The Year of Living Constitutionally

One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Constitution's Original Meaning

By: A.J. Jacobs

Narrated 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?

“I don't know how I learned so much while laughing so hard.”—Andy Borowitz

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.

©2024 A.J. Jacobs (P)2024 Random House Audio

Makes you think about originalism vs reality

I liked how the story makes you think about judicial originalism vs. the reality of todays laws and legal system

Endearing and hopeful

It was refreshing to hear someone look at law and constitution factually to try to have a better understanding of what is and isn't a foundation of our country.
I found the author and narrator to be warm and gentle and very easily digestible .

Informative and entertaining

What I don’t know about the U.S. Constitution could fill volumes. Happily, my reading of A.J. Jacobs entertaining and well-researched book has made my personal Ignorance-o-pedia slightly less voluminous. Content and performance exactly at the right level for the sincerely curious and engaged layperson. Huzzah!

Entertaining & informative

I liked the whole thing. Will listen again & have recommended widely to many friends and family.

Authenticity

I groaned when Charles said this was his book pick for June. GAWD it sounded <b>SO </b>boring. I put it off as long as I could. But then <B> HAZA</B>! (A.J. likes to say, "Haza".). It was written and narrated with wit and humor. I am looking at it as a primer about our Constitution. I've learned quite a bit quite painlessly. So NOT your high school history teacher in the 70's. I have also learned at least two new fascinating words and the origin of a couple of phrases.
Penumbra- I heard this before and during the eclipse. Now I know it has other uses.
Brummagem - he uses it in the "of little or no value" context.
Another is promiscuous. I've heard it of course but not used this way. Ben Franklin liked to use lots of capital letters in his writing but someone else said he was "promiscuous in their use".
Flaxen hair - when you process or comb flax, it is a lovely, shiny color. Maybe like corn silk.
Flash in the pan refers to when you are using a musket and the powder doesn't fire correctly in the pan which is a part of the gun.
A.J. is very invested in this year of his life. He is taking it seriously. He has purchased a couple of tricorn hats and worn them in public, wool stockings and stocking buckles (no elastic back in 1775), tried to pay his bill with actual gold (He was turned down by the restauranteur.). He has been using a quill pen and ink to write, created a petition and gathered signatures, applied to the government to be a privateer, (this was an interesting tidbit for me to learn) taken part in several reenactments, danced in hoedowns, and other painstaking research. He has recruited his wife and sons to assist and live somewhat constitutionally (Julie, his wife refuses to let the AC be turned off.)his friends and strangers. He is trying to bring back the election celebration cake custom.
I am impressed with this guy. I definitely recommend this book to all and sundry, Americans of all sorts!
PS - He has purchased much of his stuff, beeswax candles, tricorn hat, stockings and other parts of his costume from Etsy, because in 1775, Americans bought their stuff from the maker, not China.
I would actually give this book 4.5 stars if it were possible. A 5 star book is one that I can’t put down and I am anxious to keep reading.
I admire the way AJ involves his family. He steadfastly attempts to live as in 1795 by buying and trying not only tricorns but muskets and a stock (pillory) and hung out in the stock for a few minutes. No one threw tomatoes or FECES at him though!

Enjoyed this, but…

This book taught me quite a bit about Constitutional History, and also made me laugh at the same time, which is why I would recommend this book. The only thing I found off-putting was the obvious liberal bias of the author and how he threw in not so subtle put downs of those who are not as liberal as he. Still enjoyable and educational, too.

Educational

Most fun way to learn about amendments and rights. Enjoyed the dedication to the year of living in an originalist fashion.

Delightful!

I saw the author on Comedy Central and thought, why the heck not?! I am so glad that I did. The book was so interesting and laugh out loud funny at times. I learned alot, so thank you! The author's own narration was just perfect.

A Fun Way To Learn More About The Constitution

I saw A.J. Jacobs on Comedy Central and decided this book sounded so unique and funny I had to get it. I am very glad I decided to let the author read it to me. I laughed a lot and learned a lot about The Constitution. The story and the narration are both very entertaining.

Exploration of the constitution

Enjoyed all of the esoteric knowledge in this book especially the stories about the Supreme Court and its progression. My favorite being the fact that the Supreme Court lived together for a time and banned alcohol except for when it was raining, but with a qualification that given the extremely large jurisdiction they ruled over there would always be someplace that it was raining… The United States is full of contradictions and this book does a great job grounding us in the past and where we come from, but also exploring new ways that we can take the ideas and make them fit the world we see today. Regardless of what side you fall on this book is worth reading.