A.J. Jacob’s books are always worth my time. In this one he reports on his year attempting to live “constitutionally”, which he seems to define as learning about the US Constitution, living as closely as he can to the way the creators of the Constitution lived, and exploring different sides of differences of opinion on how the Constitution should be interpreted today.
I learned several things and I laughed several times. Love a book that can give me that.

I was reading this when I saw the author being interviewed on TV, and I was struck by his enthusiasm and humor. Even as a lawyer, I was surprised at his unique perspective and I learned a lot. I've studied the Constitution but Jacobs looks at it from the inside and asks what it would really be like to be an originalist when it comes to the Constitution. A lot of the ideas are outdated because everything has changed: people, technology, etc.
Americans should read this, especially in these traumatic times. The Constitution is a short document, and many Americans admit they've never read it. It's time to start making informed decisions.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

Another great, fun, funny & thought-provoking book by A.J. Jacobs. I continue to be a fan. The timing of this book is perfect, given the political climate and the sense that everything in the history of our country is both too easily forgotten and/or dismissed/disregarded. Jacobs is the man for the job for bringing the core of this foundational document back to our attention, or perhaps showing us its depth and nuance for the first time. I so appreciate his willingness to go all-in on his projects, his sense of humor, and the intelligence of both he and his family (his wife & sons are such great characters in his books) as he tackles his latest subject. Give this book a try - you’ll enjoy it!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book.

I requested this ARC for my husband, who has read and enjoyed all of AJ Jacobs' books. We maybe should have realized that this one - so focused on the American constitution - might not be as relatable as his other books (since we are not American.) Ultimately the balance of information about the constitution too far outweighed the humour that one comes to expect from AJ Jacobs, making this book less engaging than his previous ones.

What a great read! I've had "The Year of Living Biblically" on my TBR list for years now but just never got around to reading it. Halfway through this book, I went and put that one on hold at the library and am now about to start it. Jacobs writes with nuance and detail. He weaves storylines together throughout the book so that it never gets boring or repetitive, but it also doesn't feel like just a series of loosely connected essays. Writing about the Constitution and politics is never easy, but Jacobs excelled at the task.

I like A.J. Jacobs, so this review may be a little bias, however, his determination to live life by the book, which is something he is known to do if you read his book "The Year of Living Biblically", is really awe-inspiring and insightful. He makes his life, and by extension his family's life, an interesting anthropological experiment for the modern world; can we continue to live on the foundations that this country, or society, was built upon? If we adjust and modify to match our current environment, are we still honoring the fundamentals that made us into the community we are today? These are the intrinsic questions I asked myself as I read this book, and A.J. Jacobs' other books. He is really a fascinating author because not many people set out to LIVE what they study when they begin their research, so A.J. Jacobs continually to take up this mantle of fascination draws me back to him again and again.

I would recommend this for anyone interested in history, anthropology, or just seeing how far a man will go to live by the book. Also, fans of the Good Place may find this latest addition to this growing body of work to be humorous, in their own way.

Jacobs provides an amusing and fun look at a hot topic issue. They are consistent in their writing and always provide fun immersive journalism.
I did not finish the e-Bally, as I moved to a physical copy.

This is my first time reading a book from AJ Jacobs and I feel like I have missed so many fun times because I was late to his work. I loved reading this book and how he lived his life during this experience. It was great and I love his writing style, I really felt like I got to learn about his personality and his experience.

The works of A. J. Jacobs are always focused on immersive lifestyle experiments. Each time, a theme is picked and pursued for a year with Jacobs' journaling what he's learned or how things have progressed. He read the entirety of the Encyclopedia Britannica, followed the bible as literally as possible, tried to live as healthily as possible, or tried to get through a day without using any plastics. Here he sets his goal on following the constitution as close to the original intention of its creators as possible. To do so he adapts his lifestyle to follow that of someone living in the 18th century and works through the constitution article by article, seeking to make the most of his rights or opportunities. Along the way he tries to bring back the tradition of having cake on election days, attends a supreme court hearing, attempts to be awarded a letter of marque and presents a petition to Congress.

Though there are some caveats. Jacobs still makes use of technology, in fact much of what he purchases to emulate historical living is from internet shopping, outside of some reenactor gear. While the chronicle is focused on the constitution, Jacobs is embracing it as it exists in the present day, which includes all the ways it has been amended. This is not a project to glorify the past, the writers of the constitution were human with all the foibles, personal believes and contradicting ideals of freedom (for wealthy white people) and acceptance or benefits of slavery.

Jacobs also does not do this alone. There is his long suffering and patient wife and now three children, two of them who usually want nothing to do with the project, but one who is open to it, especially the cooking. Jacobs also enlisted the help of politicians, academics and other associates to help him understand the creation of the Constitution and the many ways its content has been interpreted throughout the US's history.

Like A. J. Jacobs other books, The Year of Living Constitutionally is both highly entertaining and informative. Recommended for US residents looking to be a little more involved in political life, readers of American History or those looking to learn as they're entertained.

I've been a long-time fan of A.J. Jacobs and find myself often thinking about a previous endeavor of his, The Year of Living Biblically, so when I saw this coming out, I was ecstatic. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy.

Living Constitutionally does a great job of expanding on the things we (the general population) believe about the U.S. Constitution versus what the document actually says, could have meant, and how it's interpreted today. The scholars and experts that Jacobs consults throughout the book are varied and brilliant, and he does a great job of showing the reader how complex the Constitution really is. I think this would be a fantastic book for anyone even remotely interested in understanding the Constituion and how it can be related to today.

I really enjoyed The Year of Living Constitutionally by A.J. Jacobs. It was educational and enjoyable, those are key items for me. I learned quite a few things I hadn't known about the Constitution or some historical background on various Amendments to the Constitution. It left with some questions and a desire to do some research and understand a bit more or better. It's a nice balance of levity and serious research. I imagine it will cause many more people to pick up the book than if it were simply a historical tome on the topic, even a short one. Maybe schools will use it as a way to engage students more. .

#TheYearofLivingConstitutionally #NetGalley

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 (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.

Would I have chosen a book about The Constitution if not for A.J. Jacobs? Chances are pretty slim.
The thing about A.J. Jacobs is- even if I’m not a bit interested in his subject matter, his unbridled enthusiasm draws me in. I find him so charming. You can feel his curiosity burst through in his writing, and he makes everything fun. Surely his wife must be rolling her eyes during the course of his year long experientials, but they bring me joy.
That’s really all you need to know! I learned a lot, and I enjoyed the ride.
Thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for allowing me a digital ARC in response to my request.

I've read other books by Jacobs and appreciate just how much he immerses himself into his topic. I was especially drawn to this one, because I have a deep interest in Colonial American history. I thought I knew a lot. Jacobs showed me just how little I knew. He has conducted a mind blowing amount of research and interviews with experts in history, political science, and constitutional law. The book connects the Founding Fathers with our lives today and shows us just how much we seem to expect out of a document that's over 200 years old. He spends a lot of time outlining the differences between the originalist and the living constitution viewpoints in light of modern issues, and that's appreciated. Jacobs offers fantastic insights while putting himself out there by carrying a musket through NYC and taking parchment, a quill, and ink everywhere he goes. The writing balances knowledge and humor; the subject is serious but there is plenty of levity.

I wanted to love this…but I had a hard time getting into it. I think it’s more subject based. Even with the humor throughout the book, I had a really hard time just finding joy in this book. Not my cup of tea, but it wasn’t terrible!

This was a great read. I've often wondered what life would be like if we adhered to some of the documents some so desperately cling to in modern times. Light-hearted and engaging.

I love Jacobs' silly quests that he takes with the seriousness of a PhD. As an AP Government teacher, I found this book particularly enjoyable. Great fun read.

Always a delight to spend time reading a journey of Jacobs. The delight he gets from creating these journeys always leaves me wanting more.

This is second to last favorite Jacobs book, but it was still a good read. My issue was the subject and not the writing.

I have read most of Jacobs's books and really appreciate his use of self-deprecating humor to help make certain subjects more accessible for the average reader. It is by no means a comprehensive book about the U.S. Constitution, but he hits upon a number of important issues and helps spell out some of the misunderstandings being (deliberately?) propagated in today's fraught political scene.