Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin has had many biographers, but former AOL Time Warner chieftain Walter Isaacson may be the first to call this Founding Father's print shop "a successful, vertically integrated media conglomerate." As "the patron saint of self-improvement guides," Franklin spiced his high rationalism with wit, publishing aphorisms such as "Keep your eyes wide open before marriage; half-shut afterwards" and "A cat in gloves catches no mice." This master politician's accomplishments boggle the mind. He formed our first lending library and fire department, brought the catheter to America, invented the lightning rod and bifocals. The abridgment is seamless, the text runs the gamut--as did its subject--from brilliant to ordinary. Gaines reads clearly, but without flourish. B.H.C. 2004 Audie Award Finalist (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine


Walter Isaacson's biography celebrates the life of one of American history's most fascinating and complex characters. Tracing Franklin's roots from birth to the various stages of his adult life--shopkeeper, inventor, statesman--Isaacson details every facet of Franklin, including some of his more scandalous adventures. The result is a portrait of not just the well-known diplomat, but also a portrait of the brilliant, manipulative, and shrewd person whom the public did not always see. Nelson Runger reads with an air of authority and eloquence that permits the biography to flow smoothly. While the book is lengthy--and some may prefer an abridgment--Isaacson's attention to detail and Runger's powerful performance combine to make a work that many will consider the definitive biography of this Founding Father. D.J.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine