100 more great books: Synopses, quizzes, & tests (Unknown Binding)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book crackles with his wonderful mental energy."—Walter Isaacson

"Dr. Franklin's own excited, uproariously witty reports to his family, his friends, and his scientific colleagues in Europe and America create an incomparable portrait of science in the eighteenth century. Reading these letters fosters a new affection for our country's foremost and most beloved inventor."—Dava Sobel, author of Longitude and Galileo's Daughter

"This marvelous collection helps rescue Ben Franklin from our impression of him as a genial tinkerer flying kites in the rain. In fact, he was a serious scientist whose letters reveal the scope of his ideas, ranging from daylight savings time to bifocals to magnetism. This book crackles with his wonderful mental energy."—Walter Isaacson, managing editor of Time

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Description

The Ingenious Dr. Franklin, an outstanding collection of Benjamin Franklin's scientific correspondence, has long been unavailable yet deserves a place beside his Autobiography as essential reading for everyone interested in history, wit, and invention. Portioned into three sections, "Practical Schemes and Suggestions," "Diverse Experiments and Observations," and "Scientific Deductions and Conjectures," these letters discuss an extraordinary range of topics, including the art of procuring pleasant dreams, choosing eye glasses, the first human flight, the character of clouds, the behavior of oil and water, smallpox and cancer, the cause of colds, charting the Gulf Stream, and prehistoric animals of the Ohio. Culled from ponderous volumes of collected works or private collections, these engaging and unabridged letters were assembled to allow readers to discover for themselves Benjamin Franklin's vigorous personality, his humanity, and his penetrating intelligence.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Unknown Binding: 410 pages
• Publisher: J. Weston Walch (1991)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0006DE6Q0
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating glimpse into Franklin's brilliance, April 12, 2009

By	Nelson Aspen "Author/Journalist" (Los Angeles & NYC, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Ingenious Dr. Franklin: Selected Scientific Letters of Benjamin Franklin (Pennsylvania Paperbacks) (Paperback)

This marvelous collection of science-themed letters written by Benjamin Franklin will surely dazzle the contemporary reader with their insight & ingenuity. What a brilliant, ahead-of-his-time genius was this man!

I think the Amazon asking price seems a bit high for this paperback, and one could probably find this same collection online to peruse. However, I'm glad I own a copy. It was great fun to read his thoughts on so many scientific principles that still intrigue us today.