A.J. Jacobs' 6 favorite books that explore America's foundation

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A.J. Jacobs is the author of "The Know-It-All" and "The Year of Living Biblically." In his new book, "The Year of Living Constitutionally," he examines the rights granted in the U.S. Constitution by practicing them as an 18th-century white man would. 

"Notes of Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787" by James Madison (1840)

Madison's meticulous notes reveal how the Founding Fathers created the first modern democracy. It's compelling to see how different our country could have been if a handful had switched their votes. My favorite alternative America: three co-presidents instead of one. (I'm imagining Biden, Trump, and RFK Jr. with abutting desks in the Oval Office.) Buy it here. 

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The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (1791)

Franklin's autobiography doubles as one of America's first self-help books. It should be required reading for this alone: Franklin advises never to use the words "certainly" or "undoubtedly" when giving opinions, instead using phrases such as "If I am not mistaken." If I am not mistaken, we need more such humility today. Buy it here. 

"A Debt Against the Living" by Ilan Wurman (2017)

Writers should understand, and take seriously, the best arguments of those with whom they disagree. Although I come out mostly in favor of living constitutionalism in my book, I tried to present the best case for originalism, and relied extensively on Wurman's incisive defense. Buy it here. 

"How Rights Went Wrong" by Jamal Greene (2021)

A brilliant book that argues Americans have a flawed view of rights. According to Green, a Columbia law professor, we "fetishize" our constitutional rights, seeing them as absolute. The Founders had a more nuanced view, as do many other nations today. We should have more, and weaker, rights. Society functions best when we weigh multiple rights against one another. Buy it here. 

"The Pursuit of Happiness" by Jeffrey Rosen (2024)

In an attempt to figure out what the Founders meant by a good life, Rosen does a deep dive into the books they read, ranging from Stoic philosophy to French political theory. He makes a strong argument that the Founders believed happiness was tied to virtue: not just feeling good, but doing good. Buy it here. 

"This America" by Jill Lepore (2019)

Lepore, one of my favorite writers and historians, rejects both xenophobic nationalism and an overemphasis on identity politics, both of which she sees as threats to America. She favors a civic patriotism based on American ideals such as welcoming dissent, protecting free speech, and nurturing invention. Buy it here. 

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