Ben Franklin: Unplugged

.... And Other Comic Monologues

De: Josh Kornbluth

Narrado por: Josh Kornbluth

Gazing into the bathroom mirror one morning while shaving, Josh Kornbluth realizes that he looks remarkably like the guy on the $100 bill. Like any good Jewish son, he immediately calls his mother. From there he becomes obsessed with what it means to be a founding father, especially when your own father/son relationship (Ben had an illegitimate son named William who was a British loyalist during the Revolutionary War) is more than a bit strained. Part History Detectives and part embarrassingly hilarious autobiography, Kornbluth’s resulting investigation of the man behind the famous spectacles will take you from the hallowed halls of academia to Kornbluth’s richly comic interactions with his mother Bunny and Aunt Birdie, sharing along the way his discoveries about America’s history, family foibles, and the surprises beneath the surface of even our most familiar American tall tales.

©2013 Josh Kornbluth (P)2014 Audible Inc.

Satirical Disembowelment

Please Don’t Tickle Me, Ben Franklin, You Crazy Diamond! ​

If you haven't peed your pants listening to Josh Kornbluth, you haven't LIVED.​ Kornbluth is a master storyteller and his comic timing is peerless.​

After noticing a passing resemblance to Ben Franklin in the mirror, Josh Kornbluth embarks on a journey of—well not exactly ​SELF​-discovery. ​More like satrical disembowelment. ​

I laughed til I cried.

Perfection!

Where does Ben Franklin: Unplugged rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I have listened to a million (roughly) audiobooks ( : and I can't think of any I liked better than this one.

What did you like best about this story?

It is fascinating, intriguing, intelligent, funny, and brilliantly told.

Have you listened to any of Josh Kornbluth’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This was my first.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes. I tried to listen to it while running. But I was laughing so hard, I would veer off track, which would make other runners stumble out of my way. So I started to walk instead while I listened. I have gained a little wait, but it was worth it.

Any additional comments?

I can't really begin to describe how entertaining I think this is. I think it's brilliant.

Very enjoyable

Loved this, and I'm a right wing Christian! Great modulation on voice, very enjoyable! Good story telling, amusing.

TERRIFIC

Just a magnificent performance. Kornbluth is brutally honest, humble, ironic, moving and always funny in unexpected ways.

Plus, in listening to this monologue you shall discover the meaning of YOUR BEN FRANKLIN.

I cannot recommend this more highly.

PS: The just-as-great Kornbluth monologues Love and Taxes, Citizen Josh and Andy Warhol: Good For The Jews are all included in this audiobook, which makes this purchase even more fiscally responsible and aesthetically rewarding.

Josh's Franklin

What did you love best about Ben Franklin: Unplugged?

Surprise, that is the first thing I felt when I listened to Josh Kornbluth's Ben Franklin Unplugged. Not at the quality of the writing or the delivery (I have seen Josh in concert), but the approach. I was expecting a Hal Holbrook-kind of presentation but what I got was more. Ben Franklin is like a mini-odyssey. From an off-hand remark by a relative, Josh looks for Franklin in history and in himself. It is both personal and universal. This is a good listen. Interesting. Entertaining.

What other book might you compare Ben Franklin: Unplugged to and why?

I do have a confession. I broke one of the cardinal rules in entertainment. I listened to Martin Short's I Must Say right after listening to Ben Franklin. I must say, I enjoyed Short's book, but it was not the same. I made more of a connection with Josh's Franklin than I did with Martin's Short.

Which scene was your favorite?

Hard to say. Enjoyed it all.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The theme of father and son.