The 5000 Year Leap

"The happy union of these states is a wonder; their Constitutions is a miracle; their example of the hope and liberty throughout the world. Woe to the ambition that would mediate the destructions of either!" ~ James Madison"The Five Thousand Year Leap" is one of the most important books you will ever read. W. Cleon Skousen explains how the Founding Fathers really didn't discover most of the 28 ideas that have changed the world. They were well read and noticed that the ancient Israelites "operated under a system of laws remarkably similar to those of the Anglo-Saxons." So it is with this in mind that W. Cleon Skousen presents a short section on Anglo-Saxon Common Law or People's Law. He then explains how the Founding Fathers took the advice of Polybius, John Locke and Baron Charles de Montesquieu. They decided to separate the government into three departments - executive, legislative (house and senate) and judicial.W. Cleon Skousen then lays out the "Founder's Basic Principles." This takes up most of the book and is fairly enlightening. Some of the principles include:All men are created equal.The God-given right to govern is vested in the sovereign authority of the whole people.The highest level of prosperity occurs when there is a free-market economy and a minimum of government regulations.A system of checks and balances should be adopted to prevent the abuse of power.The burden of debt is as destructive to freedom as subjugation by conquest.Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations - entangling alliances with none.As you can see from recent history we have somewhat moved away from some of these principles. As the world has evolved it seems it has been necessary to rethink some of the founder's main ideas. America has in some ways become the world's policeman. I think the Founding Father's ideas were great but the one about not assisting other countries when people are being oppressed is worth reconsidering. Where would the world be if America had not stepped in to help in World War I and World War II? While I personally hate war I can understand we have had to war against great evils that tried to take over the world.Some of the main ideas discussed in the chapters about the 28 principles include:Beliefs which the Founders RejectedThe Federal "Wall" Between Church and StateA Nation of MinoritiesShould Taxpayers Compensate Victims of Crimes?The difference between a Republic and a DemocracyA list of Rights (free speech, privacy, fair trial, etc.)Should Government Take from the Haves and Give to the Have Nots?Law is a Positive Good in Preserving LibertyAfter explaining the 28 principles there is again a section on "The Mystery of the Anglo-Saxons." This is followed by a speech W. Cleon Skousen gave to law students about "The Secret to America's Strength." If you page past the index you will then see that there is a complete copy of "The Constitution of the United States of America." This is then followed by "The Declaration of Independence." Then you can also read "Common Sense" by Thomas Paine. The book then concludes with "101 Constitutional Questions to Ask Candidates."In general I found this book easy to understand. What I found difficult however is the reading of all the book excerpts and quotes which tend to sometimes get in the way of a clear train of thought. About half the book is quotes! So this is not a book you can sit down and read in one sitting. It took me three days and normally a book of this size would take me 3-4 hours. I will say however that it was time well spent. I can recommend this book to all adults who are curious about our Constitution. As someone who grew up in a foreign country (I was born in America) I found the information helped me realize even more why America is Great.~The Rebecca Review

I have heard about The 5000 Year Leap for several years. At first I did not give much thought to reading it. I mostly like fiction books, specifically classics and fantasy. Reading about America's founding never crossed my mind. However, as I delved deeper into the world of politics and current events, I felt a growing desire to learn more about the Constitution. The 5000 Year Leap now grabbed my attention.I am legally blind and reading is a slow process for me. I searched on Amazon for this book over a period of six months to a year hoping to find an audio c.d. of The 5000 Year Leap. All that I saw was available was the paperback version. Then one day I found the paperback version with a c.d. attached to it. I am not sure if I missed this on my previous searches or if the c.d. was a new feature. Either way, there it was. The price was a bit high, but I felt the knowledge I might gain in this book was worth it. Without hesitation I purchased a copy. It was one of the best Amazon purchases to date.The 5000 Year Leap is simply special. I learned more about America's founding in this 300+ page book than in 20 years of education. This is a sad testament to our supposed educational system. Students read, memorize and repeat, without much critical thought or creativity in the process. As students we learn much about the atrocities against indians and the inhuman slavery era. Schools are quick to point out America's evils, but slow to illustrate any of the positives, like the genius and miracle behind its creation. The 5000 Year Leap does the latter part eloquently and wonderfully. It is an unapologetic pro-America dive into what our country was meant to be and what should be today. The author W. Cleon Skousen put much research and effort into this book. Within it, he reveals through direct quotes of our Founders how America and the Constitution was viewed. The majority of the book contains 28 principles that the Founders had in common and which was put into The Constitution. What affected me most about The 5000 Year Leap, however, is its portrayal of how prophetic the authors of The Constitution were. These men of great vision gave warnings for future generations of America. None of these warnings do we heed or hear today. In this way, The 5000 Year Leap has angered and saddened me. It forces the reader to think "holy hell what have we done to our country?"W. Cleon Skousen's The 5000 Year Leap is in my opinion one of the most important literary works about America. I feel so strongly about the latter statement that I have purchsed and will purchase more copies of this book to give to friends and family in hopes they will read it.If you have not read this book, buy a copy. If you do not have the money, go to the library or borrow one from somebody you know. To anyone who has read The 5000 Year Leap, pass it on. The most dangerous entity to America is not terrorism or global warming, it is an ignorant, uninformed and passive American. The 5000 Year Leap could be a powerful weapon of enlightenment to those Americans who lack knowledge or understanding of our Constitution.Pass it on.Christopher***C.D. Review****After writing the above review I thought I should make a few points on the c.d. The 5000 Year Leap comes with a c.d. that contains an audio book and an e-book. The c.d. is easily installed on the computer via a setup file. After that you have access to the book. I have used both the audio version and the e-book. The audio version is split into thirty or so different mpeg files, each file acting like a chapter. The audio in these files is crisp and clear, except for one that skipped near the end. I believe Skousen himself reads the book aloud in these files. Its not fancy; there are no background music or effects, just a book being read to you. However Skousen is very articulate and clear in his reading. I am not sure since I have not tried it, but I assume the audio is also playable on a c.d. player. The e-book is formatted like any regular book, beginning with the book cover, title page and Table of Contents. The T.O.C is clickable with links leading to each chapter and section. Also available in this e-book are opportunities to purchase other e-books by Skousen. These audio and e-book features are fantastic for people who are visually impaired. For the rest of you, it is a nice bonus and alternative to reading the paperback copy.

a book everyone should read

This should be mandetory reading for EVERY American school child, starting in grad school and all the way to High School. We have forgotten who we are, and this book reminds us, of just who we are and where we came from. I would HIGHLY reccomend this book to anyone! Magnificent! It's a shame I could only give it 5 Stars!

Have made me buy all the Skousen books that I can find

Informative, thought provoking, believable.I could not put the book down until it was thoroughly read and thoughtfully absorbed into my life.