This book covers twenty-eight principles that the United States was founded upon. Every American who has the privilege of voting should be required to read this book. The author suggests that the unique form of government established in the United States is the reason our country has prospered so wonderfully since the government was formed. A great introductory book which will cause me to further investigate the founders of our country.

The 5000 Year Leap is a profound addition to any study on Americas origins and the faith of the founders. Well researched and presented. All sources are cited thoughtfully and with detail. Any one who doubts the message of this book has a plethera of sources that they can research on their own. I did on a few and was satisfied with my findings corroborating the text with the source.

Some of the ideas discussed may seem outdated and I can't say I agree 100% with every idea expressed, but if you ask me this would be a great book for anyone wanting a better understanding of the principles that made America the greatest nation in the world, and possibly in all of history. It's full of great Historical facts that every High School student should be learning, but probably isn't.

this book explains how our Forefathers formed the most people usable government the world has seen and how we have survived the past 250 years in these UNITED STATES of AMERICA Land of the FREE & Home of the BRAVE

For anyone looking for a rigorous review of principles of freedom this book will be a disappointment. No real analysis is completed in the book. Excessive use of quotations is used to convince the reader that if several people say something, it must be true. The book is more of a incomplete survey of selected writing use to promote a viewpoint. The book is really more of a religious book promoting Christianity as the solution to most everything coupled with some obvious generally accepted concepts of government. Because of the unusual political and economic situation created in the last decade in America restating those obvious concepts is perhaps the one redeeming value of the book. Unfortunately, most of the concepts contained in the 28 principle are not well developed, or in some cases just prejudicial.

Great book - should be taught in all high schools, and required reading for all legal immigrants

The 5000 Year Leap should be required reading for all high school students; and all American citizens for that matter! Our free country really is a miracle, and the constitution is a brilliant document, which should be protected in its original form at all costs! After reading this book you will have a great appreciation for the United States Constitution and the timeless principles it was built upon. If we would get back to these principles, this country will become great again!

This book is excellent review of thinking of our founding fathers when framing the constitution, I would cheer if this were required reading in high schools throughout the nation. This book makes the constitution understandable and a joy to read about. Increased advertizing of this book would be great.

The 5,000 Year Leap is a simple but powerful book that details what our Founding Fathers thought was important. While the books was written decades ago, it is extremely relevant today given that the Marxists in charge in DC are trying to fundamentally reshape the relationship between the people and their government. The 'Leap' makes clear that our Founding Fathers believed in individual liberties; property rights; free trade; the right to own firearms to defend ourselves from the government should it become evil; and staying out of foreign wars. The 'Leap' chronicles how many of our Founding Fathers believed God himself likely guided the writing of our Constitution. I give this book away as gifts.

An excellent history lesson - something that you will not get in schools - unfortunately. A wonderful way to find out about our Constitution.

This is a very good book if you want to learn about the constitution and the context in which it was written. Every American should read this book!

This book should be taught in every school across the country and perhaps world. The best book hands down on the Constitution. I am a bit unhappy about my education after reading this book, we were taught none of this in my schools, and colleges.

To solve the problems of the day we should look to the past so that we shall never repeat the same mistakes.

Book report for Amazon on "The 5000 Year Leap" by Skousen

You need to read this because it is a rare jewel of a book on a subject which is the most important subject to the human race: the role of government in the lives of human beings. Do you ascribe to the all-too-common notion that without government action, society could not prosper and life would be unfair? You may be partly right but the ultimate convictions of the founding fathers was not quite what you may have been taught and conditioned by popular media outlets and, yes, the public education system to believe. There really has been in the past and can again be government of the people, by the people, and for the people. The founding fathers found the way via a long, tedious but amazingly and divinely inspired effort - and they laid it out in the remarkable U.S. constitution, the inspiration and guidance for which was spread over the thinking of people throughout human history, even before the birth of Christ and actually embodied successfully in two ancient societies. Believe it or not, this is a very exciting account, one which will first lead you through the thought processes of the founders and via compelling questions leading from one to the next, through the "28 principles" embodied in the U.S. Constitution. You will be inspired to go out and do what the author and his student did: teach the truth about it!

My aunt bought me this book for Christmas; as an outcome, it elucidated her extreme confusion as to the origins of common law. I made it to the eighteenth page before I broke out in laughter; after spending an entire semester of college studying the matrix of modern democracy, I can say with complete confidence that the author of this book has no formal education in medieval or ancient history.

On page eighteen he attributes the introduction of common law to Hengist and Horsa, who modern historians consider to be mythical figures of Celtic lore. Skousen (the author) makes it seem as if someone sat down and circumscribed common law...hahahahaha.

First of all, Hengist and Horsa, if they even existed, came to the British Isles from a place just south of the Jutland peninsula where a group of people denoted "Saxons" lived. They came, along with the Jutes and the Angles, at the behest of Celtic leaders, to help fight the Romans in exchange for license to some of their land; but once they got there and achieved military success, they thought to themselves "hey our home-land is sinking into the ocean and this place has some major resources. Why not stick around and conquer this place for ourselves?"

Hengist and Horsa were not Anglo-Saxons that group came about after the Jutes, Angles, and Saxons took over the eastern half of England, pushing the indigenous "Britons" west into the territory now known as Wales; technically, even the Vikings were melted into this group known as the Anglo-Saxons.

Nevertheless, these barbarians made themselves at home; consequently, when someone argues that these people introduced common law: I chuckle... ok ok I laugh hysterically.

The belief that common law developed over time is undebatable at this point. We have no written records that suggest anyone just came up with it over night. No one simply brought a body of law entitled "The Common Law" over to the British Isles and imposed it on the people. Common law was essentially an accident, that developed over the course of history.

Skousen's, "Characteristics of Anglo-Saxon common law," sound more like tenets adhered to in Ancient Greece before the advent of the polis than something taken from the common law.

This author makes me sick, and elucidates why our current system of public education needs reform: considering that many of his advocates work in the public school system.

This guy, and his advocates, should probably go back to college and get an undergraduate education in history before he writes another book dealing with American government and before his proponents corrupt another class of students.

Truly a great book! We need to remind ourselves of the founders principles. For some of us this is a refresher American history course about the creation of the constitutional principles we learned in school . . . knowledge we desparately need right now. Hopefully, they are still teaching this information in our classrooms today. This would be a great book to read with your family to ensure understanding of the principles that make this country great! They must be preserved. This foundation is what allows everyone to have a shot at "making it" in this wonderful country of ours

I loved this book. It explains in the Founders' own words what makes this country's form of government unique and exceptional. It should be required reading for all students...as well as every person in Congress!

This is an excellent, easy to read book for anyone who wants to learn more about the principles that the United States of America was founded on. In these times when the founding fathers are mocked and considered irrelevant this book reminds us that the principles they based our Constitution on are timeless.

1. The Laws of the Supreme Creator are eternal, unchanging, everlasting, can not be repealed, and can not be abandoned.

2. Natural Law depends on the moral virtues of people and leaders.

3. Marcus Tullius Cicero described Natural Law as "rule of conduct". Cicero said Natural Law was reasoning and rationale and through reason and rationale the mind of God would be discovered.

4. Natural law protects the good and inflicts punishment on the wicked.

5. Natural law is composed of unalienable rights, unalienable duties, habeas corpus, limited government powers, separation of government powers, checks and balances, the right to contract, the right to reparations, the right to arms, and no taxation without representation.

Church and State

1. Without religion the government will not stop its intrusion upon a free people.

2. The wall between between Church and State is in error. Religion provides the moral voice bridling the passions and appetites of government. Equality between religions meant cooperation and free worship among the various religions and the state would not promote one religion above another through legislation.

3. The Northwest Ordinance passed by Congress in 1787 taught religion and morality in the schools. Religion, morality, and knowledge were necessary to good government. Religion examines the relationship between man and God and man and his fellow man and mans search for justice, equality, and fairness. Morality is a standard of behavior determining right and wrong. Knowledge is intellectual awareness and understanding.

4. The teaching of religion was a mutual cultural adhesive.

5. There exists a creator. The creator has revealed moral codes as a standard of behavior for happy living and to distinguish between right and wrong. The Creator holds man accountable for the manner in which he treats each other. All mankind will be resurrected and live again. The rewards in the next life depend on our conduct in this life. These are the basic beliefs that unite mankind as a whole.

6. In America, government and religion were in harmony. The constitution supported the free worship of religion and liberty. Religion was considered the first of the political institutions (John Locke) and helped maintain the republic. Religion and politics had contracted an alliance. American were free to do as they pleased, but religion "constrained them from conceiving, and forbids them to commit, what is rash and unjust", says De Tocqueville. The clergy in America did not hold seats of power or public appointments and did not engage in partisan politics. America was great because it was good.

7. However, in Europe, religion and government were at war with each other. In France, promoters of atheism and amorality had seized control and turned the French Revolution into excessive violence and carnage. Europe was plagued by unbelief in God and debasement. Clergy in Europe held seats of power. The unbelievers attacked the Christians as political opponents rather than religious adversaries. Europe rejected the clergy as representatives of deity.

8. The founders wanted to provide legal equality for all religions, both Christian and non-Christian. The State government should not favor one religion over another. Equality of religions was the desired goal. Freedom of religion is the most important fundamental right and thus avoid, "perpetual jealousy on the subject of ecclesiastical ascendancy", says Justice Story. All religions were encouraged to participate in the republic to ensure the moral fiber and welfare of the people was ensured with good government and the happiness of mankind.


What I would like.

I would like to encourage everyone to read "The 5,000 Year Leap" and the 28 principles of constitutional law.

I found the 28 principles very helpful when analyzing governments, such as, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, and China. It seems each government that deviates from the 28 principles has problems, such as, corruption, deficit spending, arms, habeaus corpus breakdowns, rising protectionism, contractual law breaches, and currency over valuations issues.

US foreign policy should be governed by the 28 principles. Countries should be allow free trade with other countries. Tariffs and quota create imbalances and disequilbrium in the system. The free market system should be allowed to solve problems and keep in equilibrium.

Individuals are becoming more empowered, energy is replacing money, and free thought abhors war.

If you are even remotely care about the county and the direction it is headed, this is a must read. This is one best book I have ever read about the real history of how this nation was founded and what those great men were. If you read nothing this year but one book, this is the one.

The 5000 Year Leap: A Miracle That Changed the World

The 5000 Year Leap is a wonderful look at the founding documents , and the thoughts of the founding fathers . It compares the thought proscesses of the founding fathers and the political thoughts of today . It is a real eye-opener .

This is an amazing book written by a man who's ancester was Benjamin Franklin. I don't usually use a yellow marker on books, but I did on this one. There were just so many places that I wanted to re-read. Please read this book and then pass it on as I did, especially to our young people, as they just don't get this type of information in school. So worth the time to read. BJ

WOW! This is a great book! If you love this country, you'll love this eye opening book!

INTRODUCTION: The 5000 years refer to the time that man has been on earth and the "Miracle" refers to the creation of the U.S. Constitution. The author writes that it is unfortunate that many Americans often do not know what they are talking about. So, the author's focus is on educating the reader and he does it extremely well!
Part I - The Founders' Monumental Task: Structuring a Government with all the Power in the People. Skousen provides a terrific explanation of the differences in Ruler's Law (tyrannical monarchy), Peoples Law (Anglo Saxon Common Law), and No Law (anarchy); as well as the challenges faces by the framers of the Constitution (p.29).
Part II - The Founders' Basic Principles - 28 Great Ideas that Changed the World, Key Concepts listed below:
1st Principle: The Genius of Natural Law: "The only reliable basis for sound government and just human relations is Natural Law" (p. 37), and "in Natural Law we are dealing with factors of absolute reality" (p. 40).
2nd Principle A Virtuous and Morale People: "A free people cannot survive under a republican constitution unless they remain virtuous and morally strong" (p. 49). Explains the connection between public virtue and the Golden Rule.
3rd Principle: Virtuous and Moral Leaders: "The most promising method of securing a virtuous and morally stable people is to elect virtuous leaders" (p. 59). Explains the difference between a natural aristocracy based on virtue and talent versus other leaders who have a love of power and money.
4th Principle: The Role of Religion: "Without religion the government of a free people cannot he maintained" (p. 75). Discusses the connection between religion, morality and knowledge.
5th Principle: The Role of the Creator: "All things were created by God, therefore upon Him all mankind are equally dependent, and to Him they are equally responsible" (p. 95). Discusses the impact of God upon `the law.'
6th Principle: All Men are Created Equal: All men "can only be treated as equals in the sight of God, in the sight of the law, and in the protection of their rights" (p. 103). Explains equal rights and minority issues, to include the revelations by Eldridge Cleaver, a former Black Panther extremist.
7th Principle: Equal Rights, Not Equal Things: "The proper role of government is to protect equal rights, not provide equal things" (p. 115). Finds that there is no Constitutional authority for Federal welfare, charity, or taking from the haves and giving to the have-nots.
8th Principle: Man's Unalienable Rights: "Men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights" (p. 123). Discusses vested rights versus natural or unalienable rights, and provides a great list of these rights to include right of personal security, personal liberty, and private property.
9th Principle: The Role of Revealed Law: "To protect man's rights, God has revealed certain principles of divine law" (p. 131). Discusses the Ten Commandments and examples of Public and Private Duties.
10th Principle: Sovereignty of the People: "The God-given right to govern is vested in the sovereign authority of the whole people" (p. 141). Rulers are servants of the people, not vice versa!
11th Principle: Who Can Alter the Government: "The majority of the people may alter or abolish a government which has become tyrannical" (p. 147). Discussion of John Locke and preservation of property as well as the power of the majority.
12th Principle: Advantages of a Republic: "The United States of America shall be a Republic" (p. 153). Discusses the benefits of a Constitutional Republic over a Democracy in the context of the Federalist Papers, No. 39 and the dangers of socialism.
13th Principle: Protection Against Human Frailty: "A constitution should be structured to permanently protect the people from the human frailties of their rulers" (p. 163). Explains that Government is a coercive force, and leaders should be watched for proclivity towards ego-mania and self-aggrandizement. The Constitution protects us from abuse by those in authority.
14th Principle: Property Rights Essential to Liberty: "Life and liberty are secure only so long as the right to property is secure" (p. 169). Explains English common law views on property and how the Founding Fathers determined that the primary purpose of Government is to protect property. Also discusses how the Supreme Court strayed from original intent of the "general welfare" clause.
15th Principle Free-Market Economics: "The highest level of prosperity occurs when there is a free-market economy and a minimum of government regulations" (p. 179). Discusses Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations, and how the Federal Government has strayed from policing responsibilities to socialism, collectivism, depreciating our currency, increasing debt, and "mischievous financial policy" (p. 190) .
16th Principle: The Separation of Powers: "The government should be separated into three branches - legislative, executive, and, judicial" (p. 193). Provides political insights of Polybius and Baron Charles de Montesquieu, and concludes with John Adams.
17th Principle: Checks and Balances: "A system of checks and balances should be adopted to prevent the abuse of power" (p. 205). Starts with James Madison's discussion of "checks and balances" in the Federalist Papers Nos. 47 to 51, leading into a summary of original intent and peaceful self repair.
18th Principle: Importance of a Written Constitution: "The unalienable rights of the people are most likely to be preserved if the principles of government are set forth in a written constitution" (p. 217). Discussion starts with Magna Carta (1215 AD), then discusses the Mayflower Compact (1620), the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut (1639), and concludes with the U.S. Constitution.
19th Principle: Limiting and Defining the Powers of Government: "Only limited and carefully defined powers should be delegated to government, all others being retained in the people" (p. 223). Discusses the Ninth and Tenth Amendment and proper balance between the Federal Government and the States.
20th Principle: Majority Rule, Minority Rights: "Efficiency and dispatch require government to operate according to the will of the majority, but constitutional provisions must he made to protect the rights of the minority" (p. 229). Majority rule is a necessity, but minorities have equal rights.
21st Principle: Strong Local Self Government: "Strong local self-government is the keystone to preserving human freedom" (p. 235). Discusses local self-government in Anglo-Saxon communities and ancient Israel. Warns if local affairs are decided in Wash D.C., then this is the beginning of the end.
22nd Principle: Government by Law, Not by Men: "A free people should be governed by law and not by the whims of men" (p. 243). The purpose of law is to preserve and enlarge freedom.
23rd Principle: Importance of an Educated Electorate: "A free society cannot survive as a republic without a broad program of general education" (p. 249). Discusses importance of local school boards, literacy, and Bible education.
24th Principle: Peace Through Strength: "A free people will not survive unless they stay strong" (p. 259). Discusses Sam Adams, Ben Franklin and George Washington's views on preserving freedom.
25th Principle: Avoid Entangling Alliances: "Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations - entangling alliances with none," -Thomas Jefferson (p. 267). Warns to steer clear of alliances that entangle our peace and prosperity with their ambition and rivalry. Discusses World War I and II.
26th Principle: Protecting the Role of the Family: "The core unit which determines the strength of any society is the family; therefore, the government should foster and protect its integrity" (p. 281). Discusses equality of men and women and importance of families.
27th Principle: Avoiding the Principle of Debt: "The burden of debt is as destructive to freedom as subjugation by conquest (p. 291). Warns against debt, "splurge spending" and spending the next generation's inheritance.
28th Principle: The Founder's Sense of Manifest Destiny: "The United States has a manifest destiny to be an example and a blessing to the entire human race" (p. 305).

CONCLUSION: Originally published in 1981, then updated in 1991, and 2006, this book provides a tremendous overview of the Founding Fathers' intent and how our government has strayed from that intent. A must-read for all Americans especially those in the Tea Party movement.

This is an excellent read! I highly recommend it and wish that this subject matter was taught throughout High School in the US. It would make for a more informed young adult. It debunks a lot of the statements regarding our country, it's founders and their intent in forming this country. It is a good primer for someone starting to research some of the US Founding Father's understandings and intentions for the new country.

It has the references to source so that the reader can go directly to the original work and make up their own mind about the interpretation.

It reads fast and is clearly written so that a high school level reader will be able to comprehend quickly.

This is very interesting and I learned a lot about the Constitution, our government and the people that set it up. This is a book every American should read!

A true book, and one of the most important you will read today! The 5000 Year Leap is rapidly becoming the -5000 year leap.

A must read for those who think our founding fathers are rolling over in there graves right about now. This package contained a print version of the book, an e-book version of the book, and an audio version of the book. The guys voice is beyond boring, and in places you will fight to stay awake. Other passages in the book will have your jaw dropping open with an unbelievable sense of how far we have strayed. Worth the time? Absolutely and without doubt.

I PURCHASED THIS FOR MY SON IN LAW FOR HIS BIRTHDAY.
HE HAS BEEN VERY PLEASED WITH IT.

THANK YOU

This book puts the U.S. Constitution in the frame of mind the Founding Fathers had while the Constitution was being written. Everything is referenced. Why is this not taught in schools? It should be a textbook for every Civics class in our country. I have bought extra copies for my son's school and the school I teach in. It is an easy read. Most of our citizens will be appalled at how far we have drifted from the Founders intent. READ THIS BOOK!

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in obtaining insight into the thinking of the founding fathers of this great nation. Readers will learn just how far we've strayed from their vision. Very educational!

I grew up as a friend to Cleon Skousen's son, and took the class on this topic previously offered through the Freeman Institute. The book is an excellent refresher on the class, and an fairly easy read. I found the material to be very relevant to today, and could easily see where many of today's leaders have lost sight of the vision the founders had, and are leaning to their own understandings without consideration for the decades of research the founders did prior to establishing the US Constitution.

This is a book every American needs to read. I just finished and the information about what our founder's believed and their wisdom is truly something we all need to know. It is really a history book written in a way that is very easy to read. The book gives many references that allows you to check and make sure the information is correct. It was also amazing how correct our founder's were in predicting how we would turn out if we did not follow the constitution as intended. Their predictions have come true.

With all the hype I just had to read this book. It is full of half truths, illogical reasoning, and over simplification. If you wish to rationalize your current "conservative" beliefs with such a weak foundation, this is the book to make you feel good. If you want a true conservative book, read Barry Goldwater's "Conscience of the Conservative."

In my 34 years of reading just about every book I could ever get my hands on and make time to read, this is the ONE BOOK I have repeatedly sung the praises of and recommend to people constantly. People who don't love to read can get through this book easily and come away with a deeper, solid understanding of the roots of our Republic. My husband-while well educated and holding multiple degrees and a masters- does not enjoy reading for the sake of reading and he found this book to be an exceptional book, and quite readable. (Some things that I like a lot seem like heavy reading in his opinion.) I would be thrilled if every heavily indoctrinated college student had had an opportunity to study THIS book.

Well written book about the development of the US Constitution and Bill of Rights. Gives unique perspective of what was happening during the time of the writing and what framers were reading and, perhaps, thinking.

A very easy read and something that should probably be read by students as an introduction or others as a refresher (and quite probably an introduction) to the US Constitution.

Excellent read. Every American concerned about the state of our country shoudl read this.

Very dry, and starts with allot of origins of the first formation of a Republic styled government like Greece, and Rome had. Many footnotes from the Founders of this country that are quite interesting. It makes you want to go get books that were written by the founders, but just pray that they are a better read. How ever this book I got through better when I was in my car than when i was home and able to find a reason to put it down and do other enjoyable things. I learned allot.

This book is incredible. It's very easy to understand, thoroughly, what the Founders envisioned and built America to be. The language of the 17th-19th centuries was very elaborate and those philosophers seem to carry on thoughts for minutes, if not hours. With the context this book provides and supports with modern language, it's very exciting and rare to completely understand not only the Constitution, Federalist Papers,etc...but also how their minds operated and the background from which they built their views/rules for this country. It appears, to any proplerly informed American,that lately politicians lack the context and knowledge of the rules the Founders formed the greatest nation ever upon!For a President to call our Constitution "flawed, inadequate, and a charter of negative rights" is absurd! The mention of the Supreme Court not investigating and ruling on a "redistrubtion of wealth" program demonstrates his ignorance on the Constitution granting the federal government ONLY THE POWERS NAMED AND NONE OF THEM NOT MENTIONED! If he understood the colonies and their beginnings, and early rejection of federal government as shown in the Articles of Confederation and lists of rights states demanded, which led to the Bill of Rights, in order to adopt the Constitution he wouldn't have allowed himself to be brainwashed into thinking America is a terrible nation and flawed by obsolete thoughts of "so-called founders." But it's apparent that most Presidents of recent times lack any substance, and even the smallest amount of knowledge of the rules by which they MUST FOLLOW. This book should be required reading for any student in America, politician or federal employee.

After reading this book, I am amazed at how much we've picked away at our constitution. Some of the amendments have truly helped our country progress while others have circumvented the balance of powers. I have a much better grasp of the concepts which yielded our constitution now.

If you need any other reason to read this book other than knowing it is a great history lesson, know this. Liberals hate it!!! The can't stand it. They call it crazy and inaccurate but the author regularly uses quotes from the founding fathers themselves. I find it fascinating that there are people in this world who claim to have thoughts pass through their brain and then they just ignore what people have said. You know this is a good book if it annoys liberals this much.

This book was so good. I encourage everyone interested in the past and future of this country to read it. I took government in HS and later in college and never understood the constitution as I did when it was put in such simplistic terms. It is a very well written book. I am amazed at how much I learned in a few chapters of what our present government is doing to and has done to undo our constitutional rights. How far sighted our forefathers were in protecting them. A must read book!!!

Glenn Beck's introduction states that the Jamestown colony was an example of "pure socialism," though in reality the colony was funded by shareholders; it was a corporation established for the twofold purpose of establishing a foothold in the potentially profitable New World AND to turn a quick buck through mining gold. Beck also seems to think that private property was invented at Jamestown in 1613, when Governor Dale allotted small plots of land (which was granted to the corporation by a king who did not own it) to the colonists. Zap! Capitalism! Actually, Dale's action resembles a modern profit-sharing plan that grants workers a share in the corporation. The real success of the colony and the state of Virginia began because John Rolfe, Jamestown settler and husband of Pocahontas, started growing tobacco. Beck then implies that the shift from socialism to capitalism, which occurred only in his imagination, is somehow responsible for producing four of the first five presidents, including Thomas Jefferson, conveniently ignoring the fact that Virginia was built on land stolen from native Americans, land farmed by labor stolen from African slaves. Free land, free labor.
The tripe continues in the book itself. Cleon Skousen, in a pathetically desperate attempt to connect American democracy to Biblical authority, makes the astonishing claim that the ancient Israelites invented representative democracy while wandering in the desert as described in the Book of Exodus. Two problems: the Exodus never occurred--at least not as described in the Old Testament, which states that 600,000 men of fighting age left Egypt. Adding in wives, children, parents, etc., we find that a mob approximating two million people somehow got away unnoticed. (Despite copious written records from ancient Egypt, there is no record of the sudden departure of two million slaves from the city of Rameses.) Not only that, archaeologists following the Biblical route have found no artifacts from this mass migration, so apparently two million people wandered in the desert for forty years and didn't lose anything, not a knife, a trinket, a bowl, pot, or worn out sandal. Second, Skousen's claim is not supported by his source. He claims that the Isrealites elected representatives for each ten families, each 100 families, each 1,000 families, etc. What Exodus actually says is that Moses was appointed the ruler of the people by God, but discovered that judging every petty disagreement that arose was simply too time consuming, so at the suggestion of his father-in-law, Jethro, he appointed not "representatives" but judges to arbitrate minor disputes. None were elected, not Moses, not his brother Aaron, not the judges, and not Joshua, who commanded the army. No elections, no voting, no democracy. If you doubt this, read Exodus yourself, then follow through with the book of Judges and the two books of Kings. The Israelites backslid repeatedly, beginning with the golden calf. This backsliding, or doing "evil in the sight of the Lord," is first punished by God, then corrected by the appointing of a judge. The sequence repeats itself through a series of divinely appointed judges, then a series of kings, beginning with Saul. Not one judge, not one king was elected.
These are just two examples of how both Beck in his introduction and Skousen in the book itself continually revise history to support their own beliefs. This kind of dishonest imitation "scholarship" (or perhaps just sloppy, tunnel-vision imitation "scholarship") has become a staple of the right wing noise machine in recent years. Save your money. I wish I had.

Skousen's 5000 year Leap is the best single book explanation of what the founding fathers managed to put together in the late 18th century. Everyone in the country should read this book and it should be used as a text in school.

Okay just want to be clear - I love this book. The author gives so much great detailed information and historical reference on the creation of our Constitution and the ideas and influences that went into America's unique form of government - you will feel like you have taken a college course on it!

This book will completely alter the way you view the news and politics.

However, this is a review of the audio book. The author is a genius, but a terrible reader. I wish he would have hired an actor to do it.

PLEASE do yourself a favor and buy the paperback version. If you love America, you will love this book about it's birth.

An awesome book that every American should read. It helps you understand our Constitution easily. A book that our president and members of congress NEED to read!

I remember going through school and learning about American history and the writing of the Constitution, but I never felt like I had a feel for the language or the principles upon which that great document was written. W. Cleon Skousen's book, The 5000 Year Leap, does just that. This is a book that anyone of almost any age could pick up and understand just what it was the Founding Fathers were striving for. I think that every individual should pick up and read this book at least once, but preferrably multiple times.
This book lays out 28 principles with which the Founding Fathers tried to integrate into the Constitution. It seems that over 50% of the book is actually quotes by the Founding Fathers themselves, allowing it to do a great job of showing the reader what they actually meant and not just what the author thinks they meant. This book is a must-have for any American history fan or any individual who studies politics. I would recommend it to everyone, though.

This book is as relevant today as it was when it was first released. The principles that Skousen reviews should be read by every American at least once a year. Our founders were such an enlightened group of people, and what they did should truly be considered a miracle.

In my 60+ years of life I have many times had a foreboding concerning the actions of Congressmen, the President, or the Supreme Court. I knew something was wrong but couldn't exactly define what or how. I now find my misgivings have considerable justification. My esteem for the Founders rose markedly as I learned the rational behind their creations and better understood the situations in history which led to our country's formation. Those who would say our Constitution is out of date are broadcasting their ignorance of it or have nefarious purposes which have nothing to do with the common good. I would call it a duty of every American to read and understand the material in this book. If too many are ignotant of it, the Noble Experiment will certainly fail. The parchment alone cannot protect the hard-won Freedoms which haven't yet completely eroded from "official" political utterances. The future in this regard is not certain. That's the chilling part.

Excellent tool to educate oneself if you have no formal education on the history of the United States or wish to become an informed American that can now understand logically what you have been feeling emotionally. Our Country and our way of life has been sabotaged.

I bought this on Glen Beck's recommendation but was disappointed to see it was one of those books mainly full of words, and without many pictures. Reading words (especially long ones) makes my head hurt so I was unable to complete reading this book. But if Glen says it's great then I believe him! 5 stars!