the Bible for a year, etc), my eye twitched a bit at this title. I’m a fan of the Constitution, a twenty-year veteran of heaping abuse upon DC regardless of administration for abusing it, and I anticipated that much in this that would annoy me. The Constitution does not apply to individuals, for instance: its entire purpose was to define and limit the scope of the National Government — not people, not the individual States. So harrumph, I said, harrumph! However, the cheap price ($2 on Kindle!), my past affection for Jacobs, and the potential humor to be had in witnessing a band go about in a tricorn hat urging New Yorkers to sign his parchment-paper petition with a quill feather, urged me to try it. While I did find much to annoy, I appreciate Jacobs trying to take the Constitution seriously, and learned quite a bit despite my own familiarity with the founding fathers and their thinking.

Jacobs undertakes several approaches to “living constitutionally”. For one, he decides to do all of his writing with a quill and parchment paper, which entails carrying around a little wooden box to store them in. When he is working at home, he turns off all the lights and works purely by candlelight, to the annoyance of his wife and most of his children, save for one who likes the eccentricity. (That child also loved the fact that Dad also began wearing an 18th century outfit out and about while he was attempting to get people to sign petitions and such.) As Jacobs begins trying to understand rights like “The freedom of assembly”, the right to petition and so on, he tries to exercise said rights in the same fashion that Madison & company would have: he tries to vote by announcing who he is voting for, he creates a petition on a scroll to ask for a Constitutional amendment shifting the presidency to a three-person council instead of an elected monarch, and he “assembles” by inviting people to his home for a dinner to discuss politics, purposely inviting a mix of ideas to foster genuine debate. He also tries to bring back 18th century customs like baking an Election Day cake and preparing some of Martha Washington’s rum punch to give to those at the polls. He also joins up with a group of American Revolution reenactors to further immerse himself in “living history”, and in one of my favorite sections, attempts to get a Congressman to issue him a Letter of Marque so he can go forth on the ocean blue in hopes of intercepting some of America’s enemies.

At the same time that he’s cosplaying the life of an 18th century writer, Jacobs is also reading gobs and gobs of books about the Constitution, both what its ideas meant in their time and how they’ve been applied over the years. He was surprised to discover, for instance, that the Bill of Rights was appended to the Constitution in order to facilitate its passing, and that some of the founding generation regarded it as potentially an issue given that if some rights were specifically enumerated, the government might then assume that it could do as it pleased otherwise. America in the early Republic had a much different culture than our own, with laws that we could now regard as violations of free speech because they governed hurling abuse at the government, or public profanity. Jacobs is also surprised that Congress was meant to be first among equals as far as the government goes, and ends the book convinced that the President and SCOTUS, especially the latter, need to be taken down a few pegs. Although I enjoyed this part of the book for the most part, I wasn’t impressed by Jacobs study given that he doesn’t appear to appreciate the nature of the “Federal” system, especially the fact that the States were meant to be powerful actors in their own rights — with direct control over the Senate, for instance, checking the power of the national government. One amendment he suspiciously never mentions is the Tenth Amendment, which says that “any powers not given to the Federal Government are reserved to the States, or to the people”. In his study of how the Constitution has changed over the years, he also never goes near the Civil War, which dramatically changed the little-c constitution of the Union, making it a national government (by gunpoint) instead of a union of equal States. I don’t know if he sidestepped it because of controversy or something else, but regardless of how much of a Pandora’s box it is, when tackling this subject, it has to be opened.

In short, this was a mixed bag: mostly enjoyable, but with deficiencies — some serious. As much as I enjoyed his attempts to “live history”, it seemed more like a gag than a serious endeavor to understand the thinking of 18th century Americans, especially given how much time he spends judging them by the standards of a self-described “New York liberal”. I liked it far more than I expected, though.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

A. J. Jacobs---I love this writer. Jacobs researches ideas thoroughly and then he tries to live the ideas and finally he reflects on the ideas. What is his topic of interest for this book? The Constitution of the United States. He studies those who wrote the Constitution and he studies the four page document and he tries to live the ideas of the Constitution. The book is both humorous and thoughtful, without being wildly political.

[Barbra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very timely read during a tumultuous, authoritarian, and frightening start to 2025 with a selfish oligarchy at the helm. Imagine if the current US President followed Benjamin Franklin’s daily mantra, “What good shall I do today?” How vastly different things would be.

[Kt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am always entertained by A.J. Jacobs and his adventures!

[Shelby R.]

Jacobs' The Year of Living Constitutionally was a fascinating and uproariously funny story of his journey to live as close to a founding father as possible. Jacobs joined a revolutionary war regiment, baked election cakes, and gave friends sentimental locks of his hair (I laughed out loud at this scene). He wrote on parchment, irritated his long-suffering wife Julie with the incessant scratch of his quill pen, and drafted a family Constitution that required his sons to consult the appellate court of their cousins before bringing complaints to the high, parental court. On a more serious note, this was an excellent refresher for all of the landmark Supreme Court cases I'd wiped from my brain after law school (no guarantee I won't wipe them from my brain again, but the refresher was nice nonetheless).

Jacobs provides huzzahs and grievances at the end of each chapter on what was working during his constitutional journey and what wasn't. My final opinion? A hearty huzzah for The Year of Living Constitutionally .

[Jessica - How Jessica Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, this was good. But hard to read, because it made me so sad about the current state of our nation.

You will not be surprised to hear that I am not a constitutional originalist. The selfishness that ignores the founding fathers' ideal of responsibility-to-community makes me crazy.

[Anemone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very entertaining, and I learned a lot about the Constitution.

[Kat V · Rating 4 out of 5]

A.J. Jacob’s is definitely a comfort author for me. Very excited to read this. I learned a little but mostly I think this is a good refresher for most people. Worth a read but not excellent, nevertheless I will probably continue to read everything he writes. 4 stars even

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A.J. Jacobs is back with another self-inflicted social experiment. This time he's focusing on the US Constitution, the words, the meanings, and how they've impacted the current world. I know it's part of US politics, but to think it hasn't impacted the world would be narrow sighted. Now, more than ever, it feels like it's time to really understand what it stands for and how it should impact politics going forward.

To start with this book should have included a copy of the constitution. I didn't grow up in the US, I've never read it, and only have knowledge of the parts that are in the news. So I think that it should have started with the full text before diving into it. I would also have liked more on the history of the document, who wrote it, their politics, why they were part and why they added what they did. I feel a lot more should have been put on the world those people lived in that lead to its creation. It's touched on but I don't think enough.

I also feel like Jacobs is too centrist, too conciliatory with his words. He's politically left, this book is about the core of US politics, but it feels like he's scared of upsetting conservatives. He touches on the big topics, but then shies away from really pushing it. Overall this book was too weak in its convictions, on such a significant, impactful document, that is key to the future of the US, and most likely the world.

[Cerealflakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book entertaining. In the Year of Living Biblically, Jacobs was able to do things like grow out his beard, eat food in the manner written about in the Bible (even though there were contradictions), wear special clothes, etc. The constitution just isn’t the same kind of document, but Jacobs still did some silly things such as take “election cake” to polling places using a recipe from the late 1700s.

Jacobs got a lot of serious history into this book, and I now know a lot more about how the constitution was written and how the founders may have meant us to take the constitution into the future. Here’s hoping the constitution sticks around for many more years.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know if I'm misremembering or not but I feel like Jacobs' more recent efforts, including this one, don't feel as "all in" as his earlier experiments. It felt like there were an awful lot of cop-outs he had to explain away. His takeaways were interesting and I enjoyed the book but I don't think it lived up to the "Year of" title in the way that his book about the Bible did.

Overall, a good and timely look at the meaning of the constitution throughout the country's history and especially considering current events.

[Jennifer Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I experienced a pendulum swing between enjoying this book and being bored with it. 1/3 interesting and educational. 1/3 creative and hilarious. 1/3 dull and ridiculous. But, I made it through it and am glad I did. It did teach me some new things and made me think about things in new ways.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

When they dig through the ashes, this will be helpful.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far so fun. A little lighter than I expected, not all that analytical. But I'm learning stuff, so that's good.

For example, we may not have won Independence from Britain without privateers. We didn't have a navy, so these private vessels served... rewarded by being allowed to keep the booty. Iow, privateers are not exactly pirates, despite what you may have heard.

"America's birth was not an immaculate conception." Eric Jay Dolin.

I agree with Jacobs that we all ought to pay more attention to "The General Welfare." Not as in more generosity with welfare programs, but more cooperation to help fewer people need them.

Penumbra means shadow. I'll have to read Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore because I never realized that (shame on me that I didn't look up the word at the time).
---
Ok done. I'm not feeling satisfaction, nor interest in the author's other works.

Silly stuff bugs me. Jacobs spilled ink on the senator's carpet, so he gives $50 more in taxes to reimburse for getting it cleaned. As his wife suggests, a $50 donation to a public school would be much more appreciated.

I do like the idea of Election Cake, or, even better, make it a celebratory holiday so even those juggling jobs, commutes, childcare, can vote.

I also like the idea of a Bill of Responsibilities. Jacobs (and his sources) argue that the Founders didn't see the need because service was matter-of-course. Think again of the words "General Welfare." And how politicians used to be referred to as Public Servants. If you have friends on social media, I'd love to know what your circle thinks of spreading the idea of balancing the Bill of Rights with Responsibilities.

I'm also getting titles to consider adding to my to-read lists.
America's Unwritten Constitution: The Precedents and Principles We Live By and perhaps others by Akhil Reed Amar.
The Invisible Constitution if the above is not available, maybe.
The Odd Clauses: Understanding the Constitution Through Ten of Its Most Curious Provisions - the author points out to Jacobs how Trump has violated the Emoluments Clauses.
The Great Experiment: Why Diverse Democracies Fall Apart and How They Can Endure by Yascha Mounk - I happened upon this author's name purely by coincidence earlier today as he wrote a good article explaining the flaws of Effective Altruism.

[Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read several books by Jacobs over the years with varying interest. I was glad to see he was returning to something like this where he attempts to live the life based on something (here the US Constitution, previously it was something like the Bible). He's tried other styles but considering here are many elections (not just the US one) this was going to be interesting.

Jacobs integrates his experiences (and of his family's to a lesser extent but they're not really featured), plus input from constitutional scholars across the political spectrum and interpretations (so from originalism to that it's a living document, etc.) which was pretty interesting. How do you interpret some of this within the frame of today's world of smartphones and high speed internet, which was never even a concept back then, haha.

As you can guess, some of this was pretty hilarious (quartering a soldier, which ends up being a less than eventful event but still interesting), a lot of is rather boring and tedious if totally silly and impractical (writing with a quill, vocally announcing who you will vote for at the polling place, etc.). Overall there is a pretty interesting discussion and examination of what the intent was to how you implement that today and what it could look like to adapt the Constitution for the modern era.

I liked it, but it does get repetitive. If you know the general format and the Constitution then you get an idea of what it looks like. At the same time, if you have an interest in the Constitution and some of the conversations about how to interpret it (2nd comes to mind and yes, he goes over it), this might be a really interesting and fun read. And honestly, as a project it sounded like a zany and educational thing to do--it would not surprise me to see this adapted in its own way for school projects and/or as a supplement reading.

I'll definitely read more by Jacobs but will likely stick to borrowing books, which I did with this. But again, while this would be fun, I would totally recommend something like this now if you are at all interested in politics, the election, conversations about the Constitution, etc. Depending on your level of interest and engagement (like, having a copy of the Constitution and/or other references and analyses might be helpful), this might be worth as a buy or access to a library copy you can renew without interruption (so, no waiting list, etc.)

[☀️Sunny☀️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rounded up. I usually avoid political books, so I wasn't sure how this one would land with me. While The Year of Living Constitutionally is undeniably political, A.J. Jacobs' humor, curiosity, and willingness to look ridiculous made it an entertaining and engaging read for me.

By attempting to live according to the U.S. Constitution's original meaning, Jacobs turns what could have been a dry discussion into an unforgettable social experiment. Whether he's writing with a quill and ink, participating in Revolutionary War reenactments, quartering with strangers, or navigating the reactions of his endlessly patient family, he brings the Constitution to life in ways that are hilarious and thought-provoking.

Jacobs doesn't hide his own opinions, but he also presents historical context and competing arguments that encouraged me to think more deeply about constitutional interpretation without feeling like I had to agree with every conclusion. I learned historical facts I hadn't known before and came away wanting to revisit the Constitution, explore some Supreme Court decisions, and research several topics further.

I switched between the hardcover and the audiobook, which Jacobs narrates himself. I enjoyed both formats, but hearing him tell the story added another layer of humor and sincerity.

I'd happily watch a year of living constitutionally as a documentary or reality series... I think it would make for fascinating television.

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although not as uproariously funny as some of his other books, this one really taught me quite a bit about the Constitution! It's a very timely refresher given the current state of affairs. I highly recommend and can't wait for AJ's next project!

[Alex Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny but also, given the state of things, a little depressing too.

[Melki]

I normally love A.J.'s "experiments," but this one mostly just annoyed me. I appreciate his attempts to delve deeper into the Constitution, and examine the true intent of the writers, but the quill pen and tricorne? Too cutesy for my taste.

I may try picking this up again someday, but for now - I'm giving up about four chapters in.

[Chrisanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This got a few good chuckles out of me. And I thought some of the historical facts were interesting (#soapboxalert) even though there were no footnotes. I agreed with him about 70+ percent of the time. I appreciated his digging into history and election cakes. I actually took a class in school all about the politics of early US cookery. Who knew? I didn't until after that class.

That said, perhaps I know too much about his political opinions(reading most of his books can do that to you), but his attempts to come across as politically neutral or, at the least, present both points of view didn't really work for me. I could feel the slight disdain for the people he disagreed with almost every time. Perhaps it was the order(his opinion is usually last), or the tone, or the vocabulary. Even though I often found myself agreeing with him, I didn't appreciate that. Because respect is a great foundation for understanding and change.

The rules were too arbitrary and he didn't seem as committed as he did in some of his other books. For example, he orders stuff online all the time and then mentions 3/4 of the way in that he still hasn't gotten his one order that he wrote on paper with a quill and sent by mail.

Finally, his attempt to end on a "high note" seemed forced. Clearly he doesn't like what's going on, feels like it isn't working, and suspects that much worse will happen and then suddenly there was this big twist. It felt fake.

I'm normally a "realistic"(negative) POV person and, these days, I don't even dare fly a flag lest it be mistakenly declaring my allegiance to something I don't subscribe to, but even I am grateful that we have one of the longest-surviving republics in the world. I'm grateful that, as imperfect as it was and is, I have rights that people in countries don't even dream about. If you want a good refresher course, check out this podcast. Almost any episode will have you feeling all the emotions, and awe at the responsibility to do good with the opportunities I have as a citizen of this country is a regular one for me.