America's Constitution: A Biography

Random House, 2006. Paperback. Very Good. A copy that has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. In America's Constitution, one of this era's most accomplished constitution al law scholars, Akhil Reed Amar, gives the first comprehensive account of one of the world's great political texts. Incisive, entertaining, and occas ionally controversial, this "biography" of America's framing document expla ins not only what the Constitution says but also why the Constitution says it. We all know this much: the Constitution is neither immutable nor perfect. A mar shows us how the story of this one relatively compact document reflects the story of America more generally. (For example, much of the Constitutio n, including the glorious-sounding "We the People," was lifted from existin g American legal texts, including early state constitutions.) In short, the Constitution was as much a product of its environment as it was a product of its individual creators' inspired genius. Despite the Constitution's flaws, its role in guiding our republic has been nothing short of amazing. Skillfully placing the document in the context o f late-eighteenth-century American politics, America's Constitution explain s, for instance, whether there is anything in the Constitution that is unam endable; the reason America adopted an electoral college; why a president m ust be at least thirty-five years old; and why-for now, at least-only those citizens who were born under the American flag can become president. From his unique perspective, Amar also gives us unconventional wisdom about the Constitution and its sig.