The Words We Live By: Your Annotated Guide To The Constitution

An award-winning author and journalist brings insight, legal expertise, and humor for an enlightening stroll through the United States Constitution. Monk offers surprising facts and trivia, opposing interpretations, and historical anecdotes to breathe life in this provocative and hallowed document. 75 illustrations.

-- Did the Supreme Court really "choose" George W. Bush?

-- Is capital punishment in opposition to the Fifth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments, or do they actually make a case for it?

-- Do campaign contribution caps infringe on freedom of speech?

-- Why didn't Thomas Jefferson or John Adams sign the Constitution, and why did the oldest signer, Benjamin Franklin, sign it with tears streaming down his face?

The U.S. Constitution forms the basis of our most fundamental rights. It is also a key element in nearly every major legal and political debate ever argued. Now an award-winning author and journalist brings insight, legal expertise, and humor to her examination of this hallowed document.

Linda Monk takes readers for an enlightening stroll through the Constitution. From the Preamble, which she analyzes with inspiration from Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Charlton Heston, and James Madison, to each and every amendment, Monk brings to light the depth and breadth of the Constitution's language as well as the many interpretations that have been argued throughout history. Through entertaining and informative annotations, The Words We Live By provides enough surprises, facts, and illustrations to prove that your Constitution is a provocative as well as a personal document.