October 2025 Friday’s e-links: Two Wonderful Books on the U.S. Constitution

Every once in a while, (and sometimes each day) I listen to a great podcast, enjoy an article, or see a good video that I want to share with you. These are my e-links.

Last updated 10/03/25

Today, I recommend two books. Chronological bookends, one is from 1988 and the other was just published. One I enjoy rereading and the other should arrive at my home next week. In the first, Columbia University historian John A. Garraty’s (1920-2007) Quarrels That Have Shaped the Constitution, we can enjoy a series of court cases. As they unfold, we meet the “smugglers and slaves, bankers and butchers, rebels, servants, laborers, and tycoons” that make constitutional issues so very lively. Then, moving to the other end of my bookshelf, I will place Harvard professor Jill Lepore’s new book on the Constitution. Reviews of WE THE PEOPLE: A History of the U.S. Constitution indicate that her lens is change. Looking at several hundred years of proposed, defeated, and successful amendments, she illustrates constitutional history.

To meet Jill Lepore and hear about her new book, this brief Jon Stewart interview is perfect:

Indeed, savoring these disparate Constitutional perspectives, we can better grasp the document that dominates today’s headlines.