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Me The People: One Man's Selfless Quest To Rewrite The Constitution Of The United States Of America (2012)

by Kevin Bleyer(Favorite Author)

3.52 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

1400069351 (ISBN13: 9781400069354)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Random House

review 1: First, the good: The idea behind this book, that the Constitution needs revisiting is one with merit. As Bleyer points out, many of the Founders (notably Jefferson) thought it should be done with regularity (and throughout US history, people such as Lysander Spooner have pointed out the wisdom of that idea). Bleyer also includes lots of great anecdotes - many about the Founders that aren't usually known outside history-geek circles as well as some about living people that are highly entertaining. I personally loved his lunch with Justice Scalia - wish I could do the same! Also, in the beginning of the book, Bleyer is remarkably even handed politically - something quite rare these days!However, as the book goes on, Bleyer's politics become increasingly apparent - by th... moree amendments, there is no longer any attempt at even-handedness. Throughout the book, what is constant is an "I'm better and smarter than you" attitude that is exactly why I can't stand many contemporary comedians and pundits. By the end of the first chapter, I as a reader felt alienated by the author's attitude - and though the ego was presented as a source of humor, it wasn't amusing and by the end of the book, felt increasingly less satiric.
review 2: This book is a bit of a mess. There are several parts that are insightful, entertaining, and sometimes brilliantly written. These are unfortunately, overwhelmed by numerous passages that ooze a bit too much snark, juvenile humor, or sometimes pointless additions. It's okay for the first hundred pages or so, but it gets monotonous after a while. I would have liked to have seen the author focus more on the history of the Constitution and the various debates that have arisen about it and the various amendments instead of droning on about pointless attempts at humor when they weren't really necessary. There's enough humor in the debates to simply point it out, we don't need facile commentary that doesn't really contribute to the book's (admittedly veiled) focus.Recommended with reservations. less

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