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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
some cool inside info but u gotta really love benjamin
informative
slow-paced
In many ways, Benjamin Franklin represents America. The country's longstanding innovative streak, anti-establishment idealism, belief (rightly or wrongly) in middle class values and meritocracy, and pragmatic sensibilities, can be traced back to Franklin. This book captures that spirit, and Franklin's aura, quite well, even though it lacks a sense of grandeur or inventiveness itself. The historiographical assessment at the end, one Franklin probably would've appreciated, was a practical conclusion to a grounded biography.
Isaacson is very skilled at biography that tells a narrative with interesting tidbits that enrich the story. Nothing that's earthshatteringly new here, but I feel I have a much more complete view of Franklin's life and accomplishments.
Either Franklin was the least likable guy I've read about since Woodrow Wilson or this biography was terrible. Isaacson repeatedly glanced over seemingly important parts of Franklin's life and the broader happenings in ways you know Robert Caro would not. And when not skipping interesting context and details, Isaacson focused salaciously on Franklin's love life (time with prostitutes, mistresses, and attempted lovers).
Franklin's treatment of his family was poor. He was also very public about his ethics, while both at business and at home he did not follow the ethics he espoused. It is perhaps too high a standard we hold him to, but he put himself into the public amidst all his hypocrisy. All this, within this book, seemed to outweigh his contributions to science and his efforts to secure American independence and instill tolerance, democracy, and good habits among the people.
Ultimately it seems both impressions were fair: the biography was not great and Franklin was pretty unlikeable.
Franklin's treatment of his family was poor. He was also very public about his ethics, while both at business and at home he did not follow the ethics he espoused. It is perhaps too high a standard we hold him to, but he put himself into the public amidst all his hypocrisy. All this, within this book, seemed to outweigh his contributions to science and his efforts to secure American independence and instill tolerance, democracy, and good habits among the people.
Ultimately it seems both impressions were fair: the biography was not great and Franklin was pretty unlikeable.
I had high hopes for this book after loving Isaacson's books on Steve Jobs and Albert Einstein. Unfortunately I was very disappointed and found the book boring, too in depth in some parts, and not in depth enough in others.
informative
reflective
medium-paced
informative
medium-paced
informative