Benjamin Franklin: An American Life

WHAT I LIKED: - Benjamin Franklin. He is an absolutely amazing person, whose splendid character shines forth in his own writings and the descriptions of his activities. Even one of Franklin’s famous rivals, John Adams, later in life said, “There is scarce a scratch of his pen that is not worth preserving.” - The narrative style approach. This isn’t a boring book that simply chronicles what happened and when. It is like a story, and despite being so comprehensive, it doesn’t seem long enough. It gets more and more exciting as you go through it, even showing hints of a spy novel at one point. While I typically don’t read biographies more than once, this is a book I will likely read many times again. - The technical detail. As Franklin was an inventor, the author could have been excused for glossing over many of the technical details of his inventions. But he doesn’t do that. The author presents the information in a way that any person can understand. It makes the reader appreciate Franklin all that much more. - Time travel. This book takes you back to 18th century America, and you feel very close to the many famous personalities who helped in forming the country. The author has done a wonderful job in making something so distant seem so accessible. You get a taste for England and France from that time period as well. - Reference material. In reading this book, you come across a lot of names. There are many people who had the pleasure to meet Franklin, and one thing I started doing in the course of reading was looking up many of these people. I was surprised to find out how famous and influential they were. And wouldn’t you know it, the author provides a nice glossary at the end which gives a brief description of each character. There are some nice photos and paintings included as well. WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE: - Snide commentary. There are many, many instances of where ill motives are erroneously ascribed to Franklin. The author many times attacks Franklin’s own autobiography, saying he wasn’t entirely honest. And these criticisms are of minor points, such as the way Franklin characterized his own parents. I would have preferred the author save his judgments for a separate chapter instead of interweaving it throughout the narrative. - Gossip column/Tabloid reporting. There is one section of this book in particular which was done in very poor taste. Without giving away too many details, imagine if your worst enemy hacked your email account, took your personal correspondence and then sent it to others. And then imagine that this enemy put their own comments in parentheses after each paragraph. This describes a major section of this book, dealing particularly with Franklin’s time in England. The author obviously invested much time and effort in writing this book, and so he has a right to formulate opinions. But the manner in which they were inserted in some places was very off-putting, due particularly to the fact that I considered the negative comments to be completely off base. - Chastising of Franklin’s character. By all accounts, Franklin was a stand-up guy who had affection for everyone. Perhaps in having little to criticize, the author decided to take issue with the fact that Franklin was friendlier and more open in his dealings with his friends than he was with his family. The author wants you to think that Franklin liked his friends more than his family. But in reality, the level of interaction doesn’t necessarily equate to affection. We make friends with equals, whereas our family members are either our dependents or our superiors. We treat dependents differently than we do friends. The famous Indian philosopher Chanakya said that disciples and children should never be coddled; only criticized. This is for their own good. Franklin seemed to follow a similar approach, though he wasn’t very harsh. To me the way he treated his family is actually a sign of his great affection for them, and not the other way around. VERDICT: A lot of the commentary I didn’t like had footnotes to it, suggesting that perhaps the author was merely passing on the opinions of previous historians. Despite the few negatives, this is an excellent book. I first read the “A Benjamin Franklin Reader” book by the same author, and that interested me enough to purchase this one. Franklin wrote and did so much that one book could never do him justice, but this is a great start. I give many thanks to the author for taking the time to compile this wonderful and insightful work.

Mark F. LaMoure, Boise, ID PHENOMENAL GENIUS I found author Walter Isaacson's, "Benjamin Franklin: An American Life," to be a 5 Gold Star book. It is captivating and filled to over flowing with inspiration. Mr. Isaacson writes about Franklin's brilliant genius as a nation builder. The author shows how Benjamin was a stunning leader right from the start. He was an outstanding political activist, genius inventor, defying rebel and sage the likes of which the world has rarely ever seen. Benjamin Franklin was an unparalleled founding father who lived 1706 to 1790. He lived during the pioneer early days of the 13 Colonies. Benjamin helped build the golden foundation of the United States of America. He did this by helping write the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. AN EXCEPTIONAL MAN Isaacson's book is a masterpiece biography and impressive from cover-to-cover. I discovered Benjamin Franklin's achievements are clearly some of the most admirable of anyone in world history. Franklin's signature was the only one written on all 5 key documents that founded the U.S. And look at the super power of his results: The United States of America! Today the U.S. is a country of 310 million people and one of the most powerful country's on earth in many, sparkling ways. Like a diamond, Benjamin was a shining, multifaceted man. As an American, I appreciate that Franklin was never an elite aristocrat, with an easy path, paved with gold by being born into royalty. Isn't it incredible that he was the world's first ultra-genius who created the power of the middle class in America? And look at the trend he started around the world! Benjamin was a true blessing. BRILLIANT ACHIEVEMENT I realized that Franklin was wise and insightful. He was a true super-mastermind, or a "Polymath." Franklin excelled in everything he attempted to do in business. Such as in journalism, printing, writing, science, politics, diplomacy and much more. Benjamin's business expertise was extraordinary. He would have been worth at least ten's of billion's dollars in today's money. Franklin's ability in politics showed he was an incredible realist v.s. political or religious zealot, like so many of today's drunken dictators around the world. He is also an example by which countless American leaders of today could learn a lot. Want proof? Just look at the Congress of he United States of America today! Thier political corruption in recent years is a national disaster and will go down in history. INCREDIBLE ACCOMPLISHMENT Benjamin Franklin's achievements are beyond belief. Benjamin established the outstanding University of Pennsylvania. I was proud he made the scientific discovery that lightening was electricity. Franklin was a brilliant scientist. He would have earned at least one of today's Nobel Peace Prizes in Physics for his writing on electricity. Benjamin Franklin was the first to invent amazing bifocal glasses. He created the first, leading Postal Service and Fire Department in America. Franklin was the first President of the Pennsylvania Abolitionist Society, against slavery. I was amazed that these major achievements are only a tiny few of his giant, Herculean successes. Today, his incredible inventions and achievements bless many billions of people in America. And worldwide, on a daily basis. WELL WRITTEN BOOK I enjoyed reading Isaacson's book. When you finish the book, you'll feel like you personally know Benjamin Franklin. Franklin lived one of those lives that leaves you amazed, astonished and stunned. The book is tremendously exciting and highly educational. Buy it - you'll love it.

Good

Great topic. Interesting detail that are not well known

Excellent read

Read if you are looking for: A greater understanding of the USA, leadership, philosophy Walter Isaacson is one of the greatest biographers writing today, and this book is exceptional (he is also known for his biography of Steve Jobs). Isaacson leads you through Franklin’s long and fascinating life, starting with his success as a printer and writer in Philadelphia, and spanning through his forays and discoveries as a scientist and inventor, his success as an ambassador during the American War of Independence, where he helped broker support from France, and the ultimate peace with Britain, and as a signatory to the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. Franklin championed the virtues of industriousness and values of the working class and thus was instrumental in shaping the development of the American character and national identity. In many ways, Franklin personifies the difference in attitude between the United States and the old world of Europe in the 18th century. Franklin is an inspirational character and his focus on self-education is particularly noteworthy. Although his formal schooling ended when he was ten, he continued his education on his own through reading voraciously, writing under a pseudonym for his brother’s newspaper and forming clubs and societies with the intention to develop and share knowledge. During his time in Paris towards the end of his life, he was revered as a philosopher and academic and even considered by some a peer of Voltaire - pretty good for someone with only two years of formal education. His success as a statesman and ambassador can be attributed to his ability to control his pride and ego, utilising silence as a tool in negotiations and most importantly his understanding of the power of compromise. Franklin’s ability to compromise contributed to much of his success and his skill at knowing when to concede and let his opponent save face can be seen again and again during the negotiations for French support, peace with Britain and facilitating agreement regarding the United States Constitution. Moreover, this understanding of compromise can also be seen in his wider beliefs, from balancing the desire to be financially successful with his belief of frugality, to his religious tolerance. Franklin deep curiosity shaped how he viewed the world, never taking himself too seriously, he didn’t approach problems as an expert or academic. Instead his playfulness and ability to experiment galvanised his success as a writer, inventor, scientist and statesman. Franklin definitely deserves the title of the greatest American and is a role model to us all. Major Takeaways: (i) The importance of Franklin in creating the American identity (ii) The power of compromise (iii) importance of self-education (iv) the power of silence and listening during a negotiation.

A fantastic book. Gives a very balanced view of one of the greatest personalities of his era. A great scientist, entrepreneur and statesman- he changed the course of American history and was instrumental not only in the freedom movement but also in unifying the states under one Union and writing of the Constitution. But the greatest trait of Benjamin Franklin was that he always kept his feet firmly on the ground thereby raising the dignity of the 'blue apron' people. His frugality and always maintaining his status as a 'printer' is a great lesson for today's politicians. A must read.