How to Read the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence: A Simple Guide to Understanding the Constitution of the United States

by Paul B. Skousen, W. Cleon Skousen (Editor)

Have you ever wanted to read the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence and really understand what they’re saying? Learn how they impact your life; your rights and freedoms? How the branches of government were formed, and why? You’re not alone. Millions of Americans want a deeper understanding of their country’s founding principles and don’t know where to start. When the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were written by our founders over two centuries ago, they were designed to endure. And indeed they’ve remained, as Paul Skousen writes, “the most amazing freedom formula ever invented”—but navigating eighteenth-century legal language can be challenging. Recognizing this problem, Skousen provides an easy, step-by-step guide that will forever change the way you think about your country and your freedoms. Using visual tools, exercises, and several valuable memory aids, this book will help • Master the Constitution’s seven articles and the twenty-seven important rights named in the Bill of Rights. • Navigate the Declaration’s five power statements on freedom and unlock their eighteenth-century phrases with a convenient glossary. • Discover how the Constitution’s guiding principles protect human rights. • And so much more. Thousands of books describe the origins of these famous documents, but only How to Read the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence gives you a path to truly understanding them.

Genres: History, Politics, American History, Nonfiction, Philosophy, American

211 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 17, 2016

About the author

Paul B. Skousen is an author and instructor on the United States Constitution. He received his undergraduate from BYU in Journalism and his Master's degree in National Security Studies from Georgetown University.

After graduate school Paul worked for President Ronald Reagan in the White House Situation Room. In addition, Paul was an intelligence officer for the CIA. He received national notoriety when he preserved a large bag of shredded top secret documents, the so-called "smoking gun" from the Iran-Contra Affair, that he sold piecemeal as "shredded secrets from the White House." Paul Harvey and other media outlets covered the unusual story.

Paul has extensive experience interviewing political and military leaders in Egypt, Israel and Jordan, including the former prime minister of Jordan, the political advisor to Egypt's President Mubarak, and senior generals in the Israeli military.

Paul is the author of five books including The Naked Socialist and Treasures from the Journal of Discourses. He has revised and edited several of his father's books including Fantastic Victory, The Cleansing of America, The Five Thousand Year Leap Glenn Beck Edition, and The Majesty of God's Law. He is currently writing the Biography of W. Cleon Skousen, among other projects, and is a frequent speaker and motivational instructor.

Additionally, Paul was a ghost writer for Glenn Beck, a columnist for The Daily Caller, and currently teaches communications and journalism at Utah Valley University.

Reviews

[Cathryn Conroy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short and informative book will refresh your memory about our nation's two most important documents with facts you probably learned in high school civics class and promptly forgot. No matter your political persuasion, if you are an American, you should read this book. It only takes a few hours, and author Paul B. Skousen explains things so well, including memory tricks, that you will likely remember it this time!

[Bonnie Dale Keck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not kindle unlimited, but I got it as audio version and don't see anywhere to review that version on goodreads, think amazon can click on audio but it takes you to the same review page.

This book is about the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence {which contrary to some reviews, does include the amendments}. Overall the book was good, BUT -- as in the last book, the writer is obvioulsy slanting everything to a republican veiwpoint, which of course is more noticeable if you are not that, and in several places would be still be at least a bit confusing to those who are not more than a bit familiar with overall law and/or background of all this, as in new citizens and so forth. Yes, it covered memory aids, the Constitution, Articles, Bill of Rights, and it does go in to each of those in some way, as well as supposed myths plus protecting human rights. In my case, the 'trick' statements and so on were more of an interruption in the train of the book and in my own thoughts. I have a background in law {paralegalism and some other things} so that may be more me than would be noticed by the average reader. As far as 'living' document, yes it must be, that is not a myth and neither is the fact that several things that were never thought about at all at one time have become issues over time so no it is not a myth and it is needed. It used to be okay to have slaves, to discrimate against those of different races, sexes, sexual leaning, etcetera. Human Rights have been 'given', others fought for, and others still being fought for.

[Erin Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy to read, instructive primer on understanding the Constitution of the United States.

[Lynn Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is less than 200 pages so it won't take you long to read. It includes the complete text of both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. Along with it is an explanation of what each document means, an examination of the various articles and amendments and what they mean. There are parts where you read the document and then take a quiz to help you learn and even memory tricks to help you learn both documents. There's a glossary at the end with definitions of words in both documents which you might not understand. It is definitely written from a conservative viewpoint and a view that the constitution needs to be interpreted as to the original intent and not as a living document which can change with the times. Everyone who lives in this country and votes should know the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, what's in them, what they cover and don't cover and what they intent to say in order to keep our government honest.

[Jean Marie Angelo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Given the times we are living in, I thought it best to review the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. I loved some of the background and history provided by the author. I did not love his occasional arch-conservative comments.

[David Lowe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every citizen of the United States needs to read this or something similar.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative and almost sad how far away we have gotten away from what we were intended to be...

[Lois Melbourne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to understand. Great format to help cement the content in your memory. This gives me a foundation update needed to base future expectations and civic participation.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super small book, only scratches the surface of the constitution - a good starting point for someone who's unfamiliar with the Constitution. Author is very knowledgeable, it is a well written short and simplistic, explanation. I personally didn't find any new insights from reading the book, but it is a good reference to use.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good that I preferred a print copy

Fascinating, practical information that every American should know, explained in a clear and concise way without talking down to the reader. I expect to want to refer to this book regularly so, after reading the ebook, I ordered hard copy so that I may refer to it and thumb it and mark it up as needed.

[Elsie Vim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is a decently unbiased book that helps put into perspective America's most important founding documents. I don't agree with a couple of his interpretations, but overall I think the importance is explained quite well and, again, in a generally unbiased way - which is a rarity in today's times. If you're an American, and are unsure how to approach the American ideology, read this book.

[Melanie Makovsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is simple and straightforward and was a great way for me to remember what these founding documents say and what they dont.

[Addie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a helpful, simple book to read! Skousen takes the wording of the Declaration and the Constitution, as well as the Bill of Rights, and simplifies them. He breaks down and explains everything in terms so plain, even older elementary kids could understand this book. I have sweetly found that a desire to read through them is so much more eye-opening and impressive than to have an assignment by a teacher to do so. When learning comes from the heart, it means something more to the reader, and that was the case for me here. While I have read the Declaration of Independence before (with much desire and feeling), I have not read the Constitution or the Bill of Rights/Amendments straight through until now.

This book is broken up into sections for each Document. After reading the simplified teaching parts, he adds timed readings of the original documents, included in the end of the book. Then he asks questions and supplies a worksheet section for even greater understanding before moving on to the next document. He also includes memorization tactics for anyone who wishes to more easily memorize them. If you choose not to do the worksheets, this book flies by. The book basically ends at page 134, and the rest of the 69 pages (a total of 203 altogether) are filled with the 3 original documents, a glossary, and an answer sheet. So by the time you reach page 134, you've already read most of the pages past that point. And I was impressed that it really doesn't take long to read through any of our Country's important documents. Skousen suggests we choose 2 days a year to read through the documents: July 4th to read the Declaration, and September 17th to read the Constitution.

Some of my favorite quotes from the book are (these quotes mean understanding, remembering, and being able to do and grow through change as needed):
"I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society, but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is, not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education. This is the true corrective of abuses of constitutional power." -Thomas Jefferson Sept. 28, 1820
"The key to remembering how freedom works in America is to frequently shine the light of the Constitution and the Declaration upon the actions of politicians. That is the best way to make sure individual human rights are being respected according to the promises in America's two founding documents." -Paul B. Skousen
"Freedom is the people's power to exercise their unalienable rights and to control and change their government." -Paul B. Skousen