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Customer Reviews (2)

Left something to be desired
Although laced with facts it posed no new ideas and a majority of the reading was difficult due to confusion on which Franklin was being refered to. the Inclusion of the letters and speaches in the back was very informitive but if you are truly interested go to the library and just look up the such for yourself. All in all i found it to just be a sophisticated report and not anything particularly new or interesting, if you are interested in this subject get the Autobiographies.

It is for the history buffs!
Benjamin and William Franklin, Father and Son, Patriot and Loyalist is a very informative book.This book shows how a father and son can go from loving one another to hating each other. This book goes threw thesteps that Ben and Will took throughout their lives to make them become whothey were.The author, Sheila L. Skemp, breaks down both individuals lifeto show you how they could have been in the opposite shoes in the outcome.

The author starts out with a lot of facts about both men intheir younger years.Showing how they grew up and became adults withreally very different upbringings.Then she tells how the two men workedtogether throughout most of their lives up until the Revolutionary War. She shows how the held similar government jobs and liked similar pasttimes.She then goes on to sum up the choices they made and how thispersuaded each one to become either a patriot or a loyalist. SheilaL. Skemp uses many facts to back her writing decisions.She also includesa complete thirty-one pages of documents.These documents are anythingfrom letters, to speeches, to articles from newspapers.She also tells,throughout the book, when to refer to these documents to be able to keep inmind what the actual reason for different events were.She also placed atime line in the back to allow you to keep the time of the eventsstrait.

Although this is a very decent book about history, therewere a few items I did not like about it.In some parts throughout thebook telling which Franklin the author was talking about was difficult. The wording used in many places was confusing in telling the difference. This making the time spent reading a bit lengthy because of the time spentback reading to find out which Franklin she was talking about.Also due toall the facts some parts were a bit boring, but for the person who likes toread about history the facts are essential.

For the person likinghistory and wanting to understand the Revolutionary War a little betterthis is a must read.This gives a great example of the splitting betweenfamilies when we cut our ties to England.This books shows how twodifferent people lived in these times.It shows how life back then was notthat easy and how these two important people in our history did what theyneeded to better themselves.

This was an interesting book, even forme, and I do not even like to read about history.It was very educationaland helpful. ... Read more

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No one could have thought up a more amazing character than the living, breathing Benjamin Franklin. He was everything from a "soapmaker, candle dipper, and printer" to a "postmaster, political activist, community reformer, revolutionary, statesman, international diplomat, and first great citizen of a nation which he, as much or more than anyone, helped to create."

Acclaimed children's author-illustrator Cheryl Harness through her true-to-life paintings and storytelling-style narrative, along with a generous sampling of Franklin's own words, lets you "walk in his shoes" as you discover just how truly remarkable Benjamin Franklin was. ... Read more

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Disappointing text!
Author-Illustrator Cheryl Harness does a fantastic job with the artwork in this book. Each page is covered with gorgeous, colorful, relevant pictures from top to bottom.

Unfortunately, even the wonderful illustrations cannot bring the horribly dry text to life. It reads like a text book or encyclopedia entry. Franklin's life was anything but dull. Yet this story of his life drags and bores readers.

I recommend Benjamin Franklin: A Man of Many Talents from the Time For Kids Biographies series as a much better written and more interesting alternative to The Remarkable Benjamin Franklin.

Appears very good for a child
I personally did not read it.I purchased it for a small child and feel
that it would be easy for her to read and learn some important US history. ... Read more

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Es Benjamin Franklin un hombre que tiene, si pudieramos hablar en terminos musicales, un tono asordinado, y si pudieramos hablar en matices, un tono gris, En su vida no hay esas explosiones de energia sublime, ni esos momentos que sintetizan y hacen florecer un alma humana; a lo largo de toda la suya hay un tono, medio y sostenido, sin subidas ni bajadas bruscas, y al que no se asocia facilmente la idea de brillo ni la de excepcion. Es un hombre que se parece a todo el mundo, todos se pueden sentir projimos suyos, es, si no hubiera un poco de contradiccion en la palabra, ''el genio del sentido comun''. Este hombre es Benjamin Franklin, Benjamin Franklin nacio y vivio en el siglo XVIII, casi con el siglo; nace en 1706, y muere en 1790, y esta mezclado muy estrechamente a algunos de los mas grandes acontecimientos de ese tiempo, Nacio de unos emigrantes ingleses pobres, en la ciudad de Boston, en los Estados U nidos, en una modestisima casa de madera, con su chimenea para el riguroso invierno de la Nueva Inglaterra, de muy poco, espacio interior. El es un puritano de Boston. Los puritanos eran una secta protestante que mantenia una actitud de relativa disidencia ante la iglesia oficial de Inglaterra, especialmente en materia de moral. Eran gentes sumamente austeras, y pensaban que era el deber de todo cristiano llevar una vida lo mas conforme posible con los ideales de simplicidad, de pobreza, de desprendimiento del cristianismo primitivo, Esto lo aplicaban en su vida ordinaria, que era simple, monotona, laboriosa y entregada a la penitencia, El dia domingo se reservaba al servicio del Senor, se reunian en la casa, nadie podia trabajar y el padre leia la Biblia para toda la familia. Cada uno de los hijos debia dedicarse a un trabajo que le produjera el sustento, y habia que aspirar a no incurrir en ninguno de los pecados del Decalogo ni en ninguna infraccion al codigo moral. ... Read more

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Next to George Washington, we must write, upon the Catalogue of American Patriots, the name of Benjamin Franklin. He had so many virtues that there is no need of exaggerating them; so few imperfections that they need not be concealed. The writer has endeavored to give a perfectly accurate view of his character, and of that great struggle, in which he took so conspicuous a part, which secured the Independence of the United States. Probably there can no where be found, within the same limits, so vivid a picture of Life in America, one hundred years ago, as the career of Franklin presents. ... Read more

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This title is intended for ages 3 to 6 years. Young readers will enjoy discovering the life of Benjamin Franklin on their own through humorous watercolors and informative text. ... Read more

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Described as "a harmonious human multitude," Ben Franklin's life and careers were so varied and successful that he remains, even today, the epitome of the self-made man. Born into a humble tradesman's family, this adaptable genius rose to become an architect of the world's first democracy, a leading light in Enlightenment science, and a major creator of what has come to be known as the American character. Journalist, musician, politician, scientist, humorist, inventor, civic leader, printer, writer, publisher, businessman, founding father, philosopher—a genius in all fields and a bit of a magician in some.

Volume 3 begins in the year 1748, when Franklin was known in Pennsylvania as clerk of the Pennsylvania Assembly and in the Middle Colonies as the printer and editor of Poor Richard's Almanac and the Pennsylvania Gazette, the best-known colonial publications. By the middle of 1757, where this volume leaves off, he had become famous in Pennsylvania as a public-spirited citizen and soldier in the conflicts of the Seven Years' War; well known throughout America as a writer, politician, and the most important theorist and patriot of the American empire; and renowned in the western world as a natural philosopher. This volume tells the story of that transformation.

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Named "one of the best books of 2006" by The New York Sun

Described by Carl Van Doren as "a harmonious human multitude," Benjamin Franklin was the most famous American of his time, of perhaps any time. His life and careers were so varied and successful that he remains, even today, the epitome of the self-made man. Born into a humble tradesman's family, this adaptable genius rose to become an architect of the world's first democracy, a leading light in Enlightenment science, and a major creator of what has come to be known as the American character. Journalist, musician, politician, scientist, humorist, inventor, civic leader, printer, writer, publisher, businessman, founding father, and philosopher, Franklin is a touchstone for America's egalitarianism.

The first volume traces young Franklin's life to his marriage in 1730. It traces the New England religious, political, and cultural contexts, exploring previously unknown influences on his philosophy and writing, and attributing new writings to him. After his move to Philadelphia, made famous in his Autobiography, Franklin became the Water American in London in 1725, where he was welcomed into that city's circle of freethinkers. Upon his return to the colonies, the sociable Franklin created a group of young friends, the Junto, devoted to self-improvement and philanthropy. He also started his own press and began to edit and publish the Pennsylvania Gazette, which became the most popular American paper of its day and the first to consistently feature American news.

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Described by Carl Van Doren as "a harmonious human multitude," Benjamin Franklin was the most famous American of his time, of perhaps any time. His life and careers were so varied and successful that he remains, even today, the epitome of the self-made man. Born into a humble tradesman's family, this adaptable genius rose to become an architect of the world's first democracy, a leading light in Enlightenment science, and a major creator of what has come to be known as the American character. Journalist, musician, politician, scientist, humorist, inventor, civic leader, printer, writer, publisher, businessman, founding father, philosopher, Franklin is a touchstone for America's egalitarianism.

Volume 2 takes Franklin from his marriage in 1730 to his retirement as a printer at the beginning of 1748, examining the mysteries of the illegitimate William Franklin's birth and mother and Franklin's increasing civic activities--starting the Library Company in Philadelphia in 1731, forming Pennsylvania's first volunteer fire company, and becoming an advocate for a clean Philadelphia environment. J. A. Leo Lemay assesses Franklin's numerous writings, attributing to him for the first time a deistic Indian speech, remarking on his use of the second African American persona in journalism, and analyzing his publishing sensation of 1747, The Speech of Miss Polly Baker. These belletristic works are complemented by Franklin's religious, political, and scientific writings, which he produced prodigiously. ... Read more

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Combines humorous quotes with anecdotes about Franklin's inventions and innovations, including newspaper editorials, the Navy, bifocals, Daylight Saving Time, the Franklin stove, and shock treatment. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

I learned things about Ben Franklin that I was not taught in school!
The story is told from the perspective of an elder Ben Franklin writing a letter to his son. He reflects back on his early childhood and gives insight into to the child that became one of the founding father's of our country as well as one of the greatest writers and inventors in history. Even Ben Franklin was curious and somewhat mischievous as a child!

Good Throrough Biography of Ben Franklin
Ben Franklin played a key role in Colonial American life.He played an important part in the American Revolution.This book documents a lot of information about him.The problem is that it is a book for youth and the author forgot to make it entertaining and not dry.I'm not sure how many young adults are going to read through until the end. ... Read more

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Most of us know--at least we've heard--that Benjamin Franklin conducted some kind of electrical experiment with a kite. What few of us realize--and what this book makes powerfully clear--is that Franklin played a major role in laying the foundations of modern electrical science and technology. This fast-paced book, rich with historical details and anecdotes, brings to life Franklin, the large international network of scientists and inventors in which he played a key role, and their amazing inventions. We learn what these early electrical devices--from lights and motors to musical and medical instruments--looked like, how they worked, and what their utilitarian and symbolic meanings were for those who invented and used them. Against the fascinating panorama of life in the eighteenth century, Michael Brian Schiffer tells the story of the very beginnings of our modern electrical world.

The earliest electrical technologies were conceived in the laboratory apparatus of physicists; because of their surprising and diverse effects, however, these technologies rapidly made their way into many other communities and activities. Schiffer conducts us from community to community, showing how these technologies worked as they were put to use in public lectures, revolutionary experiments in chemistry and biology, and medical therapy. This story brings to light the arcane and long-forgotten inventions that made way for many modern technologies--including lightning rods (Franklin's invention), cardiac stimulation, xerography, and the internal combustion engine--and richly conveys the complex relationships among science, technology, and culture. ... Read more

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A biography examining the life of Benjamin Franklin and his leadership as a statesman, scientist, inventor, and printer. Written in graphic-novel format. ... Read more

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Profiles a man whose childhood love of reading and desire to know about everything led to a multifaceted career as an inventor, scientist, printer, and statesman. ... Read more

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This book is both a systematic examination of the political and social thought of Benjamin Franklin and an exposition of the political ideas of his era. He was one of the few men of his time to have a vision of the incredible growth possible for America. His political views were based on this vision. ... Read more

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Contents: Benjamin Franklin His Autobiography. Journal of John Woolman; Death of John Woolman. Some Fruits of Solitude, in Reflections and Maxims Parts 1 and 2 by William Penn. ... Read more

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The tenth and youngest son of a poor Boston soapmaker, Benjamin Franklin would rise to become, in Thomas Jefferson's words, "the greatest man and ornament of his age." In this short, engaging biography, historian Edwin S. Gaustad offers a marvelous portrait of this towering colonial figure, illuminating Franklin's character and personality.
Here is truly one of the most extraordinary lives imaginable, a man who, with only two years of formal education, became a printer, publisher, postmaster, philosopher, world-class scientist and inventor, statesman, musician, and abolitionist. Gaustad presents a chronological account of all these accomplishments, delightfully spiced with quotations from Franklin's own extensive writings. The book describes how the hardworking Franklin became at age 24 the most successful printer in Pennsylvania and how by 42, with the help of Poor Richard's Almanack, he had amassed enough wealth to retire from business. We then follow Franklin's next brilliant career, as an inventor and scientist, examining his pioneering work on electricity and his inventions of the Franklin Stove, the lightning rod, and bifocals, as well as his mapping of the Gulf Stream, a major contribution to navigation. Lastly, the book covers Franklin's role as America's leading statesman, ranging from his years in England before the Revolutionary War to his time in France thereafter, highlighting his many contributions to the cause of liberty.Along the way, Gaustad sheds light on Franklin's personal life, including his troubled relationship with his illegitimate son William, who remained a Loyalist during the Revolution, and Franklin's thoughts on such topics as religion and morality.
Written by a leading authority on colonial America, this compact biography captures in a remarkably small space one of the most protean lives in our nation's history.
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Customer Reviews (1)

Everyone Should Read This Biography
Professor Gaustad has written another outstanding biography in the Lives and Legacies Series by Oxford University Press. I recommend highly his biographies of Roger Williams and Benjamin Franklin. While geared towards "young adult" readers, anyone interested in American history should read this book. Franklin was the prototypical American whose ideas and actions shaped so much of our republic's early development.

It is not a "kids" book. It combines first-rate scholarship in a concise (125 pages) format with clear, non-academic writing. This makes it accessible to readers of all levels and ages. It should be used in high school and under-graduate colleges and universities. While recent commendable biographies of Franklin by H.W. Brands, Edmund Morgan and Walter Issacson abound, this one is the best!

I hope that Professor Gaustad can contribute another work to the Lives and Legacies series. We need a new biography of William Penn. ... Read more

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A Museum in a Book featuring removable sketches, letters, & historical documents. This fascinating interactive biography brings to life Benjamin Franklin's personality & accomplishments, letting readers examine Franklin's amazing journey through replicas of actual documents such as: Sketches of Franklin's scientific inventions; An excerpt from Poor Richard's Almanac, Franklin's greatest & most humorous publishing venture; & Franklin's handwritten chart of his progress in reaching moral perfection. Full-color illustrations. Oversize. The perfect gift book! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Wonderful book for young and old
The removable sketches, letters and historical documents add a wonderful touch to a delightful book. We have over a 100 history books in our personal library for the kids and this one is at the top of good ones.

Perfect for teachers , or individual enrichment
I love this item! I purchased it 2 years ago, for personal enrichment.It was such an enlightening read!I wish I had this in High School, perhapsI would have enjoyed American History more! My sister is a school teacher, and I gave her a copy as a gift last week, and she just loves it as well, and is looking forward to using it as a supplement in class, during "history week"!!! Nice investment for you, or for the teacher in your life!!! ... Read more