E. A. Palmer

Walter Isaacson is a master of biography. Whether an historic subject or contemporary, he makes the individual come alive with all the traits and foibles of the subject. I have read biographies of Franklin but this one is so enjoyable that it was a delight to learn about this founding father again--and maybe even remember it this time since it was so well done. I not only learned the facts about Franklin, I got a real feel of the man. I would recommend the book to anyone interested in history and the life of a great man.

Definitely a great book. An in depth view of a complex man. I enjoyed listening to it and it kept my attention throughout. I highly recommend it.

Mark Twain never could write an autobiography. As he says, he writes about what interests him--and it obviously is not his own life. Comments about others come easy to Twain but the reader has to dig to get a view of Twain's life. The sections from his daughter Susie, who died young, do give some continuity to this scholarly book. Mainly, it is incidents, thoughts, anecdotes and opinions that Twain puts down in any order and in any way he wants. Luckily, even his random thoughts are interesting. Don't come to this expecting to understand Twain's life. It is more a slice of life seen from Twain's twinkling eyes.

The most disappointing part is that I came away not having a real sense of his life.

The narrator was excellent.

The twists of fate, hate, violence, war and terrible and horrifying treatment of women makes this book hard to listen to. Yet, in the end, it is a tale of surviving and loving. The two women who are the center of the story are heroines. It is dramatic and gripping. But not a book to listen to while driving because tears will flow and block your vision. The only thing that kept me from giving it five stars was the deep sadness I felt while listening.