American Dialogue

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8 Hours and 30 MinutesThe award winning author of Founding Brothers and The Quartet now gives us a deeply insightful examination of the relevance of the views of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and John Adams to some of the most divisive issues in America today.The story of history is a ceaseless conversation between past and present, and in American Dialogue Joseph J Ellis focuses the conversation on the often asked question What would the Founding Fathers think He examines four of our most seminal historical figures through the prism of particular topics, using the perspective of the present to shed light on their views and, in turn, to make clear how their now centuries old ideas illuminate the disturbing impasse of today s political conflicts He discusses Jefferson and the issue of racism, Adams and the specter of economic inequality, Washington and American imperialism, Madison and the doctrine of original intent Through these juxtapositions and in his hallmark dramatic and compelling narrative voice Ellis illuminates the obstacles and pitfalls paralyzing contemporary discussions of these fundamentally important issues. Read American Dialogue by Joseph J. Ellis – kino-fada.fr Ellis provides an excellent discussion of how our founding fathers were able to create a nation sized republic that was wholly secular with its political sovereignty divided between three branches of government The resulting Constitution was a truly revolutionary document How they did this was through logical argument based on facts and thoughtful consideration Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were likely the two most well read men of the age As an added bonus, Ellis provides a...One would expect, from Pulitzer Prize winning author Joseph J Ellis,history books, but this is only half that Each chapter focuses on a founding father one each on Jefferson, John Adams, Madison, and Washington and is paired with a chapter on the here and now, specifically how that founding father s moment in history has evolved to our present day situation And what a situation It s good the expression rolling in his grave is merely figurative, because if it were for keeps, these p One would expect, from Pulitzer Prize winning author Joseph J Ellis,history books, but this is only half that Each...I would summarize the book like this The founding fathers of the US are often looked to with deep reverence but superficial understanding, as many originalists or constitutionalists have not bothered to take the time to read what the founders actually said If we want to have a proper dialogue with the past, and abide by the intentions and spirit of the founders, we must understand them in all of their complexity, and not as caricatures of our own narrow political agendas The idea that the I would summarize the book like this The founding fathers of the US are often looked to with deep reverence but superficial understanding, as many originalists or constitutionalists have not bothered to take the time to read what the founders actually said If we want to have a proper dialogue with the past, and abide by the intentions and spirit of the founders, we must understand them in all of their complexity, and not as caricatures of our own narrow political agendas The idea that the constitution is meant to be read as a divinely inspired and infallible document is supremely misguided This is made clear throughout the text, but perhaps neverso than in the words of Thomas Jefferson himself Some men look at constitutions with sanctimonious reverence, and deem them like the a...The Then and Now of the USAAmerican Dialogue is the pathetically ill chosen title for an important and well presented book Joseph Ellis has pulled together a career s worth of examining and teaching history Using several of the US founding fathers as examples, he shows what they really faced, how they really dealt with everything, and where they led us astray or otherwise Every other chapter concerns how we deal with those same issues today The comparison is not especially favorable to The Then and Now of the USAAmerican Dialogue is the pathetically ill chosen title for an importa...A common hypothetical in political discussions with friends and family is the consideration of what the Founders would think of the current state of the nation Of course, it is impossible to truly answer, but there are clues if one has read enough of their thinking and philosophy to give a plausible answer.Ellis of course has spent his life researching the Founders This book, clearly spurred by the deep concern that most citizens of all political persuasions feel about the current state of the A common hypothetical in political discussions with friends and family is the consideration of what the Founders would think of the current state of the nation Of course, it is impossible to truly answer, but there are clues if one has read enough of their thinking and philosophy to give a plausible answer.Ellis of course has spent his life researching the Founders This book, clearly spurred by the deep concern that most citizens of all political persuasions feel about the current state of the union, is his cogent and frankly brilliant response to that hypothetical The book is divided into four sections centering around key modern concerns since the founding race, income inequality, legal developments, and foreign policy The sections ope...Loved it I wish there werestars to give I did a lot of highlighting, a lot of reflecting, and a lot of discussing with others the concepts contained in this book There were many new to me, at least insights and interpretations relating to the founding fathers and their thoughts and intentions, both during their own time and with an eye towards posterity that s us As a caution, this book is not going to be easily digested by the masses it s a tough read I often stopped to re read Loved it I wish there werestars to give I did a lot of highlighting, a lot of reflecting, and a lot of discussing with others the concepts contained in this book There were many new to me, at least insights and interpretations relating to the founding fathers and their thoughts and intentions, both during their own time and with an eye towards posterity that s us As a caution, this book is not going to be easily digested by the masses it s a tough read I often stopped to re read certain passages or sentences in order to fully comprehend their message Sometimes I stopped reading altogether just to process what I d just read That said, its content is important for thinking people to hear A bit of reflection on and evaluation of our current state of affairs alongside that of the revolutionaries can promote a greater understanding of and appreciation for how we got here and where we re heading.If I haven t scared you off, please promote this to the top of your TBR pile its message is...A true masterpiece Ellis makes a compelling, thoughtful, intellectually honest and important case for history as a tool to discern the right course of action One chapter is a founders story and the next is an analysis of our present dilemmas It was a clever and helpful device to teach and make one think I ache to have been in one orof his classes He pulls no punches in explaining the logic and inconsistencies of then and now He acknowledged and explained the humanity feature of p A true masterpiece Ellis makes a compelling, thoughtful, intellectually honest and important case for history as a tool to discern the right course of action One chapter is a founders story and the next is an analysis of our present dilem...4.5, if it matters I have long admired Ellis writings His Founding Brothers is still one of my favorite works of historical analysis More than any other book I ve read, it demonstrates how the issues we fight about today were present at the beginning that is, before there was something called the United States and, it follows, before there was any consensus on whether United States implied a single body or a collection of bodies states Since Founding Brothers was published, Ellis 4.5, if it matters I have long admired Ellis writings His Founding Brothers is still one of my favorite works of historical analysis More than any other book I ve read, it demonstrates how the issues we fight about today were present at the beginning that is, before there was something called the United States and, it follows, before there...The end of chapter 3 is nothing short of brilliant The assessment regarding the 5 conservative Supreme Court justices legislating from the bench an argument frequently used against liberal jurists using 19th century dictionary and 18th century Constitution was on target.Frank look at the birth of our nation, warts and all Half way through I wanted to quit as I was thoroughly disgusted by the character of our founding fathers, but I pushed through and despite their tragic faults everyone except Jefferson I gained a greater appreciation and understanding.

American Dialogue
  • English
  • 03 May 2018
  • Audio CD
  • 0553550799
  • Joseph J. Ellis
  • American Dialogue