Benjamin Franklin : An American Life

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Summary: Valuable insight into Prerevolutionary Times
Review: In American Mythology certain figures stand out as legendary symbols of what it is "to be American"; the short list enshrines Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, and Franklin.

When reading biography -- particularly of great men -- the benefit for the average reader is to understand what made them great, what the exact mixture of times, traits, and fortune provided the opportunity for them to rise to the occassion and put their mark on history.

Franklin occupies a unique position. While included as a founding father along with Washington and Jefferson (et al), it may be more appropriate to identify him as the Founding Grandfather as he was 70 when the revolution began.

Where most biographies of the revolutionary generation necessarily dwell on the period the war, the framing, and the transition from the Federalists to the Republicans a biography of Franklin must "set the table" for all these events which are to come.

Isaacson does an admirable job of this, demonstrating the characteristics and decisions which led Franklin to lead his generation to the break with England.

This work is definitely worth the investment to read and reflect on.

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Summary: Read this Book!!
Review: Benjamin Franklin : An American Life by Walter Isaacson is an incredible biography about an incredible American. The book is very readable and flows easily. Just for these qualities, the book is highly recommended and a must read for anyone interested in the founding of our nation.

Isaacson does a marvelous job intertwining the life of Franklin with the founding of our country. This is not a difficult assignment since the two are so intertwined and it is questionable as to whether the nation would have ever existed if not for the efforts of Franklin. Isaacson takes us through the early life of Franklin, his beginnings as a printer and his development as a thinker, business man, scientist and inventor. What becomes clear is that Franklin was the epitome of what we now call a Renaissance Man. But Isaacson is not uncritical of Franklin, where criticism is due. Most of that criticism is saved for Franklin's private life and his inexcusable treatment of his wife and son.

On the political level, Franklin was present at every major event that led to the founding of our nation. He signed and help write the Declaration of Independence, was critical in gaining the treaty with France that was instrumental in obtaining independence, was essential to the negotiations with Britain that ended the War, and played an essential role in the writing of the Constitution. Isaacson discusses all of these events and the role that Franklin played.

If you are interested in the founding of our country read this book.

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Summary: Dull, dull, dull.
Review: A biography of Franklin ought to be full of life, virtually impossible to put down. Here is a man who lived life to the full, had wit and charm, not to mention a pretty sharp sense of humour - and Isaacson provides us with an account that has all the verve of a high school history report.

One of the difficulties with biography is that you already know most of the plot, and you probably know how it ends too. To create a sense of suspense and excitement, you need to need to do two things. First, you need to construct a "plot" that is more than just a chain of events - you need to turn this life into some kind of story. Second, you need to add enough originality and insight to give the reader something they hadn't thought of before - a new twist on a familiar tale.

Isaacson does neither. He follows Franklin from cradle to grave, covering his life with reasonable thoroughness, some attention to alternative sources and points of view, and with excellent command of English grammar and vocabulary. For this he is to be commended - his experience as a successful journalist shows. However, he has not managed to create anything that pulls the reader a long - neither the "what next" plot nor the "what will he tell me next" insights.

If anyone wants to read a diametrically opposite biographical effort, try "My Brain is Open: The Mathematical Journeys of Paul Erdos" by Bruce Schechter. This is a biography of a mathemetician - exactly the sort of book you'd expect to be irredeemably dull. Far from it - it's the kind you can't put down. That is exactly what Franklin deserved, and Isaacson has let him (and us) down.

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Summary: Readers will be rewarded for their time!
Review: Isaacson, W. Benjamin Franklin: An American Life (2003)
It is safe to say that almost every American has heard of Benjamin Franklin, it also reasonable to assume that a large percentage of people could describe his exploits with a kite and lightning or his role as a founding father. But what most people are unaware of is the richness of his life and the enormous influence he had in the development of our nation; influence that continues to this day. In his book Benjamin Franklin: An American Life, Walter Isaacson not only recounts Franklin's life but in a richly detailed narrative gives the reader an insight into the foundations of his beliefs; beliefs that would guide every aspect of his life.
Benjamin Franklin's life was marked by distinctly unique periods, from his time as an entrepreneurial printer to that of the sage elder statesmen. Isaacson uses these periods as the delineating marks in his recounting of Franklin's life. This process produces a neat and tidy manuscript, but leads to a somewhat truncated view of Franklin's life that is devoid of the natural ebb and flow of real-life. Although careful readers will note that these periods are not distinct unto themselves and that they often overlap and are ultimately part of an overall story.
An overriding theme of Franklin's life was the evolution he underwent as a person. He constantly sought out new experiences and undertook intellectual growth throughout his life. Of particular interest was the continual process of introspection he engaged in, this led to the formation of his thirteen virtues. Virtues that he not only extolled others to follow but for the most part followed himself. Isaacson points out that even though Franklin was steadfast in his own beliefs he was not overbearing in his views, through his use of the Socratic method he presented himself in very non-confrontational way and was seen by those around him as not only benevolent but sagacious as well. This view is often the historical depiction of Benjamin Franklin, a view that some historians would argue that Franklin was very cognitive of and careful to cultivate during his lifetime.
In many ways Benjamin Franklin was first and foremost a pragmatist. His ideas and thoughts were not based upon deeply philosophical roots but rather emanated from his notions about practicality and fairness. Isaacson notes that one of the primary reasons for Franklin's immense popularity with the "common" man was the simplicity of his ideas and the homespun and folksy manner in which they were presented. But, that for all his popularity Franklin is rarely viewed as an influential thinker (certainly not in the league of Locke or Aquinas). Although it could be plausibly argued that his ideas are of equal value and in the case of the development of American ideals, more important.
The degree to which Benjamin Franklin influenced America is difficult to overstate. However, Isaacson notes that some of the things that he most well known for such as the Franklin stove are often overstated in their usefulness. At the same time some of his most impact full ideas are often ignored. Things such as tolerance, service to ones community and equality (an ideal that he practiced to varying degrees).
Anyone who has even passing interest in human nature, history, or the United States of America will find this text both insightful and interesting. Isaacson writes in very fluid manner that makes consuming the voluminous text that is Franklin's life much easier and enjoyable. The work appears to be exhaustively researched and draws information from multiple sources. Isaacson is not overly critical of Franklin, but he clearly states that Franklin was a man and prone to flaws like any man.
I personally found the book very enjoyable. As I was reading I started to dog-ear each page that contained some bit of information that I wanted to remember or reference for later use. By the time I finished reading I realized that about a quarter of the pages were dog-eared. I found so many of Franklin's words insightful and believe they are as meaningful today as they were two-hundred fifty years ago.

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Summary: A Serious and Fully Enjoyable Read
Review: If you are looking for a holiday gift that is both serious and enjoyable while capturing much of the spirit of America's founding, you need go no further than "Benjamin Franklin: An American Life."

Isaacson understands something about the American Revolution and the founding fathers that many students of the era never quite get. Each founding father plays an essential role in our becoming an independent republic. Washington is the titan of moral authority on whose integrity our nation rests. Jefferson is the brilliant writer and theorist who helped create modern politics. Madison's systematic hard work created the system of legislative power and constitutional authority that protects our freedoms. Hamilton's understanding of economics and social forces established the capitalist structure, which has made this the wealthiest society in history.

Yet in the deepest sense, these great men were pre-American. They belonged to an earlier, different era where most were landed gentry. Even Hamilton longed for the stability of monarchy.

Only Franklin personified the striving, ambitious, rising system of individual achievement, hard work, thrift and optimism found at the heart of the American spirit. Only Franklin worked his way up in the worlds of business and organized political power in both colonial and national periods. Only Franklin was a world-renowned scientist, founder of corporations, inventor of devices and creator of the American mythos of the common man.

Gordon Wood's "The Radicalism of the American Revolution" caught intellectually this sudden shift from the stable, serious gentry who dominated the founding to the wild, energetic, boisterous Jacksonians who came to define the American ethos.

Franklin is the precursor to the Jacksonians. He personified, literally lived, the American dream and then captured it in an amazingly self aware, fun to read autobiography, which may be the first great book of the American civilization.

Isaacson has captured and portrayed Franklin in all his glory and complexity. This is a book worth giving any of your friends who would better understand America or any foreigner who wonders at our energy, our resilience, our confidence and our success.

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Summary: Essence of Success and Versatility
Review: This book provided many insights into the life and accomplishments of one of the most interesting people in recent U.S. and world history. Benjamin Franklin is also one of the most fascinating figures in American history. A man with many talents in life. Cerebral yet approachable. A guy who would have a casual conversation with a stranger in a pub over a beer. Isaacson also portrays this down-to-Earth man in a down-to-Earth style.

I will steal one reader's words and paraphrase his statement that Benjamin Franklin started out as a "leather-aproned shopkeeper and ascended to be a man who dined with Kings." Walter Isaacson also correctly notes (in my opinion) that Franklin deserves to be credited with being an innovator and creator of the American political- psychological and political-socio-cultural framework of which it operates today (philosophically) as least as much, and even moreso than Jefferson.

Though much of the contemporary recognition of Franklin is of his political doings, his innovations and successes as urban entrepreneur, business planner, scientist, inventor, writer, publicist and diplomat are what have defined the life of this well-rounded man.

He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, Treaty of Paris, (ending the Revolutionary War), and Constitution, our nation's most sacred and viable document. Franklin was a genius and a man ahead of his time. It's important to realize that if Franklin ever held public office in this day in age his marital and sexual history would have brought him down. How interesting is that over 200 years ago there was more tolerance of certain aspects in regard to public figures' lives in American society.

Visit his resting place in Philadelphia and throw a penny on his grave to pay homage to Franklin, as he said, "A penny saved is a penny earned."

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Summary: A brilliant portrayal
Review: Walter Isaacson has given us a biographry free of obtuse language and boring litanies. Instead he portrays Benjamin Franklin in a most down to earth way. Benjamin Franklin is not often described with the same fanfare of other founding fathers in part because he was older than George Washington, John Hancock or John Adams and didn't bear the burdens of the Revolution in the same way but this book demonstrates why Benjamin Franklin is indeed the epitome of Americanism and why he was so very well respected. He was willing to wrestle with anything that intrigued him, whether politics, electricity or patterns in everyday life. He remained humble and personable, warm and brilliant. He was a consummate American and is portrayed that way - as a man who was never too self absorbed to have a conversation with a stranger in a pub.

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Summary: Good, but doesn't supplant previous biographies
Review: This is a serviceable biography and provides a easy-to-read account of Franklin's life, but does not, in my mind, the shorter but better biography by Morgan or the slightly earlier biography by Brands, or the much earlier--and slightly hagiographical biography--of Van Doren. I find Isaacson good at finding the trees--especially the unflattering trees--but not so good at describing the forest. As a result, while the volume is excellent at acquainting the early 21st century reader with the questions that most early 21st century readers would ask about Franklin, he falters somewhat at answering what it all means. In other words, it is a biography without a very good sense of history, and is likely to have less interest for future generations, who are less interested in a tailored-to-the-moment biography,

I did want to make a reply to one especially negative review below where Franklin was rounding criticized for 1) being arrogant, 2) ignoring men and women of African descent, and 3) having had the audacity to rewrite the Declaration of Independence. It is very helpful in writing a negative review to at least have read about the individual in question. If the reviewer in question had, he would have know that Franklin held some of the most enlightened views towards Americans of African descent in America. His last public controversy, in fact, was to call for the abolition of slavery and write a piece excoriating its evils. Unfortunately, he died only a couple of months after engaging in this controversy.

As far as arrogance, I'm not sure where that impression comes from. He certainly had a high and exceedingly well justified opinion of his own self worth, but arrogance was not a word that people who actually dealt with him used. It is not an exaggeration to say that many people in Europe considered him to the world's most remarkable man (much of his representation in art prior to the Revolutionary War--when his public image necessarily becomes politicized--bears this high regard out). But Franklin was never dictatorial in his wishes, never browbeat his intellectual opponents, never lauded his merits over others. If one reads accounts of the constitutional congress, Franklin's greatest contributions was as promoter of compromise, not as arrogant declaimer.

Now, about his rewriting sections of the "constitution" that Jefferson wrote. There are multiple confusions at work here. First, Jefferson was not involved in the writing of the constitution at all, actually being in France while it was being written. In fact, Jefferson wrote NONE of the constitution. Obviously, the reviewer meant the Declaration of Independence. Facts confused again. Those assembling to declare independence from Britain appointed a committee to undertake the writing. It was expected that the committee would produce the Declaration as a committee and not as the work of one person, and that Franklin, as the most famous writer in the colonies, would contributor a great deal. But because of his gifts as a prose stylist, it was agreed that Jefferson should write the first draft. Franklin, whose gifts as a writer were regarded more highly than anyone excepting Jefferson, made some light but on the whole very helpful changes, but otherwise stated his opinion that Jefferson had done the committee's work for them. Franklin, Adams and the others agreed to accept Jefferson's slightly amended draft.

I am not, however, a big fan of Isaacson's biography. I felt uncomfortable with many of the emphases on Franklin's life as a businessman, and didn't, I believe, sufficiently emphasis Franklin's enormous sense of responsibility that he felt American's bore their society. Furthermore, he was not the entrepreneur that Isaacson portrays him to be. In fact, he repeatedly turned down entrepreneurial opportunities, most famously in refusing the patent for his stove, which would have netted him a fortune. I still prefer Van Doren's perhaps too praiseworthy biography or either of the more recent biographies of H. W. Brands and Edmund Morgan.

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Summary: For Franklin fans only
Review: I have long been fascinated by Ben Franklin and have read many biographies of him as well as many of his works. When this book was released, I hesitated to buy it, thinking there could be nothing new. Much to my surprise, Isaacson has included information I have not encountered elsewhere. Morever, he writes well, and this book is a terrific read.

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Summary: American Spirit
Review: Walter Isaacson's biography of Benjamin Franklin, like no other, reflects the true American spirit.

When England tried to impose taxes on the 13 American colonies (without the benefit of representation in Parliment) the rally cry became "no taxation without representation." Gutsy! Imagine 13 colonies with a very small population standing up to royal England. It couldn't have been done without the likes of Franklin, Adams, Jefferson and the independent robust natures of Americans.

Isaacson's book not only details the lusty life of Benjamin Franklin, it resurects the power of the people. This book is truely inspiring, and it should be a staple in every American household