I read Walter Isaacson book about Benjamin Franklin - note I am not american and english is not my first language! - and I have to say that I like it.
I am not a writer, critic and I am consider myself a normal human being with my own mind. I think the book was more about Benjamin Franklin on the american revolution (then the "An American Life" of the title makes sense) that a biography of this really interesting man. You can argue that this life was america and I agree on that. Everybody has the right to his own opinion right?
I recommend this book to everybody and one can lear a lot from it (or at least a few things depending on how commited and inteligent you are, in my case.. I just learned a little). As said the book focused more on Franklin's part on the American Independence, how from a loyal royalist became a patriot and help the US to get it idependence. (In my opinion a change more induced by the "practicallity of it" that the book mentioned he always focus on rather on actually believing it).
You can also learn about his family and scientific work, how he thought, worked and specially wrote. It is amazing how good (always in a practical way) he was writting and how much he wrote, ok no every idiot (: has his own blog but for back then this man really knew how to express ideas, how to influence people and how to tell the truth.
I didn't like how John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Washington were portrayed (does that word exists?) and I didn't share Franklin's view about family.
In general I admire the guy, would buy him a beer as the book say but would not spend my christmas with him as I like to be with my family.
Funny thing at the same time I read this book I saw the movie called the "Shooter" (ok a blockbuster type of movie full of explosions with a die hard type of hero) and on it near the end the poor underdog hero confronts a US "sitting" senator about his actions and this says: "There are no sides.... there are republican and democrats there are haves and haves not... This is a country where a secretary of defense can go on tv and tell the american public that this is about freedom is not about oil" so ok, this is a movie but how far is from the true?
Again read this book or any other biography of Franklin, after this I am looking forward to read about Washington and Edison.
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