In my quest to read a book on all the presidents, I finished Chernow's "Washington, A Life" and decided to detour to Walter Isaacson's "Benjamin Franklin, An American Life" to get the full flavor of this time in American history. Isaacson's writing style is conversational, not pedantic, and challenging enough for me to have to look up a few words. This book was the perfect meat between a George Washington and John Adams literary sandwich. I most enjoyed Isaacson's conclusions, including a very satisfying end to the life story of one of our most innovative statesmen.  Putting Franklin's imperfections aside (mostly his desertion of his wife and some odd political ideals), his ideas permeate around us to this day. Not only his inventions and his civic discoveries but also his belief in the middle class as the backbone of American society. He is known, and often parodied, for flying a kite with his bald dome and long hair prominent, but Franklin was a complex man who probably was the......

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