Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2012 discussion

Please join us as we read about this American hero, inventor, and what many think to have been a true genius. He was a man who truly defined what being an American really is, one who stood by his words, by his unselfish and patriotic deeds and actions fully aware of the consequences.


Walter Isaacson, our author, is no slouch in the brains department. He was the chairman and CEO of CNN as well as the managing editor of Time Magazine. He graduated from Harvard and was a Rhodes Scholar. He also is the chairman of the Teach for America foundation. I recently read his Einstein: His Life and Universe and Steve Jobs novels. They were brilliant.

I've read the book some years ago, but will be jumping in to join the discussion from time to time.

Sera wrote: "I've read the book some years ago, but will be jumping in to join the discussion from time to time."

That's perfect, Sera. I am so looking forward to this book and discussion.

Is there a scheduled start date? We had a hiccup getting the book from the library.

I thought we would start after the weekend on Sept 4th or so. Whenever you can would be just fine. You can always catch up when you get the book. I was going to try to break it up into chapters to discuss. Hope that is ok.

I'm rather stuck without the book, but will read the discussions posts and I will look to read it when it comes back into the library from longterm loan.

Geevee wrote: "I'm rather stuck without the book, but will read the discussions posts and I will look to read it when it comes back into the library from longterm loan."

Great!

Somehow our library messed things up and my copy wasn't there even though it has already been checked out to me. They said I should have it by Tuesday, so I will let you know. The chapter breaks sounds like a good idea.

-Ron

I have read through the first two chapters and like how Isaacson has introduced Franklin. Right away you can perceive that he likes his subject and has brought a goodly amount of information into play. I knew some things already, the Silence Dogood part and of course the animosity of the brothers, but I did not know of Harvard and Franklin's view towards women. It was pretty forward thinking. I loved reading about the swimming the kind of flippers and all and the kite giving him a kind of "free swim." It is great when you read of this don't you think, as it so humanizes a person. I also learned more about Cotten Mather too! other than what I had thought him to be....a puritanical, unfeeling man....as our author pointed out, Mather had come a long way from the Salem Witch trials! Onto chapter 3!

Chapter 3 "Stoop young man as you go through this world and you'll miss many hard thumps." Excellent advice Mr Mather..
Governor Keith was a real politician..promise everything to everyone and don't deliver....He fits in with today's politician quite nicely.....(sorry had to say that!)
Interesting that right now Franklin's friendships seem to be fleeting. As the author points out, he didn't seem to be able to make "lasting bonds even with his own family."

Things do not bode well for Deborah I think.

Marialyce,

I just got word tonight that they finally got my copy in, after yet another wasted library visit yesterday. It's been checked out to my account since Aug. 24th, at this rate I'm glad I got it before it was due back.

I hope to be able to start tomorrow night and be able to join in on the discussion.

- Ron

Great Ron, thanks for letting me know....

Yes, I like the fact that Isaacson very much enjoys the person he is writing about. It's always interesting to learn things that you didn't know about the person.

I hope to get a lot more reading done this weekend as I've been looking forward to reading this book for quite a few years now, since I first discovered the book at my uncle's house.

-Ron

Chapters 4 and 5
Chapter 4 Love the revelations about Franklin, the tidbits that made the man. I had forgotten that he never "married" Deborah. I wonder why? Was he anti marriage, anti religion, or just a man born with such a sense of independence that he refused to follow the main stream?

Very sad about his son and so very interesting the way through his writing and assumption of other personalities like Silence Dogood that he made his views known. Poor Richard's Almanac made him rich....I never knew that!

Chapter 5 interesting how the post office came about as well as the fire department etc. Franklin seemed to think about how to do things for a community spirit and yet, he was still able to intertwine them with earning money. Being able to retire at 42 seems like quite the accomplishment especially considering these times.

I am starting chapter 3 now. So I haven't read your latest update.
I didn't know about all the animosity between Franklin and his brothers. I couldn't believe his brother made him sign an apprentice agreement. Just doesn't sound very good about family relations. I did like Franklin's ideas on how to help women financially especially the one for a "tax on authors because they happened to get a greater share of intelligence at birth just as the retarded happened to get less". I did know about him writing as Silence Dogood but didn't know he did them as thou he was a woman. I was impressed by his forward thinking on women's issues and his ideas for helping them.

--Ron

It was sad that he and his brothers were not really that close. I think I am finding that he had relationship issues and even with friends, his closeness seemed to be fleeting. I have to wonder if that is a direct result of his innate intelligence? However, people did seen to generally like him so I wonder...

The one thing that I always liked about Franklin is that no matter the issue at hand, he always had a place to go where he fit in.