The Greatest Sentence Ever Written

De: Walter Isaacson

Narrado por: Walter Isaacson, Holter Graham

America’s bestselling biographer reveals the origins of the most revolutionary sentence in the Declaration of Independence, the one that defines who we are as Americans—and explains how it should shape our politics today.

“Isaacson uses a jeweler’s loupe to scan what gives his snappy little book its engaging title….Isaacson skillfully teases fresh pith and resonance out of those familiar words.” —The Wall Street Journal

“A short, smart analysis of perhaps the most famous passage in American history reveals its potency and unfulfilled promise.” —Kirkus Reviews

To celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, Walter Isaacson takes readers on a fascinating deep dive into the creation of one of history’s most powerful sentences: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Drafted by Thomas Jefferson and edited by Benjamin Franklin and John Adams, this line lays the foundation for the American Dream and defines the common ground we share as a nation.

Isaacson unpacks its genius, word by word, illuminating the then-radical concepts behind it. Readers will gain a fresh appreciation for how it was drafted to inspire unity, equality, and the enduring promise of America. With clarity and insight, he reveals not just the power of these words but describes how, in these polarized times, we can use them to restore an appreciation for our common values.

1776 - 2026

An important, timely short work that should be read by everyone who wishes to understand or reactivate their self-evident civic responsibility as we come to the midterms of 2026.

Ari Melber, the Beat used Muhammad Ali’s short poem “me we” to summarize the work.

I found this fascinating and noted Ali’s ancestral memory kicking in at Harvard.

For those students of Classical African Civilization, Kemet 𓆎 𓅓 𓏏 𓊖 (Ancient Egypt), you will find the shortest version of “me we“ in “ASR” (Ausar 𓁹𓊨 𓊹).

PS note the feather on the cover.

I highly recommend this book.

I expect that those with sufficient cultural literacy will walk these important concepts back in recorded history. These ideas have an obvious importance for today; however, one should go beyond the scope of this book for the deepest insight.

USA on the path to KMT in the West.

By Rudy Aunk

Well researched.

Typical Isaacson - excellent. Well researched and very well written. And I love his conclusions and suggestions for dealing with our polarization

Historical Truth

Excellent! American history, rarely taught.
Schools, should add to their curriculum. let students
leave school smarter, than when they got there.

Excellent!

The Greatest Sentence Ever Written

By Walter Isaacson

Very brief, only an hour and a half on Audible, this was terrific. Isaacson breaks down THE sentence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
He gives you the history… what and who inspired the founders to write it, and of course, the remainder of the document.
Well worth an hour and a half.

Deep dive into the declaration

Who would have guessed you could write a book (albeit a short one) about a single sentence? This is a very different Isaacson book, and a seriously fascinating one.