The 5000 Year Leap

Our Founding Fathers worked hard on the Constitution. They came from various walks of life, but they had studied ideas on politics and government. They came together to try a grand experiment. They created a government that was unique throughout history, drawing inspiration from the best ideas of the best minds. Our Constitution was crafted to withstand the test of time. Its main goal is to protect the right of the people.

In the book The 5000 Year Leap, W. Cleon Skousen outlines 28 principles that our government was founded upon. The two principles that intrigued me most were #15 and #26. (My understanding is that these principles are not necessarily listed in order of importance.) The 15th principle has to do with economics. This tied in nicely to the last book I wrote about, That Which is Seen and That Which is Not Seen. What intrigued me the most about this principle was that it was never carried out in the way the Founding Fathers intended. Skousen shows some ways that this has hindered our nation. The 26th principle has to do with recognizing and protecting the family as the core unit of society. This topic is near and dear to my heart, and I am always interested in strengthening families. Skousen points out that the ideal of strong family relationships fills many of the writings of the Founding Fathers. They considered it an underlying part of a strong society. These two principles stood out to me as I read this book for the second time.

I enjoyed this book. It takes a complicated subject and condenses it down into 28 recognizable and easy to understand principles. Learning more about the Founding Fathers and the Constitution increased my appreciation for the United States. Skousen uses quotes from the Founding Fathers and other sources, which helped illustrate the principles and gave me a taste of the actual thoughts of these men.

If you want a clear way to understand the ideas behind the Constitution, this book is a great choice. You will gain a greater appreciation for our Founding Fathers as you read their words and ideas.