5 comments about Before His Time: The Untold Story of Harry T. Moore, America's First Civil Rights Martyr.

1. As a Florida native, I feel Green well captured Harry Moore's Florida. Before His Time is educational, enteraining, and most importantly disturbing. We need to know in detail not only what Moore did but what ws done to Moore - and why. Green tells us. Despite the many horrors depicted in the book - and there are many - the book is ultimately life affirming: it is good to know that there were (are?) some Harry T. Moore's who have walked among us. Bravo, Ben Green.



2. Having moved to Brevard County in 1991, just when the Harry T. Moore murder case was back in the news, and the fact that I pass the Moore Justice Center every day, I was anxious to learn about Harry T. Moore and happily picked up a copy of this book.

   Harry T. Moore and his wife Harriette were murdered on Christmas Day, 1951 when a bomb exploded beneath their bedroom at their home in Mims, Florida. At the time of his murder, Harry Moore was the Florida coordinator for the NAACP and a founder of the Progressive Voter's League. As the title of book implies, Harry Moore was before his time, including his murder. Remember this happen before Rosa Parks, before Medgar Evers, before Dr. Martin Luther King and before Brown vs. Board of Education. The murderer of the Moores has never been found.

   Green traces the life of Harry Moore from childhood to teaching to his efforts in helping to lead the Civil Rights movement in Florida. Along the way Harry Moore instructed his students how to use the ballot, before African-Americans could vote and Harry Moore's efforts in the investigations of violence (re: lynching) and murders of African Americans in Florida.

   The most famous case that Harry Moore investigated was the Groveland Incident. The case involved the conviction of three African-Americans in the rape of a 17-year-old woman and the subsequent killing of two of the suspects by the Sheriff of Lake County Florida, Willis McCall, in an escape attempt. All the while, Harry Moore was fighting with the NAACP national organization to retained his position in the organization.

   Green's biography of Harry Moore is sparse, though a lot of it could be contributed to lack of documents related to Harry Moore's life. I felt the book would have been more complete with more details on Harry Moore's internal fight with the NAACP national office and why Harry Moore's place in the Civil Rights movement has been lost.

   At the end of the book, Green spends too much time tracing down former Klan members who claimed they knew who murdered Harry Moore. However, all these statements were dead ends. Ben Green's book is a good starting point to learn about a true Civil Rights pioneer.




3. The author followed the FBI, the police, the Klan and Sherriff Willis McCall as if everything they said and did was ordered from the almighty and couldn't possibly be wrong. He bought the party line and didn't make any waves. He didn't do any in-depth investigating. This was an overview of a life of a man who should be honored by all the world as an icon for justice, for all men. It was a great let down that the author didn't follow the reporting that had been done previously and refrain from writing in such a mean spirited manner. At least maybe some more people will know what this brave man did and stood for. He should be likened to Nathan Hale who said "I'm sorry I have but one life to give for my country." The book didn't say it but let all citizens unite and Remember " Respectfully yours, HARRY T. MOORE." Could anything be more eloquent or brave thatn that signature?



4. I cannot overstate my admiration for Ben Green's Before His Time. As I read I felt I was traveling the roads with Harry Moore, fighting the fight with him (I should be so brave). I am fairly well read (PhD, English Lit) and have enjoyed many books, but very few have moved me as much Green's has. You need to know Harry T. Moore. Ben Green has given you the chance. Take it.



5. Beautifully written; a story that needed to be told. It was at times painful to read because of how horrible people were treated due to the color of their skin.

1 comments about Ballbuster?: True Confessions of a Marxist Businessman.

1. Bertell Ollman, now a professor of Political Science at NYU, wrote "Ballbuster" as a memoir detailing the period he spent as director of Class Struggle, Inc., a company aimed at producing and selling the Marxist board game "Class Struggle" that he (with others) designed. One would normally say that a Marxist businessman is a contradiction in terms, but as Ollman shows, this need not be true. As a modern day Friedrich Engels he and his fellow investors, all professors, lawyers and the like, build, develop and sell the board game.
   
   Attempting to turn a profit while also selling as many games as possible, so that all across America and even beyond the term 'class struggle' might again become a household word, turns out to be a lot less simple than it seems. Moreover, it is, as one might expect, very hard to reconcile socialism with taking the position of the capitalist, so that Ollman gets mired more and more into the deep as the story progresses. The book contains all the details, from trying to advocate socialism at the New York Chamber of Commerce to dealing with strikes and unionization getting in the way of the game, and there's even a movie contract involved. At the same time, Ollman was fighting a lawsuit against his former employer, the University of Maryland, who had unconstitutionally denied him the chairmanship of the Poli Sci department because of his political views, and against rightist journalists Novack and Evans, who had libelled him over the case.
   
   The combination of the difficulties of being a small business owner and trying to maintain a socialist good conscience as well as fighting a series of expensive and difficult lawsuits makes Ollman's relationships and personal mental health more and more strained. The vagaries of the market take their toll, and Ollman and his friends increasingly get in over their head as the situation spins out of control. But what makes this book so strong is Ollman's good humor and the intelligent observations, even taking time in between to write considerations on why socialists so often appear dour and humorless, and the possibilities of radical humor to be effective - something the game Class Struggle set out to do.
   
   It is much worthwhile reading this book, both for people with broad socialist sympathies as for anyone who has or had a small business.

4 comments about Soapy: A Biography of G. Mennen Williams.

1. I know Tom Noer. I play golf with him on regular basis. I listened and watched with admiration and fascination his passion and commitment over the three years he devoted to the research and writing of this book. The result - an illuminating study of what we rarely hear about these days.....of how a man motivated by his religious beliefs became a classic example of what often is derided these days - a liberal. Noer does not whitewash Soapy's track record. He describes with fascinating details how Soapy led Michigan into financial chaos and became the only dissenter in the process of nominating LBJ as Vice President candidate. But Noer also has interesting writing style of saving his "zingers" as the last sentence of paragraphs throughout the book. This book is not only for life-long Michiganders, but anyone who wants to understand how and in what ways the principals of liberalism came into being and are part of today's political discourse.



2. Regional political biographies rarely get much attention. Thomas Noer's biography of the late Michigan Governor G. Mennen Williams will likely appeal chiefly to those interested in Michigan history, but it should also find an audience among those interested in 20th century American politics. Williams, governor for 12 years, was intermittently and briefly on the national stage and thought to be a Democratic presidential contender. His presidential ambitions were shattered when his fights with the Republican-controlled Michigan legislature brought the state to bankruptcy. He was a millionaire, an unrelenting liberal, and a man of great personal integrity who had a life-long devotion to civil and human rights. He possessed a strong religious faith, which he acknowledged unashamedly. First elected governor at age 37, he turned Michigan into a two-party state. Professor Noer's book is a balanced, thorough, thoughtful, and very readable look at a fascinating life, and a welcome addition to the material on state-level public affairs.



3. A bit of disclosure is in order: I knew G.Mennen Williams from a distance, I grew up in the 1950s among many people who knew him very well, and I have always admired him. As such I am sympathetic to his ideals though aware of his imperfections, and quite knowlegdeable about his life and times. All that said, to me this book reads vivid and rings true. It is a work of formidable scholarship and scrupulous documentation. It is also very readable - as an academic editor, I marvel at the author's literacy and style!
   The importance of Soapy Williams to the political history of Michigan and the nation, and the exemplary nature of his character arise from this book with remarkable vigor. One need not agree with his ideology to appreciate the profound effect he had on his time and place. He mattered. He was a leader who made people feel that they were personally involved in society, and that they personally mattered. At a time of cynicism, a "disposable" underclass, and cardboard midget politicians, his memory is both inspiring and excruciating.
   Perhaps inspiration will win out. The greatest strength of this book is that it made me realize how much Soapy Williams made me and my generation in Michigan who we are.
   
   William M. Klykylo / February 9, 2006



4. Often the object of ridicule outside the state for his name and his green and white polka dot tie, G. Mennen ("Soapy") Williams was in fact a major force for change in Michigan. First elected Governor in 1948, he and an army of supporters created a Democratic Party from scratch in a state completely dominated by Republicans. Through four terms until 1960, Soapy battled the Republican legislature, which opposed corporate taxes (read the auto companies) and fought for education, mental health care and other basic social services. This is part of the story told by Thomas Noer in his highly readable biography: "Soapy, A Biography of G. Mennen Williams, University of Michigan Press, 2005). Most stunning is Noer's account of Soapy's early advocacy of civil rights, beginning in the late forties. He recognized discrimation against Blacks, notably, but also campaigned against anti-semitism. ("Gentiles only" signs were common at Michigan hotels, Noer points out.)
   
   His outspoken liberalism cost Soapy a central role on the national stage; he had hoped to run for President at the ripe age of 43. After the `60 election, JFK threw him a bone and then was surprised by the energy and effectiveness Williams brought to his appointment as head of the obscure "African Bureau." A humiliating loss for Senate followed and shortly after Soapy went to the Philippines as Ambassador. He ended his career as a Michigan Supreme Court Justice, eventually Chief Justice. It can be said that Soapy didn't know when to stop, that in fact he only knew how to work, typical perhaps of his generation.
   
   Biographers are often overcome by the deluge of details which accompany any research of a life. But Thomas Noer knows how to tell a story. His book is a great read. I grew up in Michigan during the Soapy years, when Soapy loomed larger than life (even though he slept at our house and showed up at my wedding reception, my father having been one of the many inspired by his leadership). As a young girI, I was inspired by all the independent women who worked with him. Now it is extremely gratifying to have a peek behind the scenes. Noer makes it clear that Soapy's idealism sometimes led him into political blunders. But in this day and age it is bracing to read of a leader who did the right thing - even if it was not always politically expedient.

No comments about Profiles in Power: Twentieth-Century Texans in Washington, New Edition (Focus on American History Series,Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin).

5 comments about Fortunate Son: George W. Bush And The Making Of An American President.

1. This Book is great, I am very much into politics and I find that this book kept me on the edge of my seat. The Amount of coruption that this family has is astonishing. To think that someone of George W. Bush's stature can be our leader leaves hope to just about anyone. In the book it explains that President Bush's Grandfather had connections to Nazi camps and I find that to be awful. The book is well written and contains some valuable information about President Bush. Read it for yourself You won't be disappointed.



2. This book caused a big controversey when it was released. Neo-cons said it was a smear job, but strangely enough mainstream type liberals didn't over do it with their enthusiasm and Bush bashing when this came out. The original publisher ended up balking at releasing it. The author was smeared, attacked and after a while turned up dead under very shady circumstances. Knowing what I know about the Bush families history I expected a lot more because after reading this I was shocked at how LITTLE dirt there was on Bush in this. You really get nothing more than Bush was a mediocre student, he had a drinking problem for several years, he MIGHT have went awol from the National Guard and he MIGHT have done a lot coke. There was so much that was left out of this that I don't even know where to begin.
   
   Overall this book is worth checking out from the library and reading but I wouldn't buy it. Webster Tarpleys book about Poppy Bush and American Dynasty by Kevin Phillips would be better choices if your researching the Bush crime family.



3. I was impressed with the fact that this book reported positives as well as negatives. Although the forward was over the top, the actual book is pretty balanced and believable. A documentary about the author (who later committed suicide)quoted him as saying that Karl Rove was his major source. The fact that they managed to get this book not just taken off the market, but burned (!) shows the power of the machine that originally got Bush elected. Long may they stew.



4. I hate George Bush almost as much as I hate my ex wife, venereal disease, child rapists, Nazis, litterers, termites, cancer, real estate agents, collection agents, rich people, stupid people, dishonest people, and graffiti "artists". I always have since the first moment I ever saw him. I could tell this was a spoilt, rich brat that would never be asked to do anything at all difficult, yet would have all. My god, I cannot believe he became president. But of course, he had more than just a little bit of help. (thanks to Choicepoint, Diebold, and the US Surpremely stupid court - "but, if they have the recount and it shows more voters preferred Gore, it will be difficult for Bush to retain the presidency" - Scalia)
   
   Anyway, I love to read anything that confirms my biases, just as everyone else who is a lazy reader/thinker (I am not always lazy, but I am sometimes). I did not find that to be the case for this book. I found that I was starting to like "W" as I read it. I was very surprised. He is a human, after all. This is not a book for the bush haters.
   
   I would love to see a movie, or maybe a made for TV mini-series about the Bushes. People need to know in a way that will make them care and understand how we let this guy get away with everything, short of murder (that is if you exclude murder-by-proxy of millions of the poor and dark skinned, here and abroad). The financial stuff is really compelling. How did he invest $200K in the Texas Rangers, and take out $130M? Was that not really just a bribe? Just how stupid do you think we all are? How about his double insider trading with Harkin Oil? He scooped all the insiders by knowing that daddie was going to start his war and that the oil leases would be valuless, out he sold, not even any of the other insiders knew about. Man, you and I would be in prison still if we pulled those things off. Raiding the University of Texas trust for $400M. That is classic. A great crook to have working for you. To bad, he is not nor did he ever work for anyone except his own trifling self and his elite circle. America? Hah! Well, it is all clear to everyone now. Let's not make this mistake again.
   
   Enough of that, this book will improve your opinion of Bush, no matter what you think. You will be surprised. Well written, we researched, well balanced. Now, where did I put my Molly Ivins book?



5. This book is honest. A sincere account of Bush Jr.'s life. I have to say, it's hard for me to believe Hatfield took his own life, despite the trouble he had getting this book published. This book is well documented and should be read by every good American.

5 comments about On My Honor The Beliefs That Shape My Life.

1. I could not put this book down! I found this book to be a fascinating insight into the U.S. Attorney General.

   The book lets the reader see how John Ashcroft's life was shaped by his father and his own personal faith. In light of the United State's war on terrorism, I found it very comforting to learn that Ashcroft, one of America's leaders in that war, is grounded on a foundation of ethics, morals, and integrity.




2. I probably shouldn't publicly criticize the neo-J Edgar Hoover, but what the heck, I'm feeling brave! (kinda, since I clicked the anonymous button on my review!) This purpose of this review is to spark debate about the fusion of Jerry Falwell and J Edgar Hoover (as Julian Bond so eloquently put it), aka John Ashcroft. Scientists have successfully bonded religious fanaticism with Orwellian tactics. The result is our attny. general. A man who speaks at Bob Jones University, praising their "values" (segregation, racism, and general intolerance). Now don't get me wrong, he is allowed to believe whatever he wants to believe, he has that right as a citizen of the United States. But, his beliefs make him extremely bias, therefore should not be allowed to hold a position that requires TOTAL neutrality. (I know, Reno wasn't a star either in regards to Waco and Ruby Ridge, and the other Clinton DoJ foul ups). But the new DoJ is 10x worse. One of the most important (if not the most important) positions of power is that of Attorney General. This person holds OUR civil liberties in their hands, they are entrusted not to abuse the power given to them. Ashcroft has abused those powers. It may not seem like it right now, but history will look back on Ashcroft's actions and label him as a tyrant. What is scary is that he thinks he is right, that he has direct contact with God, and that he does God's bidding ... . Keep in mind that Ashcroft and Bin Laden are one in the same, both give their respective religions a bad name. Some non-Christian may hear Ashcroft spitting gross intolerances towards other cultures and think that all Christians are like him. Just as we see Bin Laden murder innocent civilians in the name of Islam, we think all Muslims are blood thirsty psychos. To those who share Ashcroft's beliefs, sorry to offend you, but people with your beliefs have no place in public service. As a free country we must keep zealots out of government. People with extreme (be it left of right) views have no right to dictate extreme policy to a public that is mostly moderate. That is called tyranny of the minority. Democracy rests on the principal of tyranny of the majority.



3. This is a good primer on how to lie to the public and still try to look good.



4. The Attorney General is honest in sharing his Christian worldview and how it shapes his decisions. He takes readers through a chronology of his life, however he doesn't spend a lot of time on details. What he does is highlight the major impact his dad had on his life. A significant amount of the book discusses the principles he learned from his dad and how he applied them to his own life. This intangible legacy, the legacy of Christian faith is one that has cause him to say he cares more about his eternal reputation rather than his place in history (which is temporal). There are some mundane matters his dad passed on to him as well, such as suggesting that he always dress for a position above the one he currently held to create the proper image. Overall this book provides an insight into the thinking of the author.



5. On the first day of his Senate confirmation hearings, John Ashcroft raised his right hand and vowed, "I swear to unhold the laws of the United States of America, so help me God".
   
   On the second day, after confirmation, he broke that oath...
   
   So goes the life of John "trustworthy" Ashcroft.

2 comments about The Himmler Brothers: A German Family History.

1. Katrin has access to many family documents that were not published before, it is nice to see the family and their history, and have a look on how that typical German Family got so far in the ranks of the Nazi regime. I love studying about the Second War, and this was one of the best I've read. Loved it.



2. I'm interested in anything that sheds light on what happened in the thirties and forties to allow the Nazi party to come to power. This book gives excellent insight into the condition of the times and the background of a man whose name causes many to shiver with horror. This simple story is engaging and you won't forget easily forget it. Lots to think about...

5 comments about The CLINTON ENIGMA : A FOUR AND A HALF MINUTE SPEECH REVEALS THIS PRESIDENT'S ENTIRE LIFE.

1. As a foreigner who has seen the US from abroad throughout the last decade, I must say I was very disapointed by this book. How is it possible to create so much garbage and put it indise a cover, and then get it sold?!!! For a long time I followed the US-debate over the Clintons. And for a long time I thought Hillary Clinton's acusations about a conspiracy was a bit over the top. But after reading this I am in no doubt: The Clintons have recieved a lot more negativety than they deserve! And thruth be told, Bill Clinton was a leader we in the rest of the world had confidence in. He was though on behalf of his nation, but he was a leader in wich we felt trust.



2. David Maraniss is a real pro and I recommend his books and articles, but I wish he would not have written this little book. It is an interesting idea -- to extrapolate a man's life from a four minute speech -- but I found it to be somewhat self-serving.

   For example, Mr. Maraniss makes something of a to-do about the fact that the president of the United States would not make time for him. Mr. Maraniss had been critical of Clinton in some ways, and that might have dampened the president's enthusiasm for meeting with him; but Maraniss is only an author. Bill Clinton was president of the United States.

   One other little example: Mr. Maraniss makes something of a deal out of the fact that Clinton once said to him, "Nice tie," and then later someone else told him (D.M.) that that remark should be interpreted as a "F- you." Hm, a pretty far-out interpretation.
   -end-




3. Only Clinton's autobiography will do a better job at realistically assessing the behavior of this very unique president. He was such a blend of good and bad.
   The author captures this perfectly.

   Jeffrey McAndrew
   author of "Our Brown-Eyed Boy"




4. David Maraniss was on Slick's side at one point. Maraniss wrote some not so positive things about Slick, and now Maraniss is the classic example of how the Clintonistas will freeze the media out by ignoring them when they question the almighty Slickster. This book breaks down the infamous speech Slick gave on TV the night he admitted to the improper relationship with Monica - the relationship he had denied having. There are some very good looks back into the life of a criminal that show how that speech was no different from any other time Slick has been less than truthful (he's lied).



5. An interesting analysis of President Clinton by one not part of the "great right-wing conspiracy." Making use of the four-minute speech in which the president finally confessed to lying under oath regarding an affair with "that woman, Miss Lewinsky," Maraniss (who wrote the Clinton biography First in His Class) claims this speech tells us everything we need to know about Bill Clinton. Get the audio edition, which contains the entire speech.

5 comments about Benjamin Franklin.

1. After reading "Benjamin Franklin", he would be the one person -- dead or living -- who would make the most fascinating dinner guest for an evening. His list of accomplishments is practically endless: printer, writer, philosopher, postmaster general, inventor, scientist, diplomat, statesman, traveler, and conversationalist. The majority of people who are ultimately successful have a key talent in one area, focus on that talent, and rise to the top. It is so inexplicably rare to find someone of such vast talent who also excels in all his (her) talents. Benjamin Franklin was such a gifted individual and, thankfully for our nation, focused much of his energy and time into serving the public. Carl Van Doren has written an incredibly well-researched biography of one of our key founding fathers. Van Doren's style can sometimes be dry and too academic, but keep in mind that this book was initially published in 1938. Today's reader may expect a more conversational tone and faster moving story. However, Carl Van Doren's biography is heroic in its effort and the author's admiration clearly shines through for Mr. Franklin.



2. I have not read Cabel's bio from 1918 on Franklin but this one by Carl van Doren might be the best. I tend to discount autobiographies as they tend to be highly partisan & even revisionist. The version Franklin's autobiography I read, & there seems to be dozens of them, was fairly modest.
   This is a whole life biography & is taken in large part from Franklin's own writings, letters to from & about Franklin. The unabridged audio version was a real treat & the amount of research must have been staggering, considering it was written in the thirties.
   This is a very through book. Where it treads lightly, whole books have been written. That is Franklin's lovers & the numerous children from these liasons, mostly in France. Mr. Van Doren is skeptical, keeping in mind when this book was written. Franklin loved woman & woman loved him but not nessarily in that way. He had many friends & "daughters" refering to his many, young female admirers. He keeps the wise grandfatherly image I had of him. In fact he was a neglectful husband & an absentee father to his own daughter deserting his wife during all those years overseas.
   There is so much to him, a true citizen of the world. He was a self-made wealthy merchant, inventor, scientist, philospher & statesman. The title he was most proud was master printer, an individual who started from nothing. He had many roles in life & van Doren covers them all.
   His most important years were spent in England & France. He loved London & Paris. He may have been tempted but he was always loyal to America, keeping her interest in mind. He was the face of America in Europe. He played the part expected of him; a rustic American philospher with a fur hat & was all the rage in the royal court of France.
   The colonies were fortunate to have Franklin in England before the revolution & France during & after. That is where with, Franklin's connivance, the major decisions concerning America were being made.
   His accomplishments ranged over various disiplines, as the inventor of the lightening rod, the Franklin stove used for heating, bifocals etc. He founded the first public library & fire department in America. He was the major contributor to the Albany Plan of Union in 1754. A document way ahead of its time, was a useful reference during the constitutional convention in 1789. He assisted Thomas Jefferson with key phrases in the Declaration of Independence. He was important in reaching consensus when the U.S. Consititution was being drafted.
   Had he stayed in Philadelphia, he may simply have remained a popular, loyal, prosperous printer & businessmen. He saw first hand the disdain King George III had for him & the colonies. To him America was merely a source of taxes without the rights accorded to all free Englishmen. This & the humiliation he suffered at the hands of British Parliment, turned him into a uncompromising (for one of the few times in his life) rebel. With his patience, gentle diplomacy, wisdom & sense of fairness, America was well served. With apologies to Washington who never left North America & Jefferson, Franklin may be the greatest founding father.
   While writing this review it occured to me that there are many similarities to Winston Churchill. Franklin was not a warrior as Churchill was but both men were visionaries & peace makers. Both were geniuses & prolific writers on any number of subjects. They were both statesmen & active in public service to a very old age. Both men dominated the times they lived in.
   Read or listen to this fine book, then move on to other newer biographies. They all add somthing to this remarkable man.



3. With this hefty tome, Carl Van Doren succeeds in authoring a compelling biography equal to the intellectual scope and achievement of his subject, Benjamin Franklin. The title 'renaissance man' was perhaps never more aptly bestowed than on Franklin, whose pursuits ranged from printing to (most famously) electricity to temperature patterns and ocean currents to politics.
   
   Following the sweep of Franklin's advancing renown, first in the United States and then in Europe, the narrative never descends to a mere recounting of the man's many achievements (though this would undoubtedly make for fascinating reading in its own right). Rather, Van Doren devotes substantial attention to the greater social context in which Franklin works; in particular, the thread of family life in Philadelphia and later in France helps to anchor the broadening pace of his scientific and political thought, culminating in the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the establishment of republican government in America.
   
   Fittingly, the treatment of Franklin's death sounds only the faintest of elegiac tones. Van Doren recognizes the triumph of Franklin's life in the contributions to science, philosophy, and politics that would long outlive the man himself.
   
   A must-read.



4. I'm a big Van Doren Bio fan, and a bigger Ben Franklin fan. Carl captures the essence of the scoundrel Franklin. This is a bigger than life, juicy life. I almost don't recognize the Ben I learned about in school. The dried up old husk of a man who was part of that long ago effort to free our nation. Read this and laugh at the ways Franklin manipulated and succeeded against many odds.



5. 1991 Penguin Books reissue of 1st edition (1938), 862 pages (of which 782 pages form the main body of the book).
   
   I read this book because of Charlie Munger (Warren Buffett's partner). Benjamin Franklin is the man Charlie Munger admires and has attempted to emulate most. Franklin's autobiography was one of the twenty books Munger recommended at the back of the second edition of Poor Charlie's Almanack (the most useful book I have read). After reading Franklin's autobiography I was very interested to learn more about him - which I'm sure was Munger's intention. Thus I was led to this biography (one of two on Franklin that Munger has recommended), which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1939. I chose to read Van Doren's before Walter Issacson's newer `Benjamin Franklin: An American Life,' as I liked the idea of being able to see what new material might have been discovered since 1938.
   
   With each of the large biographies I have read over the last year, I have found it has taken quite a lot of reading before I really got into the book. This one was no different. It was only when I was about half way through, reading about Franklin's activities dealing with the appalling British government/monarchy in the run up to the American War of Independence, that I found myself gripped. That may have something to do with me having already read Franklin's autobiography, which was the main source for the early part of Van Doren's book (as the author said: `Plenty of other men could find materials for the story of his latest years. Only he had known about his obscure youth...').
   
   I suspect another significant reason was that up until roughly that point there was very little information on what Franklin was actually like and how he spent his days (as opposed to things he had done or places he had been). Without this information I find it difficult to mentally associate or connect with the subject. This is one of the two key areas of weakness I identified in Van Doren's otherwise admirable book and is also the reason why I preferred Ron Chernow's biography of Rockefeller, Titan to Joseph Frazier Wall's biography of Andrew Carnegie. From about halfway through Van Doren's book we do get very interesting snippets, from Franklin himself and also from other people, about what Franklin was actually like (on pages 405, 419, 521, 600 & 649/650, in particular). I wish there was more, but perhaps the material was simply unavailable.
   
   The second weakness was in the account of Franklin's finances. Franklin became quite wealthy through his printing activities before he left business and went to Britain. At sixty years of age, after many years of easy living and generosity, he found himself with money worries. His most important business partnership ended in 1766, depriving Franklin of a significant proportion of his income. He was also concerned that he might lose his position at the post office around the same time. Though this did not happen and he was actually appointed as agent to three further states, I was rather surprised that Franklin left a significant financial legacy when he was close to being hard up a little over twenty years before his death.
   
   He did not appear to live frugally for the latter part of his life and so I am not sure where the funds came from. I would much have preferred it if this apparent paradox had been resolved. It seems of particular importance here, as Franklin was a man who preached the gospel of frugality, but also said: `frugality was "a virtue I never could acquire in myself."'
   
   I suspect that Van Doren was correct when he said of Franklin: `That he talked about them [industry and frugality] so much made it clear that they came less from his nature than from his discipline.' So, after frugality had served its purpose he perhaps left it behind (though long held habits almost always leave a residue).
   
   With those caveats, Van Doren's biography of Franklin is an impressive piece of work. I am not surprised that `The final writing of the book called for almost daily use of the New York Public Library over a period of two years.' And that `This book, full as it is, is a biography cut with hard labour to the bone.' The difficulty (as well as the interest) in writing a biography of a truly extraordinary man like Franklin was that he was extraordinary in many different areas. He was a successful businessman, an absolutely pre-eminent scientist and philosopher, as well as a remarkable and successful statesman (and that in a place and era when rank by birth was of paramount importance).
   
   I am not paid for them and so write these book reviews primarily for myself. I thus like to include the most important things I have learned and that I wish to retain and include into my life and conduct. In this case - because of the subject - there are far too many to include here. And that is surely the reason why Franklin is Munger's biggest hero: he was not only successful but he was also wise, generous and benevolent with it. Unlike Rockefeller, for example, he seemed to really enjoy his life. And unlike Carnegie, who appeared to fail Solon's warning (I might rather call it Taleb's warning, as that is where I learned it) to Croesus to call no man happy until he is dead.
   
   I do not wish to be happy because I have a distorted view of reality, but because I have seen the world as it is and can accept it. Franklin's life is thus a message of hope: he saw the world with exceptional clarity and was able to love it anyway.

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