Benjamin Franklin: An American Life

In Benjamin Franklin: An American Life, Walter Isaacson brings to life one of Americans greatest scholars, scientists, and philosophers.  Franklin was born in Boston in 1706 and died in Philadelphia in 1790, a period of great turbulence in the new world filled with wars and struggles for freedom that culminated in the creation of a new form of government that reflected his ideas of representative democracy and religious tolerance.  The book traces his humble beginnings, his prowess as a publisher and author, his power to influence people, his scientific discoveries regarding electricity, hot air ballooning, and ocean currents, and his evolution from loyal supporter of the king to ardent rebel leader.  He was the only person to sign the Declaration of Independence, the treaty with France that facilitated the success of the revolution, the peace accord with Great Britain, and the Constitution of the United States.