Benjamin Rush : Patriot and Physician

Rating:
Summary: Another winner from Brodsky
Review: Alyn Brodsky keeps turning out well-researched and very readable biographies. One wishes that he might turn his attention and talent to other genres as well. This book sheds light on a deserving figure, one who played a pivotal albeit unassuming role in American history. It's truly a shame that Rush is not better known and is often ignored (or at best treated like a footnote) in most textbooks. He was a true Renaissance man and a humanitarian. Some of his ideas were a bit misguided; he was after all a man of his times. Yet he was also, in many ways, ahead of his times, particularly in his treatment of the mentally ill. Maybe now people outside of Philadelphia (come to think of it, even them) will give him the credit he so richly deserves. As for Brodsky, we can only hope he continues to produce such good books for a long time to come. By the way, I should add that the Kirkus reviewer evidentally either only read one page of the book or is simply dim as it was abundantly clear throughout the book that Rush was a fervent patriot and that his motivation was a strong desire to see Americans achieve the freedom they deserved. Of course Rush, idealist that he was, turned out to be disappointed by what the United States (or should I say, our government and political system) became. I'm sure he's turning over in his grave considering what's going on today...not to mention most of the other Founding Fathers!

Rating:
Summary: Lesser known Signer of Declaration Given his Due
Review: Brodsky has done a brilliant job of telling Rush's story in an honest, yet sympathetic way. He weaves the great characters of our young nation into the larger context of a world in the midst of political and economic turmoil.

Rating:
Summary: Lesser known Signer of Declaration Given his Due
Review: Brodsky has done a brilliant job of telling Rush's story in an honest, yet sympathetic way. He weaves the great characters of our young nation into the larger context of a world in the midst of political and economic turmoil.