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The Five Thousand Year Leap: 30 Year Anniversary Edition with Glenn Beck Foreword by W. Cleon Skousen
Book Summary InformationAuthor: W. Cleon Skousen Editor: James Michael Pratt Editor: Carlos L Packard Illustrator: Evan Frederickson Edition: Paperback Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published) Published: 2009-03-13 ISBN: 0981559662 Number of pages: 356 Publisher: American Documents / PowerThink Publishing
Book Reviews of The Five Thousand Year Leap: 30 Year Anniversary Edition with Glenn Beck ForewordBook Review: Enlightening Summary: 5 Stars
"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 Rejected
The Federal "Wall" Between Church and State
A Nation of Minorities
Should Taxpayers Compensate Victims of Crimes?
The difference between a Republic and a Democracy
A 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 Liberty
After 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
Summary of The Five Thousand Year Leap: 30 Year Anniversary Edition with Glenn Beck ForewordThis is the ONLY edition authorized and commissioned by the W. Cleon Skousen Family. Also, no other edition except this one includes the revisions made by the author during the 25 years after the original printing. NEW in 2009! THE 5000 YEAR LEAP 30 Year Anniversary Edition with Glenn Beck s Foreword! NOW also includes Common Sense by Thomas Paine No other edition offers the revisions and updates of this remarkable book detailing how the Founding Fathers used 28 principles to create a 5000 year leap in freedom, prosperity, and progress; all based upon morality, faith, and ethics. THIS BONUS EDITION INCLUDES: Common Sense by Thomas Paine, 101 Constitutional Questions To Ask Candidates, The US Constitution, The Declaration of Independence, and Two landmark addresses by author Dr. W. Cleon Skousen never before offered in print. Revised, 30 Year Anniversary Edition. During the last 26 years of Dr. Skousen's life he continued his extensive study of the constitution and founding values. He kept his original copy of The Five Thousand Year Leap with him and would write notes in the margins and on envelops and note cards of the refinements and updates he wished to add to the book. This new 30 Year Anniversary Edition includes those refinements and updates. Our gratitude goes out to the Skousen family for supplying us with this information to enable us to bring you this new edition. The 5000 Year Leap will take you by the hand as you discover the ideals of the Founding Fathers and their 28 principles for success. The values explored in detail by Dr. Skousen range from the Founder's prerequisite that the Constitution was designed for a moral people, to a government empowered by the people with checks and balances, along with an understanding of the critical nature of fiscal responsibility and family values. This book sums up the secrets to what James Madison called a miracle.
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