Earlier this year my wife and I had a Saturday night routine for 7 weeks in a row. We watched the HBO mini-series called John Adams. The acting was great (starring Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney), the set design and costuming was astounding, and we were drawn into the story as we watched it together with our teenage daughters.

Typically when I watch a show, I forget about it by the next day. But this show had me thinking for days following each episode. It is amazing to me the decisions that were made by a bunch of guys in their thirties and forties (uh, my age) that have guided our country for over 230 years.

John Adams is now available on DVD. I strongly recommend you get it, watch it, and consider some of the foundational conversations behind the birth of our country. If you have teens, watch it with them and have fun talking.