In the distinctively irreverent manner that has endeared him to readers, A.J. Jacobs takes a deep, entertaining dive into the U.S. Constitution, the nation's "most influential and perplexing" foundational document, to glean wisdom on "how we should live today." In The Year of Living Constitutionally: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Constitution's Original Meaning--his eighth book--Jacobs shares hilarious examples of exercising his right to free speech and petitioning Congress for a new amendment, and thoughtful analysis of how the current Supreme Court's originalist interpretations of constitutional text effectively prevent it from addressing modern-day concerns such as mass shootings and abortion rights.
Jacobs (Drop Dead Healthy; The Year of Living Biblically) eagerly immerses himself in the mindset of the Founding Fathers, dressing in 18th-century garb he ordered online, writing with a goose quill by candlelight, and consuming the same libations favored by those long-ago forebears. He has no qualms about wandering his hometown of New York City armed with a musket.
Jacobs acknowledges that the Constitution is a product of "an insular, racist, sexist, homophobic... time" and, in a brilliantly worded letter addressed to Representative Marjorie Taylor Green, he demonstrates how adhering to strictly originalist interpretations can sometimes lead to absurd outcomes.
Readers will appreciate Jacobs's animated overview of constitutional history, in part a celebration of the cherished freedoms enshrined in the 237-year-old text, and his wise observation that Americans would benefit from balancing their emphasis on individual rights with equal attention to the common good. --Shahina Piyarali