We the People: The Modern-Day Figures Who Have Reshaped and Affirmed the Founding Fathers' Vision of America

by Juan Williams

What would the Founding Fathers think about America today? Over 200 years ago the Founders broke away from the tyranny of the British Empire to build a nation based on the principles of freedom, equal rights, and opportunity for all men. But life in the United States today is vastly different from anything the original Founders could have imagined in the late 1700s. The notion of an African-American president of the United States, or a woman such as Condoleezza Rice or Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, would have been unimaginable to the men who wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, or who ratified the Constitution or the Bill of Rights.
 
In a fascinating work of history told through a series of in depth profiles, prize-winning journalist, bestselling author, and Fox political analyst Juan Williams takes readers into the life and work of a new generation of American Founders, who honor the original Founders’ vision, even as they have quietly led revolutions in American politics, immigration, economics, sexual behavior, and reshaped the landscape of the nation.

Among the modern-day pioneers Williams writes about in this compelling new book are the passionate conservative President Reagan; the determined fighters for equal rights, Thurgood Marshall and Martin Luther King, Jr.; the profound imprint of Rev. Billy Graham’s evangelism on national politics; the focus on global human rights advocated by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt; the leaders of the gay community who refused to back down during the Stonewall Riots and brought gay life into America’s public square; the re-imagined role of women in contemporary life as shaped by Betty Friedan.
 
Williams reveals how each of these modern-day founders has extended the Founding Fathers original vision and changed fundamental aspects of our country, from immigration, to the role of American labor in the economy, from modern police strategies, to the importance of religion in our political discourse.

America in the 21st Century remains rooted in the Great American experiment in democracy that began in 1776. For all the changes our economy and our cultural and demographic make-up, there remains a straight line from the first Founders’ original vision, to the principles and ideals of today’s courageous modern day pioneers.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, American History, Biography, Literary Fiction, American

464 pages, Hardcover

First published April 12, 2016

Reviews

[Ronald Keeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Juan Williams has written a comprehensive review, update, and redefinition of the term “founding fathers.” A look at the 19 chapter headings in the table of contents presents a list of interesting familiar and not-so-familiar names to present day readers. How do these relate to the founding fathers? Williams will tell you in a fast reading, approximately 400 page book. I recommend budgeting time so you can read it in one session. Each chapter pulls the reader into the next account and I would have been annoyed if I had to stop for routine daily tasks. I read this on a Saturday and it took about six hours; it took longer than usual because I stopped to highlight things I found particularly interesting.

Just as family names span generations, think Roosevelt, Williams substitutes “founding fathers” for a family name. Many students in the USA think of Washington, Adams, Jefferson, the signers of the Declaration of Independence and the participants at the Constitutional Convention as the founding fathers; case closed. Williams suggests that later historical figures such as JFK, Martin Luther King, Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt, through their interpretations and implementation of original founding father principles deserve to be in the extended founding father family.

The original founding fathers did not spend their lives only in pontification of great political and philosophical principles. They had jobs; Franklin was a printer; Jefferson was an inventor and farmer. Supporting this, Williams details the contributions of Charlton Heston, Rachel Carson, Betty Friedan, and Billy Graham, to name a few. These individuals were not primarily political; their non-political occupations affected political developments. The reader will also find accounts of Reagan, Kissinger, Goldwater, and key political figures who bent and twisted original principles to present day realities.

This is truly the age of the life-long learner, but for too many learning stops at a certain point, like at the point where all our attentions are focused on earning a living. The 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s are familiar ground to me, at least in memory. Since we lived it, we know it, and don’t always pay a lot of attention. Kissinger, sure, I know all about him. In fact, once he left government service in the Reagan years, he dropped out of sight, at least for me. Williams provides an update to the question “Where are they now?” Influential people don’t always lose their influence just because they are out of the public eye. Williams makes this point repeatedly.

I liked the way that Williams makes a point, focuses on it, and resists the temptation to make mean spirited, unnecessary, sensationalist asides. In his chapter on Billy Graham, he mentions other influential religious figures, such a Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and Jim Bakker. Only one paragraph is devoted to Jim Bakker and the reason for his success. Nothing else needed to be said, and it was not said.

Here are some of the things I found particularly interesting in the reading.

Williams explored the evolution of the “broken windows” theory of policing in chapter 4. Here, and elsewhere, in his chapter on Heston and gun control, Williams examines the necessary compromises a society must make between absolute security and absolute freedom.

In chapter six, Williams compares economic theories of Keynes and Friedman, describes their impacts on such present day realities as the minimum wage issue and entitlement programs, and includes these economic theory giants in the Founding Father family.

This is a carefully written, well referenced book. Occasionally I found myself in disagreement with an assertion. When I reread the section, I saw that statements were carefully phrased to include several variables. I only found myself in disagreement with him on one point.

In chapter 5, on the military, Williams writes that military reserves had not been called on to go to Vietnam. As a policy matter, units were not mobilized and deployed as a result of actions from the White House; that is correct. However, there were National Guard units that served. Some of them volunteered. Company D (Long Range Patrol) 151st Infantry Regiment, Indiana National Guard served in Vietnam.

I would be very happy to attend a university level class where this book serves as a text in a survey course on US history.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

What would the Founding Fathers think about America today? Is the question that Juan Williams looks at in his new book, We the People. Yet in trying to find the answer, Williams realized that the Founding Fathers would not recognize the United States of 2016 given what has occurred over the past 240 years, so he shifted his focus to those individuals who have shaped the nation since World War II by how they interpreted the words of the Founding Fathers.

Through 18 chapters, Williams examined numerous individuals and how they affected issues and movements that affect the United States today. These new members of the Found Father “family” as Williams calls them range from the notable such as Kennedy brothers, Martin Luther King Jr., Ronald Reagan, and Earl Warren to the lesser known such as Harry Hay, Robert Ball, and Robert Morris. The issues these individuals range from immigration to gun rights to environmentalism to the debate between the living constitution and originalism.

In each chapter, Williams gives an unbiased history of the issue under discussion as well as a biography of the individual or individuals that contributed to how the issue became important for us today. Although this might sound like it could be a plodding read, Williams writes in a crisp and engaging manner that results in the nearly 400 pages of text to pass swiftly for the reader while so informing them of the issue and individuals that made them important for 21st century Americans.

If there is one thing I wish Williams had done was a concluding chapter that would have addressed how some of the issues he presented interacted with one another. This would have also afforded Williams the opportunity while showing the interaction between issues to parallel how the interaction of 21st century issues to show parallels about 21st century issues interacted with one another just as issues the 18th century during the Founding Father era interacted with one another. I personally believe this reinforcing of his argument as well as the synthesis of the previous chapters would have created a stronger conclusion to the text than just the normal chapter ending that the reader got.

We the People could be seen as one of those “popular history” genre books glosses over things, but Williams’ prose and material goes deeper to give the reader a better understanding as to how 21st century America came to be as it is. The nearly 400 page of text is very reasonable for the average reader and the information provided within them really packs a punch. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book for those interested in history and/or politics.

I received an advanced copy of this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program for an honest review.

[Ripley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this ARC through The Reading Room in exchange for a fair review.

Our founding fathers are the men we are most familiar with historically. Men such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln. These are the men that have shaped our nation through events securing our status as a union separate from the British crown and our rights as citizens to pursue personal freedoms.

In the last 100 years our society has changed in many ways. This new society would shock our founding fathers, but these men would also come to realize that the constitution is something that is a basis for our freedoms but also needs to adapt to our ever evolving social construct. Juan Williams has suggested, in this book, a new group of men and women, to be a modern day founding fathers. The group of people he has nominated are the men and women who have brought about great change for the civil liberties of citizens of these United States and have given a voice to those groups who had no voice.

This book talks clearly and, for the most part, concisely about the historical events of the last 100 years. Beginning with immigration reform and ending with gun control, Williams touches on all the social issues that are hot button topics even today and gives a brief history on the individuals who propelled them forward.

What I love about this work, is Williams is able to give facts without being overly political and throwing his own views in. It is nice to be able to read about these accounts and make my own decision on how I feel and what my opinion is on the different issues. Juan Williams is highly educated and is very familiar with his subject material. He includes an extensive bibliography that I found to be a great source for further reading.

The only criticism I would give this book is that the chapter on gun control was a bit long and became dry rather quickly. All the other chapters kept me entertained and even had me interested in learning more.

[Mira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Williams' premise is to identify and tell the stories of our modern founding fathers and mothers. Thus his book takes on a more biographical format than most non-fiction; while it does succeed in covering a broad range of relevant political topics, it limits itself to one or two figures in those topics. For example the chapter about women's civil rights and American feminism only mentions Betty Friedan and ignores other waves in the movement (i.e: early suffragettes, Gloria Steinem, and recently Sheryl Sandberg) which obfuscates from a bird's eye view of the issue. This, of course, was part of his premise, however I found it unwieldy as a long non-fiction piece. Furthermore each chapter introduces the person with the praise they have received and only then backtracks to tell their story, a strategy which quickly becomes repetitive and feels slightly like hero-worshipping.

A few chapters tended towards one-sidedness and lacked conciseness. The chapter on military history was very simplistic; at the end of the Vietnam War military support was low, but then enlistments were made voluntary, officers held to higher standards, and support increased. I'm not sure what else I learned from those 18 pages. Similarly the chapter on Modern Policing vaguely connects Bill Bratton to the Patriot Act but refrains from examining its drawbacks.

I did, however, thoroughly enjoy reading this book. It was interesting to see the spotlight turn on less well-known figures (i.e. Robert Ball, Henry Hay) and, as I had little prior-knowledge of recent US history, it was an eye-opener. This book is worth reading, however, perhaps more suited for those not new to the subject.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how the author compares and contrasts the founding fathers of old with the modern founding fathers of significant change that has occurred within our nation. There is so much information packed within this book. It is a very enlightening read and I highly recommend it to everyone.

[Jameslee98 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice survey into the people, with handfuls of right of center examples, who have influenced and shaped the current political and social climate in America.

[Kristine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't get through this one. This felt like I bumped into Mr Williams at a party and started chatting about the Founding Fathers. I may try this again later.

[Nora Olmo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful educational written book he filled a a lot of blanks. Must rag again.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Juan Williams, political commentator, author and journalist, takes an interesting approach to modern American history with "We the People," by focusing on several 20th-century Americans who have as much right to claim to be Founding Fathers as our 18th-century heroes who created the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.

Williams' core point is important for anyone who wants to understand America - the United States of 1900 was, in many respects, more similar to the America of 1787 than it was to the America of 2000. In 1900, millions of Americans could not vote due to the color of their skin or their gender. Blatant discrimination on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc., was a fact of public and private life. The car and the airplane had yet to transform transportation and urban life. The American military was an afterthought on the global stage. And there was no basic concept of universal human rights.

At the risk of promoting the 'great man' theory of history, Williams describes the contributions made to 20th-century America by a select number of people, each of whom transformed our country in unanticipated and unimaginable ways - whether from the rise of the modern metropolis (Robert Moses), the expansion of natural rights (Eleanor Roosevelt), the growth of the American military (General Westmoreland), and on and on. One can argue, and Williams does so convincingly, that these Americans left behind a world forever changed - these are genies that cannot be put back in the bottle. Unlike our Founding Fathers, who are often referred to in mythic terms as demigods who never made a mistake (Williams chides Michelle Bachman for her statement that the Founders fought tirelessly to end slavery . . . what an idiot), Williams points out that many of these changes are double-edged swords. This balance and perspective is refreshing - you can do great things, and those great things may have negative consequences yet still be great.

The inherent issue with any book like this is that the brief chapters (20-odd pages, generally) focus on colossal accomplishments by fascinating people - and so it is that you must look at these chapters as teasers, gateways for future education about complex subjects. Williams acknowledges this repeatedly and cites extensive sources for future reading. Williams, for example, gives a fairly charitable interpretation of Robert Moses and his impact on New York while citing Robert Caro's far-less-enthusiastic reviews in his massive book on the subject. So, this book is probably better for those looking for a broad overview of the 20th century than for deep dives into the particular lives and accomplishments Williams focuses on. For the right reader, Williams' perspective is perfect, but for others you'll want to skip Williams' book for more focuses narratives. (This is not a criticism, just a recognition of the type of book Williams wrote.)

Ultimately, Williams' book is an interesting survey of the 20th century and most readers are sure to find some characters and events in these pages that they didn't appreciate or understand before. While Williams is no great stylist, he is thorough, brisk, and consistent - this is not a book that wears out its welcome or drops its thesis two-thirds of the way in. All in all, an enjoyable look at America's transformation in the 20th century. Recommended.

[Lane Willson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Juan Williams We the People

Surely, America is in the midst of her adolescence, if not by the calendar, then certainly by her attitude. The precocious child turned prodigy, we tend to forget in our youth of 240 years that there are many many societies who measure their achievements in millennia rather than centuries. Juan Williams book We the People looks at America from a wider perspective and asks who would be considered the “founding fathers” of our modern America. Who are the men and women that have sprung from the creation of the original founders to reshape the American Dream?

Williams looks at the greatest changes that have occurred in the 20th century, and those responsible for bringing them to fruition. Thurgood Marshall, Earl Warren, and Martin Luther King, Jr. helped rewrite the constitution and bring it closer to the ideal that all men are created equal. Milton Friedman provided and economic perspective that recognized the conjoined twins of economic and political freedoms. Henry Kissinger and Richard Nixon used the leverage of diplomacy to open relations with China and reduce tensions with the Soviet Union.

However, there were times when Williams seemed to miss the mark in selecting the tools responsible for crafting our modern nation. On other occasions, the craftsmen men he chose to credit with the work were a bit far fetched. General William Westmoreland is said to have been a significant influence on the restructuring of the United States military in the post-Vietnam era. Retiring from active service in 1972, three years before the end of the Vietnam War, there were others with much more influence. Billy Graham and the Christian right is another combination that seems a mixture of sugar and garlic. Sure, their both spices, at times even used in the same dish, but they hardly go together. Reverend Graham was welcomed in the Oval Office by every President in office before he retired from active ministry, and has always been associated with theology far more than ideology. Falwell and “moral majority”, were expressly dogmatic in their politics which often seemed to hold a greater importance to them than the faith they claimed to be their foundation.

Curious too were the areas that Williams appeared to ignore altogether. The Watson family who made first brought the power of computing into our lives and the founders of Intel who gave exponentially small yet more powerful computers are not included. The media revolution that has killed newspapers across the country, and made formats obsolete in the blink of an eye are also missing. You may not like Matt Drudge, the blogosphere, and do it yourself journalists, but there is no denying their influence.

I only know Juan Williams from his work on NPR and Fox News. It must be tough walking into a room knowing that almost everyone present is going to dislike 50% of what you do. Williams doesn’t seem to be attempting to be all things to all people, but it does look like he struggles to firmly plant his ideas.

Despite these shortcomings, the intrigue of the Mr. Williams concept, as well as his clean, straightforward, and honest style, make We the People an interesting read.

[Wendy Kendall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This comprehensive American history tells how Americans, known and unknown contributed to this nation’s story. The author poses interesting questions. What would the Founding Fathers think about America today? Where we are today, how did we get here? We’re taught who the original Founding Fathers are; who are the modern day figures who have reshaped and affirmed the vision of America?

It’s an ambitious collection of essays that recount the history of events, and the people who drove them, told without bias and without judgment of right and wrong. The chapters cover such interesting topics as the Kennedy’s and the American Melting Pot, Eleanor Roosevelt and Human Rights, George Meany and Labor Unions and the Rise of the Middle Class, the Rise of the Christian Right, Rachel Carson and the Environmental Movement, the Social Safety Net, the Right to Bear Arms, and other controversial topics. It’s so interesting to learn how these debatable topics began, and how they’ve evolved.

The book is written as a conversational discussion. At the start of each chapter he compares and contrasts what the original Founding Fathers would think or imagine if they were magically transported to the modern day America and confronted with each of the issues presented. Then he presents the history of the issue, introducing the influential people as it evolves. He doesn’t steer away from the political impacts; instead he illuminates all sides of political influences and also discusses Supreme Court decisions. Finally he gives us an in depth and insightful analyses of the influential people themselves. He describes in detail their life and what drove their passion, decisions, and influence. His extraordinary research and thoughtful writing reveals information not well known about these historical figures.

Juan Williams worked for two decades at the Washington Post as a White House correspondent and a prize-winning columnist. He has won an Emmy for his TV documentary writing. For ten years he was a daily talk show host and senior political correspondent for NPR. This is his fourth bestselling book. He’s currently a top political analyst on the Fox News Channel.

I had the privilege to meet Juan Williams at his Town Hall appearance in Seattle. He’s such a personable celebrity. He’s a very patient and thoughtful debater, and presents information and arguments that will challenge you. He has a rich curiosity and intellect. Especially in this historic election year, this book is a great way to put into context the passionate people, their actions, and the extraordinary circumstances that have evolved into present day America. The issues and questions we’re now debating, how did we get here? This book will let you know.

[Doug Cornelius · Rating 3 out of 5]

In We The People, Juan Williams tackles the history of the 20th century through the lens of some keys figures and tries to pin those societal changes back to the original thoughts of the founding fathers.

At first glance, it looks like Mr. Williams might use the 'great man theory' of history. The people he picks are people who make important contributions to the United States in 20th-century America. But he does not deify them. Nor does he deify the Founding Fathers.

He uses each as a lens to elucidate some aspect of American life and how it has changed from the time of the Founding Fathers. In many respects, the US of 1900 was more like the US of the Founding Fathers than the US of 2000. In 1900, broad swaths of citizens could not vote because of the color of their skin or their gender because of the Founding Fathers' stance on these issues. There was blatant discrimination on the basis of race, country of origin, gender, and religion. Those issues have not gone away, but are less blatant than in the past. Transportation and long distance communication were rudimentary at best. Now we can be halfway around the world in less than a day and immediately talk with anyone near a phone or internet connection.

We The People  uses key figures to show the changes in particular areas of US society. In some cases, Mr. Wiliams does so brilliantly and in others, less so. Some of the up and downs of the book depend on the people selected and topic that involves them in each chapter. Given the vast number of topics Mr. Williams tries to cover, each chapter is a mere vignette. Many times it leaves you wanting more.

Juan Williams is a thoughtful journalist. There are not many who can work NPR and for Fox News.  When the publisher offered me a copy in exchange for a review, I took the offer.

[Tegan Kehoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concept of this book is compelling, and for the most part, it's well-executed, but I felt that Williams tried to do too much in each chapter. The book does provide an interesting glance at a number of different social issues and historical moments in the 20th century, and I think it's possible that for a different type of reader, or even me in a different mood, it would work well. In my experience, though, the main themes in each chapter -- the brief biography of a person, the overview of their cultural and political influences, the overview of the context in which they acted, and the changes to the American political system they were involved in -- fought each other for attention, and all were weaker for it.

Maybe it's that the book is too heavily influenced by a somewhat softened version of the old Great Man theory of history, in which the men and women in this book are key players just by their essence and their leadership. The book lists people and events they instigated, but doesn't explore the way in which these same events would or would not have come about without the key players. It also doesn't go into enough depth about the experiences which shaped the "modern founders" into the people who moved those events forward. Without either of these things, the reader has to take it on faith that these people had to be the ones who accomplished these changes in society, for better or worse. At the same time, the book provides more context than is truly necessary if you believe that all history needs to move along is heroes. I believe that a book with the same general premise could have been written without leaning on this historical theory, and would have been stronger and more interesting. Each chapter might have had to be longer, and perhaps that would mean fewer founders, but a richer story.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reads less like a continuous work and more like several compiled essays, which has it's pros and cons. I liked being able to read about various topics on a wide breadth of issues in whatever order I wanted, but it also created a fairly abrupt experience. Many of the endings of each chapter were very clichéd and almost like a forced "summary" or "wrap-up" where Juan Williams would insert a few statements about how that particular historical figure represented the topic in that particular chapter. To me, that trivialized the movement each chapter centered around to a single person or a small group of people and reinforced the author's personal bias.

Throughout most of the book, I found it to be refreshingly bipartisan and every single topic present in this book is important to know as well as relevant in the current political climate. Almost inevitably, there is some author bias present, as I mentioned before, that seems to be stronger in certain topics (the right to bear arms for one) than others. I was hoping for a bit more comprehensive stance on these issues and while it was present for many chapters, some disappointed. Looking at the chapter about gun ownership, the author lauds Charlton Heston and while I can concede that Heston was a huge pioneer in this particular movement, the author says that "snide treatment of Heston, however, can be seen as a back-handed testament to his success" which seems to discount any valid arguments made by the opposition.

Overall, this book was very enlightening and I would definitely recommend it to anybody hoping for a better grasp of today's political landscape.

Note: I received this book through the Goodreads Giveaway Program

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off, big thanks to Goodreads that I won this book.

Disclosure out of the way, this book wasn't quite what I expected. I thought there would be more of an emphasis on the views of the original Founding Fathers. That's probably more my own fault since it's the title: 'the modern-day figures'. Williams does try to present what the original Fathers would have thought, though it varies from chapter to chapter on how much he expounds on that.

On the whole, I think Juan Williams made some good picks for who has been the strongest influences in creating current America. I like that he really branched out beyond politicians. I was picturing a kind of Mount Rushmore, the modern equivalents of Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Franklin. But it was much more than just choosing FDR, Reagan, Nixon, or Obama. He found the base influences throughout society that led to politicians doing greater, changing works.

It's not always as readable as I might wish it to be, but then, it's not fiction. It's an argument, a thought out piece explaining why these people were influential. And despite touching on dryness now and then, I think he did a very good job. Though, one last odd note: there was no conclusion chapter to wrap things up. It just stops after the last chapter. My copy is an uncorrected proof though, so maybe one got added to the final edition.

[Just Commonly · Rating 2 out of 5]

We the People, by Juan Williams is in all a great concept to pull together those in the modern era and their influences to modern-day America, and what their impact was in comparison and in relation to our founding father's vision. With extensive research on each individual, this book provide us with a glimpse of a biographical accounts of these individuals through the author's analytical eye. However, in a span of 400 pages, We the People condensed the thoughts and visions of these figures into a mere chapter each, giving readers a quick look only, not fulfilling the expectations of what the premise set forth. In addition, this book reads like a textbook that is informative, yet dry, providing no spark for interest to develop. With that said, this may be a good starting point used for discussion in groups or in an educational setting.

This review first appeared on Just Commonly Blog.

NOTE: I received a complimentary ARC of this book through Library Thing for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. For my review policy, please see my Disclosure page.

[Diane Fogel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book very educational, something I will share with my grandchildren. We spend so much time learning about our founding fathers, but not enough about more recent modern day figures and how they influenced the America we live in today. Even my college history focused on the history that created this country and not how it changed over the years.
Juan Williams gave me an interest and desire to want to do more research on things that happened during my life time. Yes, each chapter is dedicated to a person and a summary of what they contributed to the changes during their time. But to cover everything summarized in each chapter would require a book on that person alone. Juan did a great job giving us the basics and feeding our curiosity for more if we so chose to explore more. I found reading a chapter at a time and reflecting on its contents was more productive than trying to read the whole book in one sitting and trying to absorb everything covered.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

We The People by Juan Williams is an excellent read. Although I am politically conservative leaning, I have a lot of respect for Juan Williams. I find him to be a good and decent liberal voice. From the years of watching Fox News, I recall him as someone who always seemed respectful even in disagreement.

What makes this book different from other political books is that Mr. Williams does not profile just palatable leaders of the modern day. Read a book today from a conservative and you will get a book that gives positive remarks and space to fellow conservatives. The same with a liberal or progressive book’s treatment of fellow liberals. If such volumes cover someone from the other side of the aisle it is nothing more than a blistering attack ad of about 150-300 pages. Not so with Juan Williams.

If you wish to read the full review: http://beacon2light.blogspot.com/2016...

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I received an ARC of this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.

When this book came up, I was thrilled as I love history. I was aware of Juan Williams reputation as a journalist and author, so figured I couldn't go wrong with this one. Sadly, I was mistaken. While there is a LOT of interesting information, it's presented so dryly in places, it was like reading a textbook. Some of the chapters are so slow and so boring you wonder why Mr. Williams bothered to write it (Kennedy's and immigration, for example). Others, like the sections on Eleanor Roosevelt and Dr. King were much livelier and interesting.

I had to struggle to finish this book, and was greatly relieved when it was done. If you're familiar with Mr. Williams' writing style or you love modern history, you will probably do fine with this book, but I was sad to have so much trouble reading it.

[Chris Yorgason · Rating 3 out of 5]

We the People, by Juan Williams, is a look at how Americans have helped shape the Constitution over the years. As I read the preface, I felt that the book was purporting to show how modern Americans have become new “Founders” and that they were all doing something the original Founders would have approved. The book looks at conservative and liberal thinkers (both politicians and non-) who have made America what it is today. While I was reading the book, I couldn’t help but think that many of the changes to our present day Constitutional theory would be frowned upon by those who crafted the document. However, the book does provide a good history lesson for those who wonder how our country has changed in the last 200+ years.

[Jake · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this from a goodreads giveaway and I expected to not like it very much. One reason for this was the cheesy cover and another was the fact that the author is a Fox News political commentator (although in his defense, he is usually not in agreement with Fox's proscribed views). The books idea is to look back on the USA in the last hundred years and decide who the new founding fathers are, based on todays hot issues, and to describe them and the idea associated with them in topical chapters. Some of the people described are well known (MLK) and some I had never heard of (Harry Hay). Williams does a good job of story telling. He describes the background along with pros and cons of the issues showing that it is difficult to fit reality onto a meme. 4 stars for being fair and balanced.

[Andrew Mclaughlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice little book which profiles a more than a few individuals who have impacted where the US is today.

Overall pretty interesting, however Mr. Williams makes a few assumptions about the reader that kind of confused me. For instance he references a couple of books, like "The Feminine Mystique" and seems to assume the reader has read it....nope not me. That assumption causes a couple of sections to fall flat.

I also found he would name multiple individuals at the beginning of a chapter and not spend equal amounts of time on them.

One good thing about this book is that each chapter stands on its own so you can read a chapter here and there without any trouble....good bathroom reading I guess.

[Gerri · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a difficult book for me to rate. I am a total news and political junkie and lover of history so I was looking forward to this novel. Full disclosure….I am not a Juan Williams fan nor do I agree with his many over the top liberal ideas; however, he is a very smart guy who has written some very good articles and books in the past and I’m open to others ways of thinking. However, this book was so dry in places that I felt I was back in school reading my text book. More than a few times it seemed Mr. Williams was struggling with his inability to get across or defend a few of his views. On a positive note I do think this book contains a lot of interesting history and information. After struggling with many chapters, I had to give up and put the book aside.

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Williams does a good job describing the political and social settings, but the individuals come off as one-dimensional. Missing endnotes or footnotes reduces academic credibility. Fe does provide an extensive bibliography to support the case that the individuals listed profoundly affected American history. The argument would be much stronger if he had summarized each chapter with a topic comparison between founding father ideologies, figure in their lifetime context, and will their contributions apply one hundred years from now. As is, the book provides details and perspectives worth reading and pondering. It could be fun to debate each argument put forth with friends and family.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a fan of Juan Williams so I am not surprised that I enjoyed this book. Williams writes articulately about how America's social ideals have changed under the influence of people like Eleanor Roosevelt, Billy Graham, Martin Luther King Jr. and others in 19 chapters of this book. It's not light reading, rather scholarly at times. He does well when he sticks to history. For me, he goes a bit off course in allowing some his liberal orthodoxy sneaking into this book, as when he discusses his perspectives about Ferguson incident and the police handling of the situation. Overall, this is a book worth reading. I recommend it.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received We the People as part of Goodreads Giveaway. Williams thoroughly researched his subject. Each chapter taught me something new about a topic I was familiar with. To ponder how the founding fathers would react in modern days is interesting. So much has changed in America in 200 years. They did not have computers, automobiles, telephones, and much less land and people than we do now. The problems that they encountered were so different than the ones subsequent generations encountered. Wiliams highlighted individuals and groups that shaped the US. If you missed the lesson in American History this book will provide you with a condensed version.

[Jammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was interesting. I thought it might be a bit dry, but it managed to present things without seeming like a lecture.

Each chapter focuses on a different aspect, and compares life of our founding fathers with our life today. It explains how our lives transformed, due to events or a person or a group of people.

The book held my interest, and I didn't feel like it had any parts that dragged. There were some names in this book I recognized, but even when I recognized the name, I still learned something new.

[Jackie Rogers · Rating 2 out of 5]

We the People is a modern day history book. Is written on the folks that have affected our constitution such as Billy Graham, Kennedys, Nixon, Kissinger, Martin Luther King, and many more. Is a detailed book and worth reading, but the details slowed me way down. The writing is good by Juan Williams and worth the time if you have the time to spend. The impact of some of these people is astounding. Thanks to Goodreads.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this this book and it will be making it's way straight into my library. Jaun Williams did d great job, because I was not able to put "We The People" down and enjoyed it from cover to cover! I won this great book on GoodReads and like I do with most my wins I will be paying it forward by giving my win to a friend to enjoy also before putting it back into my library. Thanks Mr. Williams

[David Lucander · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really neat book - Williams selects who the modern "Founding Fathers" who shaped the 20th century. Each chapter is a mini-bio of the individual along with a summary of their accomplishments and an analysis of their legacy. My favorite chapter was on Rachel Carson, I didn't fully appreciate the opposition she faced until reading this book. Another great chapter was about Bill Bratton and the rise of data driven policing.