Franklin was ahead of his time

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	• Benjamin Franklin: An American Life Walter Isaacson Simon & Schuster, 2004 - 608 pages average customer review:based on 202 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Thoroughly enjoyable.

I read elsewhere that Franklin was about 70 years of age before going to France as Embassador. He was quick witted to be sure but a bit unpredictable for his French caretakers. He left nothing for them in his will. Isaacson did a wonderful job of reporting on Frankin's irascible character.

Franklin was ahead of his time

Many of the reviews already give the praise to this book that I would give. As I kept reading I found it amazing that this man was actually born 300 years ago. Many of his views are still so relevant today. I kept finding myself saying, "Yes, I totally agree with Franklin's opinion on that." I can imagine Franklin living in 2007 and being fascinated with things like the Internet and communication. However, I bet he would be the type of person who would still find time to write a letter and sit back and relax with some friends and tea which we so often fail to do today. Great book!

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America's Enlightenment Man

While reading Walter Isaacson's study of Benjamin Franklin the printer, satirist, moralist, scientist, political theorist, statesman, and most important of all, a founding father of the United States, I thought that he truly deserves the title America's first Renaissance Man. However this is not quite true because as Isaacson demonstrates, Benjamin Franklin was a product of the Enlightenment, who played a key role in placing America on its revolutionary path of freedom and opportunity. From this source, came his curiosity, a striving for a rational and virtuous life, eagerness to reach for anything new, his sense of civic duty, industriousness, and faith in the abilities and potential of the common man. There is a lot to cover and Isaacson does a great job translating Franklin's life and personality so the reader gains a thorough understanding and knowledge of Franklin and his times. The downside of the book is that it seemed a bit choppy and superficial sometimes and did not stay long with the most interesting parts (for me) of his life. However, upon further reflection I realize that it seems that way because Ben Franklin truly was larger than life and a single volume cannot really do him justice. This is probably not the definitive biography of Benjamin Franklin, but it is a wonderful place to start. It was for me!

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Great Book!

This bio was thoroughly enjoyable. I expected it to be informative and educational, but what I didn't expect was to be entertained. Franklin was a very complex man, both deep and shallow. He had very shallow relationships with his family, mainly his wife and son, very flirtaceous with other women, while being a deep thinker, an entrepreneur, American statesman, diplomat and genius. There's a lot of American history in the book with out being slow and boring.

I simply loved this book.

reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, page 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

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