The 5000 Year Leap by Willard Cleon Skousen - Assignment Example

The 5000 Year Leap by Willard Cleon Skousen Introduction The book “The Five Thousand Year Leap : The 28 Great Ideas That Changed The World” by W. C. Skousen is a remarkable documentary that encapsulates the entire manifestation starting from the prerequisite for the framing of constitution to the empowerment of the government involving people along with a detailed critical nature and scope pertaining to fiscal policies and family values. Captivating the essence of 28 principles implemented by the founding fathers of the super power United States of America to gain a leap of 5000 year in terms of freedom, peace and prosperity, this book stands erect as a motivating and guiding phenomenon in understanding the history and making of the great nation of United States of America to the truest essence of its title. Analysis of the book “The Five Thousand Year Leap: The 28 Great Ideas That Changed World” from Historical Context The book by Skousen is enlightening because of its historical detailing and critical analysis of the events that are landmark in American history and politics. The framing of the great constitution of one of the greatest nations of the world ought to involve myriad important events that associates crest and fall. The perspective of a book written is always influenced by the education and background of the author. Skousen was a retired educator and a person who had mastered in History. Therefore it is quite evident that his book must contain historical facts and figures well assembled and least distorted. Willard’s other books contain this characteristics and the most poignant of the canon, “The Five Thousand Year Leap” is not at all an exception in this regard. This book comprises all the essential historical events that turned out to be the landmark in American history and framing of its constitution. Firstly this book throws a detailed light on the expertise and skills of the founding fathers. In a very brilliant and subtle way it focuses on the principles and philosophies that these founding fathers of the nation followed and how they incorporated it on a national plane. Secondly, history implies not only mere record of the past events but also it enables mankind to learn from the past to secure the future and strengthen the present. The same thought process is operative throughout this book too. The book brings a detailed study regarding the framing of the constitution and the ‘Declaration of Independence’. The book enables its readers to know the actual reason for US government to initiate myriad of federal and military policies. The book is divided into two halves and the first part is named “The Founder’s Monumental Task”. This portion of the book contains a wide range of political and historical topics that are relevant and are attuned with the past struggle and attainment of glory during the formative years. Ranging from the subjects like the founder’s political spectrum to Fundamental Principles, this section gives a detailed and thorough look on the history pertaining to the foundation of a great nation and its socio-political ups and downs during the formative years. The second part of the book bears the title “The Founder’s Basic Principle” and systematically enlists the twenty eight principles that are responsible for building a great nation and constitution. These principles also give a basic idea about the convention, belief, political and philosophical perspective of this founding father as well. This also automatically enriches the reader’s mind about the thought process that was operating in their minds while framing these ideas. Agreement with the Thesis in the Book and Expert Coverage of the Subject by the Author The thesis of the book is evident by the name itself. The book bears the title, “The Five Thousand Year Leap: The 28 Great Ideas that Changed the World”. The book contains many socio-political and historical events of America that enables its future generations to understand the nation at a close length. The core matter of the book revolves around the twenty eight great principles that enabled to frame the basic fundamentals of a nation and its great constitution. These twenty eight principles are mentioned in the second part of the book with a complete detail along with the philosophical and political perspectives of the founding fathers as well which is an additional benefit indeed. The book encapsulates and coherently adheres to the thesis statement put forwarded and explicitly covers the subject matter intended to deal with in this enlightened version. Evaluation of the Sources by the Author and Their Coherence with the Thesis Statement of the Book The book “The Five Thousand Year Leap: The 28 Great Ideas that Changed the World” refers to very relative, coherent and enriched sources just like its content. The books that have enriched and influenced the creation of the author are “The Mystery of Anglo-Saxon’s” and “The Secret to America’s Strength”. Both these books are written by the author himself and yields great knowledge about the origin of the Americans which is basic and act as a source of primary research for this book and the detail pertaining to the strengths of America help to understand the readers the background and the reason for framing and choosing twenty eight principles and reasons for their incorporation or implementation in the constitution of America. Apart from these the ‘Constitution of America’ and ‘The Declaration of Independence’ also act as a very coherent source for the book that is well co-ordinated with the book. “Common Sense” by Thomas Paine reflects the reason for incorporation of certain sections in the constitution and the influence of the book on the American polity is immeasurable. The sources used in the book are therefore completely co-ordinated with the subject matter and help the readers to add value and knowledge along with close and proper understanding of those principles which accelerated the growth and prosperity of America to the truest essence of the term. Biasness of the Author Every piece of writing contains a political hue. Willard Cleon Skousen too, after the publication of this book, is often clubbed in the canon of over patriot writers. The issue is not about patriotism or Americanisation. After a close and in-depth reading of the book, any sensible reader would easily come to the conclusion that the book does not intend to speak only the positive aspects of the nation or its constitution but wishes to render knowledge to its future generations about the great struggle and throw light on those hard days of formative years. This is important because to understand the present policy and future course of action undertaken by the government, one must be aware about the past course of events that have actually shaped and re-shaped the present and the future. The author is not at all biased. He just wanted to present the true statistics and course of events that influenced and guided the founding fathers of the nation to undertake the policies and principles involved in the framing of the nation’s constitution. Recommendations A close reading of this enlightening book by Willard Cleon Skousen shall always compel any sensible reader to recommend it and share the great thoughts captivated within the enriched pages throughout the book. The book is written in a very lucid language and the presentations are simple yet compact which makes the book quite comfortable and makes one’s mind quite inquisitive about the book. Every citizen should know his or her country and to know America to its truest essence, this book is essential and cannot be ignored or subordinated to other great books. United States of America is a superpower and what actually binds the Americans together for development and peace is its fundamental values of equality and fraternity. This book throws light on the events that enabled the founding fathers to dream for a great nation. The philosophy and the thought of those great men are envisaged in this enlightening book which is universal as it retells the making of a great nation and can be thus looked up by the world and relative to everyone reading it as those twenty eight principles can be incorporated into any great operation. The book is strongly recommended as it is informative, innovative and a good food for thought that shall relentlessly add value to the life of its readers. Influence of the Book on the Perception Pertaining to the Subject The book “The Five Thousand Year Leap: The Twenty Eight Great Ideas That Changed the World” by Willard Cleon Skousen to the truest essence of its title, opens a new vista regarding the America and its formative years of politics and democracy. American Constitution and the contribution of the founding fathers of the nation had always been a fascinating topic. But the enlightening documentation of the veteran scholar enabled me to perceive the thought process of the founding fathers. Many a times, various resolutions or amendments in the constitution seem out of place or irrelevant. After having a detailed study about the principles and the story behind implementing each one of them, some actions of the past and some steps taken by the government in present started seeming quite justified. The book, “Five Thousand Year Leap” launches the perspective owing to the nation and its fundamental to a greater realm and the struggle of the formative years and the effective policies taken during the period for better prospect seems truly great. Bibliography Skousen, W. C. The Five Thousand Year Leap. Power Think Publishing, 2009. Ed 1. Read More