{"product_id":"benjamin-franklin-9780195305357","title":"Benjamin Franklin","description":"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, \u003cbr\u003eilluminating Franklin's character and personality.\u003cbr\u003e 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\u003cbr\u003ethese 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 \u003cem\u003ePoor Richard's Almanack\u003c\/em\u003e, he had amassed enough wealth to\u003cbr\u003eretire 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.\u003cbr\u003eLastly, 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, \u003cbr\u003eincluding 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.\u003cbr\u003e 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Edwin S. Gaustad\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Oxford University Press, USA\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 02\/06\/2006\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 160\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.68lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.40h x 6.40w x 0.65d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780195305357\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAccelerated Reader:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReading Level:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.9\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePoint Value:\u003c\/b\u003e 6\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eInterest Level:\u003c\/b\u003e Middle Grade Plus\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eQuiz #\/Name: \u003c\/b\u003e87998 \/ Benjamin Franklin: Inventing America\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e 02\/01\/2006 pg. 17\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 01\/30\/2006\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEdwin S. Gaustad\u003c\/strong\u003e is Professor of History and Religious Studies Emeritus at the University of California at Riverside. He is the author of many books, including \u003cem\u003eLiberty of Conscience: Roger Williams in America\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eChurch and State in America\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eSworn on the Altar of God: A Religious Biography of Thomas\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eJefferson\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eRoger Williams\u003c\/em\u003e (another book in the Lives and Legacies series).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThis title is not returnable\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Oxford University Press, USA","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":40364676841587,"sku":"9.7802E+12","price":55.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0555\/9255\/0515\/products\/img_7a9d402c-bccb-4cad-8742-887859cb0db2.jpg?v=1660664724","url":"https:\/\/bookstorenmore.com\/en-de\/products\/benjamin-franklin-9780195305357","provider":"Bookstore N More","version":"1.0","type":"link"}