We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution
May be [Lepore's] best yet, a capacious work that lands at the right moment, like a life buoy, as our ship of state takes on water. She’s not here to rearrange deck chairs on the Titanic; she’s here to convey — in vigorous, crystal-clear sentences — what we’re losing, and why ... Astute ... Lepore senses peril but also a whiff of democratic revival. Asymmetries lie at the foundation of our government; as this gifted scholar reminds us, it’s our duty to tend to them.
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Each of her book’s 13 chapters offers a vivid portrait of mostly unfamiliar voices of constitutional demurral from this archive and beyond ... Persuasively contends that we still can learn from the long trail of would-be amenders and constitutionalists. She rightly deepens the bench of con law heroes to include less successful struggles that are nevertheless illuminating ... [A] rewarding book.
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Convincing ... Most illuminating when it unearths long-ignored but prescient provisions that sprang from groups excluded from the body politic ... While Lepore has a tendency to meander into topics that, depending on a reader’s taste, can serve as either illuminating avenues of exploration or distracting tangents, she remains on firm ground when calling for a transformation of the Constitution into a dynamic force for change ... Understates the Constitution’s successful track record, especially compared with its peers across the globe ... Compelling.
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