The Words We Live By is an historical and up to date survey of the US Constitution. It sets out details of the origin of the Constitution from start to finish; the Preamble, the seven Articles, and the 27 Amendments. It sets out the reasons for each part, the debate over them, and a discussion of some of the ways that part has been important in law and society since its acceptance into law. It never gets too technical, so it is possible for most readers to understand it. It is very systematic and occasionally repetitive. While I have never taken a course in constitutional law, I have been aware of many major legal issues in the last 25 years and of many of the historically important cases, and I found that I had heard of nearly all of the issues that the book discusses. So the book doesn’t present any great surprises about the constitution; rather it puts into context what many readers will already know in a more fragmentary manner.

The unabridged audiobook was released this year, but the book was originally released in 2003 and then in a revised version in 2010. It is performed by two readers, Marianne Fraulo and Kevin Stillwell; this helps to keep the listening experience more varied. The performers keep the energy levels up and they are consistent in their speed and tone of reading. This audiobook is a useful aid for those who are looking to learn about the ways that the Constitution shapes life in the USA.

© 2015 Christian Perring

Christian Perring, Professor of Philosophy, Dowling College, New York