SHORTLIST
Cover of The Year of Living Constitutionally

The Year of Living Constitutionally

The Year of Living Constitutionally by A.J. Jacobs is one of 2026's most credible books, appearing on 1 of the year's most respected lists, including The Economist, for a Consensus Score of 15 out of 100.

Appears on these lists

Our take

AI-drafted

Jacobs applies the same stunt-memoir formula that worked for living Biblically to the Constitution, and the gimmick, quill pens, militia reenactments, a musket carried around Manhattan, is really a delivery mechanism for a more serious inquiry into originalism and how much the framers' original meaning should bind us now. Critics have praised the balance he strikes: genuinely funny without turning glib, historically grounded without turning into a textbook.

In the press

  • a marvelously witty and wise consideration of the Constitution's legacy
    Kirkus Reviews
  • funny but not snarky, inventive but not obnoxious, learned but not pedantic
    Booklist

How the Consensus Score is calculated

Our Consensus Score is our own transparent editorial metric — not a user rating. It weighs each list by the credibility of its source, how recent the listing is, and any award status. Here is the full breakdown.

SourceAuthorityRecencyAwardContribution
The Economist0.950.701.00×0.67
Weighted sum → Score0.6715

Similar consensus books

Because they appear on some of the same lists.

James

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Frequently asked

What lists is The Year of Living Constitutionally on?

The Year of Living Constitutionally appears on 1 list in our 2026 corpus, including The Economist.

What is its Consensus Score?

The Year of Living Constitutionally has a Consensus Score of 15 out of 100, our transparent editorial measure of how many credible lists agree on it.