Books : Benjamin Franklin : An American Life

by: Walter Isaacson  Average Rating:
Product Description:

Benjamin Franklin, writes journalist and biographer Walter Isaacson, was that rare Founding Father who would sooner wink at a passer-by than sit still for a formal portrait. What's more, Isaacson relates in this fluent and entertaining biography, the revolutionary leader represents a political tradition that has been all but forgotten today, one that prizes pragmatism over moralism, religious tolerance over fundamentalist rigidity, and social mobility over class privilege. That broadly democratic sensibility allowed Franklin his contradictions, as Isaacson shows. Though a man of lofty principles, Franklin wasn't shy of using sex to sell the newspapers he edited and published; though far from frivolous, he liked his toys and his mortal pleasures; and though he sometimes gave off a simpleton image, he was a shrewd and even crafty politician. Isaacson doesn't shy from enumerating Franklin’s occasional peccadilloes and shortcomings, in keeping with the iconoclastic nature of our time--none of which, however, stops him from considering Benjamin Franklin 'the most accomplished American of his age,' and one of the most admirable of any era. And here’s one bit of proof: as a young man, Ben Franklin regularly went without food in order to buy books. His example, as always, is a good one--and this is just the book to buy with the proceeds from the grocery budget.
Rating: - Lose 20 lbs. in one simple book!
Don't learn how to lose weight by reading some overpaid TV personality, or learn confidence from an over-caffeinated yuppie. Learn how to live happy and healthy through hard work, moderation, and frugality. Only learn from the best, Benjamin Franklin! Read now, and learn how to live your best life ever. This book has a confidence in man that I have never observed. For all the selfishness, laziness, and overall rudeness that exists today, this is, in my opinion, the most important biography ... Read More

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Rating: - Lighthouse
This is a great book, extremely well written by W. Isaacson. I am a non-American citizen with a lot of respect and interest for the history of the USA. Now I am reading several books about the Colonial era and the Founding Fathers, and I've found this to be the best book I've read so far, and Benjamin Franklin, in my modest opinion, the best American ever. I learned a lot and I feel very close to B. Franklin. He is a great model of citizenship to follow. A lighthouse to all of us!
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Rating: - Absolutely wonderful
This is a must-read for anyone with even a passing interest in the field of history. It is simply marvelous!