Rating: 
Summary: Great Portrayal of the Most Versatile American
Review: Let me first start off by saying that I have read few biographies. But Isaacson made a biography that is both readable and balanced between Franklin's personal and professional life. Franklin was the true founding father that believed in the common man. Franklin was not perfect but he believed in fair treatment for all. America would have advanced much slower if it was not for Ben. Probably his greatest contribution to our society was the feeling of helping one another. He helped form the first fire station, post office, police force (much less his inventions) - his work had community written all over it. All of his work was done with the premise of helping mankind. Maybe other founders fought the wars and wrote the documents. But we survived all these years because we formed a community; the idea that as Americans we have to all work together. That is Franklin's legacy to our nation. I will read biographies on the other founders (Hamilton, Jefferson, Adams and Washington) to gain a more complete perspective on how this country started. This book lays an excellent foundation and is a must read for those interested in the origins of America through the eyes of one of its greatest citizens.
Rating: 
Summary: An outstanding biography of a remarkable man
Review: Walter Isaacson, former chairman of CNN and managing editor of Time Magazine, has written an immensely readable and informative biography of Benjamin Franklin that never gets too stuffy or bogged down in meaningless minutae. Instead, we are treated to a fascinating glimpse at a man who was early America's greatest publisher, scientist, politician, inventor and diplomat. We all have our pre-conceived notions of Franklin, including him out flying his kite to try and link electricity with lightning, or him dozing off during the lengthy and tedious deliberations at the Constitutional Convention. Isaacson peels back the layers of the story a bit, reminding us how often our vision of Franklin derives from Franklin's own pen, such as the vision of the young teen arriving in Philadelphia with loaves of bread, looking ridiculous as he passed by the window of his future wife (a scene written by Franklin at age 65 when he penned his autobiography). The book does a very good job not only of recounting the many accomplishments of Franklin, but also of exploring his middle class ideals and values. For example, Isaacson's book reminds us that while Franklin was never terribly pious or religious throughout his life, he favored organized religion because churches encouraged citizens to behave well, and to do good things. There was always a sense of pragmatism and public service in everything Franklin did and believed in. As a publisher, if he thought a public policy or official was wrong and needed to be criticized publicly, he would invent characters (to avoid libel suits) to write humorous and sometimes scathing attacks that were basically anonymous. The book also dwells repeatedly on the Franklin's love and admiration of the middle class as the real core of American society. While Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia as a college for southern gentlemen, Franklin founded the University of Pennsylvania to serve a much larger, and more low-brow, populace. As a statesman, it is remarkable that Franklin (despite many years abroad as an effective French ambassador) was a participant and signer of virtually every key treaty/document in colonial history, including the Albany Plan of the Union, the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Alliance with France, the Peace Treaty with England, and the Constitution. His spirit of compromise and his sage demeanor no doubt helped bridge the gap which sharply divided members of the Constitutional Convention. He occasionally flip-flopped on an issue, including his views on the Stamp Act and his belief in the possibility of conciliation with Britain, but without his sense of compromise the Constitution would never have made it in its present, remarkable form. Isaacson also explores the personal side of Franklin, including his strained relationship (and ultimate lack of a relationship) with his loyalist son, who became governor of New Jersey, as well as his relatively harmless flirting with the ladies of French society while he was abroad. The contrasts in his character, and that of John Adams (who was sent out to France to work with him on the French alliance), was remarkable. Both great men to be sure, but they could not be more unalike, and their pairing was an unfortunate one. The book ends with a wonderful chapter titled "Conclusions" in which Franklin's place in history, and the changing attitudes towards his character over the years, are explored. The Trascendentalists like Emerson and Thoreau had little use for Ben, as he was too practical and mundane for their "rarefied tastes", but as the country became more industrial and Horatio Alger novels became the rage, Franklin's work ethic and maxims were embraced all over again. Ultimately Isaacson points out that as a writer he was "more Mark Twain and less William Shakespeare", and as a scientist he was more like Edison than Newton. Always witty and charming, if not profound, he probably did more than anyone in history to try and advance the common good, through civic associations, libraries, volunteer fire departments, post offices, etc. I put the book down terribly impressed with Franklin the man, and Isaacson the biographer.
Rating:
Summary: An American Renaissance Man
Review: Publisher, philosopher, scientist, inventor, and statesman - Walter Isaacson's "Benjamin Franklin: An American Life" is a fascinating portrait of our Founding Father's most senior citizen. But it is also an outstanding history of American life in the 18th century, first as a colony, then in the struggle for independence. The role of France in the American Revolution - and Franklin's role in securing that key alliance - unfolds with a clarity I'd not previously encountered. And Franklin's often-combative relationship with John Adams is a riveting character study, especially when balanced by McCullough's biography of Adams. In vivid detail and painstaking research, Isaacson's Franklin is brilliant, but still an enigma. Despite unquestionably high morality, we see a ruthless businessman. While possessing an obvious love for socializing - especially with members of the opposite sex - his immediate family is effectively abandoned, as Franklin lives virtually parallel lives between Europe and America. We see Franklin typically charitable and charming, yet alternately cold and calculating. Yet despite his foibles and flaws, Franklin emerges deservedly as "the most accomplished American of his age." And given the breadth of these accomplishments, an argument could be made "for any age". In summary, Isaacson achieves the rare combination of an important and scholarly biography that at the same time is a lively and entertaining story of America and one of our greatest Americans.
Rating:
Summary: Discover Benjamin, Discover America!
Review: I wanted to read a bio of the great B. Franklin, but I never could make up my mind till I came across this book in the bookstore. What an inventor and American! Everytime I walk past the wood stove, sitting in the corner of our family room, I think of good ole Ben. Many times I had to laugh out loud at some of the things he came up with and invented, and especially when he wanted the turkey to be the national bird instead of the eagle. I prefer the eagle, but we know there are a lot of liberal buzzards flying around in Washington these days.
This book is eduactional, informative and should be required for high school reading.
Rating:
Summary: Darn good
Review: Walter Isaacson's biography of Franklin is darn good, very readable and touches on all aspect's of Franklin's life. Unlike the thinner bio by Edmund S. Morgan (also good, but for different reasons), Isaacson provides much more detail on Franklin's early life and exploits, and his scientific and social pursuits. I wouldn't put the book in the same category as the recent biographies by Chernow (ALEXANDER HAMILTON) and Morris (the first two volumes on Theodore Roosevelt), which I think are absolutely out-of-this-world brilliant, but it's still a very enjoyable and worthwhile book.
Rating:
Summary: Very Insightful
Review: As I read this book, the one thing that coming to my mind is how unlikable a guy like Ben Franklin really was, but at the same time, because of the nature of the man, I could see how he came to be so immensely influential. Isaacson provides a look into Franklin's life that truly does illuminate the nature of the man and at the same time then, the founding of the country.
Overall, this book was not as easy a read as McCullough's "John Adams", but it was still well written, thought out, and researched. I fully appreciated the level of research that went into this particular text and how well synthesized the research was. In the synthesis however, the one thing I found lacking was that Isaacson did not have a clear thesis (at least to me) until he reached the conclusion of the book. In my opinion it's a little more helpful to understanding the work if I know up front where the author is coming from, but I wouldn't let that prevent anyone else from reading it, nor would I let it stop me from reading it again. All in all this book is worth your time.
Rating:
Summary: A Fantastic and Entertaining Biography of the Real Franklin
Review: Isaacson provides us with an entertaining and easily readable biography of the founding father that was most ahead of his time. He depicts Franklin as a man who prized pragmatism, religious tolerance, and opposition to rigid class hierarchy. Franklin comes to life in these pages. Like most biographies and histories written today, this too is slightly revisionist in that the author highlights the flaws in Franklin's character and the inevitable inconsistencies in his actions. And yet, Franklin emerges as a hero of his age and a role model for our society today. What I took away from this book was the greatness of Franklin; he accomplished more in his life than nearly any of his contemporaries. This is an entertaining and illuminating biography of Franklin that transcends the hagiographical approach one often encounters when discussing our founding fathers. What one remembers as they read this book is that Franklin was human and one with whom it would be fascinating to have sat down and talked. A thoroughly entertaining biography that anyone interested in history or America should read.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: An excellent biography on one of the USA's most astounding "founding fathers".
Isaacson has done a superb job in bringing Franklin to life. I didn't know much about Ben before reading this book, but now I can safely say that not only was he a genius (spanning many disciplines---science, politics, diplomacy) he was also the kind of person you would like to have a beer with at your local pub! Isaacson brings this all to life in this terrific book.
Rating:
Summary: The Popular American
Review: Reading biographies for entertainment is deplorable; for information, admirable; for wisdom, desirable. More can be learned from the failures of men, than from their successes. In this regard, Ben Franklin's life is a gold vault of insight.
No one American, dead or living, has elicited so much passion as he has. Not an orator like Patrick Henry, a philosopher like Jefferson, nor a war hero like Washington, he is nevertheless the focal point in any discussion concerning the origins of these United States.
Yet he is more than that.
In this superb biography by Walter Isaacson, we become acquainted with his formative years in Boston and Philadelphia, and in his brother's printing press; we catch a glimpse of his famous, perhaps infamous, rivalries with the like of the Penns, John Adams.
An American Life is written in a bouncy, speedy style that captures Franklin's energy. There is a lot one can learn from his life: his practicality, his love of knowledge, his philanthropy--it's endless.
As with all biographies, there are bound to be misplaced facts and nuances; this one being no different. Criticism, therefore, might be justified, though to me it takes nothing away from this colossal figure.
Read this book for pleasure; better yet, read it for sense.
Rating:
Summary: A well-written book on a fascinating character
Review: At the beginning of my campaign for Rhode Island State Representative I picked up this book as an "interesting" read, and since then I have read five other books on the Founding Fathers (see my reviews on Amazon) and the birth of the USA, my interest sparked by this book, and I'm still going strong.
In short, by reading this book you will understand why Benjamin Franklin is such an exceptional character. Everyone knows the name and maybe an anecdote or two, but to truly appreciate Franklin you need to know the degree to which he was respected during his times and also how much, to this day, 200 years later, we are still in his debt. To this end, Isaacson does a great job, constantly putting Franklin's life in perspective. Many books just get the facts out, but the exceptional book, like this one, explains things.
This is a well-written and highly polished work. I'd highly recommend it for anyone interested in Franklin or the founding of the United States. I was not aware of Franklin's political contributions or the essential role he played during the late colonial and revolutionary war periods.
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