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How to Read the Constitution--and Why (Legal Expert Series) Kindle Edition

by Kim Wehle (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 850 ratings
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"A must-read for this era.”—Jake Tapper, CNN Anchor and Chief Washington Correspondent 

An insightful, urgent, and perennially relevant handbook that lays out in common sense language how the United States Constitution works, and how its protections are eroding before our eyes—essential reading for anyone who wants to understand and parse the constantly breaking news about the backbone of American government.

The Constitution is the most significant document in America. But do you fully understand what this valuable document means to you? In How to Read the Constitution--and Why, legal expert and educator Kimberly Wehle spells out in clear, simple, and common sense terms what is in the Constitution, and most importantly, what it means. In compelling terms and including text from the United States Constitution, she describes how the Constitution’s protections are eroding—not only in express terms but by virtue of the many legal and social norms that no longer shore up its legitimacy—and why every American needs to heed to this “red flag” moment in our democracy.

This invaluable—and timely—resource includes the Constitution in its entirety and covers nearly every significant aspect of the text,  from the powers of the President and how the three branches of government are designed to hold each other accountable, to what it means to have individual rights—including free speech, the right to bear arms, the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures, and the right to an abortion. Finally, the book explains why it has never been more important than now for all Americans to know how our Constitution works—and why, if we don’t step in to protect it now, we could lose its protections forever.

How to Read the Constitution--and Why is essential reading for anyone who cares about maintaining an accountable government and the individual freedoms that the Constitution enshrines for everyone in America—regardless of political party.

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    328 pages
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    Harper Paperbacks
  6. Publication date
    June 25, 2019
  7. File size
    5264 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Not since perhaps the Nixon years have there been so many valid questions about the U.S. Constitution and its role in our lives – and so many perceived challenges to it. Kim Wehle’s How to Read the Constitution—and Why provides essential, compelling reading on this glorious document. A must-read for this era.” — Jake Tapper, CNN Anchor and Chief Washington Correspondent

“[An] accessible treatise… Wehle elegantly translates the Constitution into layperson-friendly terms.” — Publishers Weekly

From the Back Cover

Now more than ever, you need to understand what the US Constitution is and why we need to protect it so that it continues to protect us. 

In How to Read the Constitution–and Why, legal expert and educator Kim Wehle spells out in clear, simple, commonsense terms what is in the Constitution, and most important, what it means. In everyday language, she describes how the Constitution’s protections are eroding and why every American needs to heed this “red flag” moment in our democracy.

This invaluable – and timely – resource covers nearly every significant aspect of the Constitution, from the powers of the president and how the three branches of government are designed to hold one another accountable to what it means to have individual rights – including free speech, bear arms, free from unreasonable searches and seizures, and an abortion. Finally, the book explains why it has never been more important for all Americans to know how our Constitution works – and to understand why, if we don’t step in to protect it now, we could effectively lose it forever.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07DTJF9NM
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper Paperbacks (June 25, 2019)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 25, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5264 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 328 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 850 ratings

About the author

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Kim Wehle

Kim Wehle

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Kimberly Wehle (pronounced "Whale-ee") is an author, lawyer, law professor, and on-air and off-air legal expert, analyst and commentator for CBS News. She has also appeared on MSNBC, CNN, BBC, NPR, and PBS. In addition, Wehle is a contributor for BBC World News, and a contributor for The Bulwark and The Hill. She has also written for the Baltimore Sun and LA Times. She is a former Assistant United States Attorney, Associate Independent Counsel in the Whitewater Investigation, and author of “How to Read The Constitution—and Why” and “What You Need to Know about the Right to Vote—and Why," which is forthcoming in June 2020, and “The Outsourced Constitution: How Public Power in Private Hands Erodes Democracy,” by Cambridge University Press. For updates, you can follow her on Twitter @kim_wehle and like her on Facebook and on her Instagram.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
850 global ratings
Informative
5 Stars
Informative
Professor Wehle, who has an impressive background as both a professor, legal scholar, and practicing lawyer decided to write an informative book about the U.S. Constitution for all of us to read. This book is for anyone who wants to learn more about how our government was set up, the role of our government in society, and the fragility of it all. The topics covered in the book do not represent political views or talking points; nevertheless, it is a timely release to inform all of us about the current state of affairs, no matter what side of the aisle you are on.Each chapter gives creative analogies about the checks and balances of our government, and supplies the reader with tools that will equip them with pertinent knowledge about the history, current state, and future of the role of the U.S. Constitution. Professor Wehle talks about "conservative" and "liberal" interpretations of the Constitution, and debunks some of the myths of these partisan viewpoints.I recommend this book for readers of all ages and all educational backgrounds.
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Top reviews from the United States

One Happy Retiree
5.0 out of 5 stars Written in layman language, this is invaluable.
Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2024
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I've been wanting to be a better informed voter for the next big election in understanding the issues that surround one person who wants to destroy the Constitution and the other candidate who wants to save it.
One person found this helpful
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ealovitt
5.0 out of 5 stars “'We the People’ must be our own Constitution Cop.”
Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2019
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“How to Read the Constitution and Why” is a very frightening book if you revere our Constitution and respect the judgement and perspicacity of the men who wrote it. The three branches of our federal government, as well as the state and local governments, are all continuously affected by this document that was drafted shortly after the American War for Independence. Items that were never dreamt of by our Founding Fathers, such as peyote use, x-rated films, and the Internet have all tested the language of our Constitution in modern times, but it is still the average citizen's bulwark against the tyranny of a too-strong central government—at least it was until the present Administration came into power. Our current President repeatedly insists that the Constitution does not limit his power as president. As the author puts it:

“Trump’s disdain for the Constitution is not just theoretical. He believes that how the Constitution works is fundamentally flawed—that no due process protections should attach to his zero-tolerance policy on immigration, for example…Trump also takes the position that it’s legally impossible for him to obstruct justice, and that he has an ‘absolute right’ to pardon himself of criminal wrongdoing.”

Perhaps even more worrisome, the president has an Attorney General who shields and supports him, and a Congress that, during his first two years in office, refused to condemn his most egregious attacks on our Constitution and the rule of law.

The author of “How to Read the Constitution and Why,” Kimberly Wehle is a law professor and constitutional scholar. She writes on the separation of powers, outsourcing government, and the federal administrative state. She wrote this book because she believes “’We the People’ must be our own Constitution Cop.” In order to protect our Constitution, we must read it and understand why its rules should be enforced, not ignored. If we continue to let our Constitution and the corresponding rule of law be reviled and ignored by a wannabe dictator, our republic is doomed to fall apart like a cardboard suit in a rainstorm.

Read this book. Buy a copy for a friend. That’s what I’m going to do.
22 people found this helpful
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Jean
4.0 out of 5 stars Insightful
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2019
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I think Wehle must use this book for her classes. Wehle goes through the Constitution explaining the meaning or at least what the Supreme Court has ruled. The author also covers laws, etc., that are based on common values, morals and so forth.

The book is well written and easy to understand. The author covers items from Washington to Trump. She also reveals how dictators take over when the voters and legislators fail to act. This is a good review and provides some insight on how to understand what the Constitution does and does not say.

I read this as an e-book downloaded from Amazon to my Kindle app for my iPad. The book is 353 pages and was published on June 25, 2019.
36 people found this helpful
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Maurice P.
5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to read
Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2024
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Easy to read print !
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Ted d'Afflisio
5.0 out of 5 stars Reading the Constitution
Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2019
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Professor Wehle’s approach makes the Constitution a more accessible document. It is not a tome drenched with legalese or too dense to be comprehended by an average reader. It is insightful and brings the language of this 18th century document into the realities of the 21st century and many of its major legal issues from the Second Amendment to due process, to Roe v Wade to the question of impeachment. A useful guide to any citizen trying to inform him or herself on the Constitution.

The most important lesson is that this document is a piece of paper and unless it is enforced, it will become a dead letter. This is a lesson that we should all take to heart, particular now when this particular generation faces its historical trial to see whether we can keep the Republic.

Two points to the negative. I was looking forward to her discussion of all the Amendment to the Constitution, also as a former academic I like to see the footnotes, particularly those referencing the cases that have defined the meaning of the Constitution. Having them at the end makes it difficult in. Kindle edition to see what she is referencing. In a book form it is easy enough to get to the footnotes. Is it possible that you could add the footnotes to the actual page on which a cite is noted?

These are minor points. They do not detract from the larger and more important point of the book. If I were still teaching political science, I would definitely include this as one of the books for a course on American Government
3 people found this helpful
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Lee H
5.0 out of 5 stars Should be Required Reading for all Americans
Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2022
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Thankful that the author wrote this book. It is easy to read, has outstanding examples that allow a layperson such as myself to understand basic constitutional concepts. Gained a new level of appreciation for the legal profession - there are very good reasons why law school is so difficult. Our country would be far less polarized if more people had a common understanding of the constitution and how government works. The constitution is what separates our country from being an Iran or North Korea, it is definitely worth defending and preserving. Despite taking an oath to defend the constitution there are powerful forces in our midst trying to bend the constitution to his/her will or just get rid of it entirely. People - be careful who you vote for.
2 people found this helpful
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Slofeet
5.0 out of 5 stars Before We Lose It -- Read It
Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2022
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Book is not intended to be an intellectual evaluation of the Constitution, but a practical guide to how to understand the document and the arguments around it. Is quite informative. And regardless of political leaning -- it makes one point perfectly clear. The norms around regular political behavior - and the norms for behaving within Constitutional bounds -- are not set in stone. Instead, they must be defended rigorously or they will quickly be lost. You have to defend your flanks -- or your core will be lost.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Betty Confetti
5.0 out of 5 stars An unbiased Constitutional review
Reviewed in Canada on December 31, 2019
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Difficult to find in stores in Canada, so I was thrilled to discover this book on Amazon. A great read focusing on the basis of the Constitution without political bias. The book supports and describes the structure of government based as a foundation of the US Government. Valuable information for all to understand clearly the function of the branches of government as intended by the framers.
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Monica
5.0 out of 5 stars Like new
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 14, 2020
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Like new condition, as advertised. Arrived quickly.
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Sam Brustas
5.0 out of 5 stars How to read the Constitution and Why
Reviewed in Germany on March 15, 2020
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Wonderful read. Wish I had read something like this 60 years ago when I was struggling in a Social Studies class in high School.
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Kesavan Nambudiri
3.0 out of 5 stars Print is too small
Reviewed in Canada on January 1, 2021
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The outline of the Constitution was well done but the print was much to small.
I only have reading glasses and good eyesight but reading this print was challenging after a few minutes.
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