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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Oreskes, executive editor of the International Herald Tribune, and Eric Lane, a Hofstra law professor, offer a pithy and insightful analysis of the historical development of the Constitution, emphasizing the spirit of compromise that informed the deliberations in the hot Philadelphia summer of 1787. The authors are equally adept at demonstrating the threat that today's deep partisan fissures pose to the founders' vision of constitutional government. To Lane and Oreskes the Constitution's chief virtue is the intricate system of checks and balances that constrains the tendency of people, whether as majorities or minorities, to impose their own self-interest on others. They argue that the recent rise of partisanship has eroded the underpinnings of the constitutional system; Congress has forgone its oversight responsibilities; the executive branch claims extraordinary powers; and the will to make political compromises is dead. But the authors don't sufficiently develop suggestions for how to reinvigorate the constitutional system of checks and balances. Oreskes and Lane are superb at explaining underlying principles of governance embedded in the Constitution; readers will find their book provocative, but may be left unconvinced that a meaningful correction is within easy reach. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
See all Editorial Reviews
Oreskes, executive editor of the International Herald Tribune, and Eric Lane, a Hofstra law professor, offer a pithy and insightful analysis of the historical development of the Constitution, emphasizing the spirit of compromise that informed the deliberations in the hot Philadelphia summer of 1787. The authors are equally adept at demonstrating the threat that today's deep partisan fissures pose to the founders' vision of constitutional government. To Lane and Oreskes the Constitution's chief virtue is the intricate system of checks and balances that constrains the tendency of people, whether as majorities or minorities, to impose their own self-interest on others. They argue that the recent rise of partisanship has eroded the underpinnings of the constitutional system; Congress has forgone its oversight responsibilities; the executive branch claims extraordinary powers; and the will to make political compromises is dead. But the authors don't sufficiently develop suggestions for how to reinvigorate the constitutional system of checks and balances. Oreskes and Lane are superb at explaining underlying principles of governance embedded in the Constitution; readers will find their book provocative, but may be left unconvinced that a meaningful correction is within easy reach. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
"Though the personal stories of the founding fathers have become hot properties, the institutions the framers created--the executive, the judiciary and especially the congress--enjoy none of that popularity. Lane and Oreskes seek to change that by reminding us of how essential the Constitution is to our nationhood and why it's important for the country to rekindle the Constitutional conscience as we face the challenges of the twenty-first century." --Cokie Roberts, ABC News and NPR, author Founding Mothers
“Our Constitution properly understood and applied could restore the nation’s equilibrium between the instinct for individualism and the need for vital sense of community. It might also have avoided the tragedy of Iraq by prompting Congress to use its power under Article 1 to declare or not declare war, as well as to end it. Lane and Oreskes summon us to restore our Constitution’s efficacy by our reconnecting with its history and its intelligence. They do it brilliantly.”—Governor Mario Cuomo
“We the Readers have a treat in store: a close look inside the secret meeting that struggled, convulsed and produced America’s political Scripture. Mike Oreskes and Eric Lane explore the collective genius that created our ‘constitutional conscience’ and show how the genuine political genius of Madison enables today’s majority to rule without ruining the rights of the minority.”—William Safire, New York Times columnist
“With vivid narrative and perceptive analysis, The Genius of America reminds us of the Constitution’s amazing resilience and adaptability. Lane and Oreskes bring to life the era of the Framers and the critical moments in our history that tested their vision, and make a powerful case that the troubled state of contemporary American politics can be rectified within the structure of a constitutional system predicated more on the pursuit of self-interest than the spread of republican virtue. Every American would benefit from reading this book—starting with the president and vice president and the members and leaders of Congress."—Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein, Co-authors of The Broken Branch: How Congress Is Failing America and How to Get It Back on Track
“Our Constitution properly understood and applied could restore the nation’s equilibrium between the instinct for individualism and the need for vital sense of community. It might also have avoided the tragedy of Iraq by prompting Congress to use its power under Article 1 to declare or not declare war, as well as to end it. Lane and Oreskes summon us to restore our Constitution’s efficacy by our reconnecting with its history and its intelligence. They do it brilliantly.”—Governor Mario Cuomo
“We the Readers have a treat in store: a close look inside the secret meeting that struggled, convulsed and produced America’s political Scripture. Mike Oreskes and Eric Lane explore the collective genius that created our ‘constitutional conscience’ and show how the genuine political genius of Madison enables today’s majority to rule without ruining the rights of the minority.”—William Safire, New York Times columnist
“With vivid narrative and perceptive analysis, The Genius of America reminds us of the Constitution’s amazing resilience and adaptability. Lane and Oreskes bring to life the era of the Framers and the critical moments in our history that tested their vision, and make a powerful case that the troubled state of contemporary American politics can be rectified within the structure of a constitutional system predicated more on the pursuit of self-interest than the spread of republican virtue. Every American would benefit from reading this book—starting with the president and vice president and the members and leaders of Congress."—Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein, Co-authors of The Broken Branch: How Congress Is Failing America and How to Get It Back on Track
See all Editorial Reviews
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