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A review by nothingforpomegranted
A Brilliant Solution: Inventing the American Constitution by Carol Berkin
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
A Brilliant Solution offers a detailed narrative account of the goings-on in the "room where it happened" during the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention based on the notes of James Madison and a few others. Much like Thomas A. Bailey in An American Paegent, Berkin relies on physical descriptions and entertaining personal details to bring her characters to life, breaking down the barriers of centuries.
However, the book actually felt quite superficial, and I don't think that I learned substantially more about the Constitution or these months of conventions. That is, I don't think that Berkin drew any notable conclusions or even conducted a true analysis of the convention or its delegates, so while I did learn about the specific players and their contributions, I am not convinced that this book is effective as a standalone for learning about U.S. Constitutional history. It would best serve as supplemental reading in a history course.
However, the book actually felt quite superficial, and I don't think that I learned substantially more about the Constitution or these months of conventions. That is, I don't think that Berkin drew any notable conclusions or even conducted a true analysis of the convention or its delegates, so while I did learn about the specific players and their contributions, I am not convinced that this book is effective as a standalone for learning about U.S. Constitutional history. It would best serve as supplemental reading in a history course.