The Ingenious Dr. Franklin: Selected Scientific Letters of Benjamin Franklin (Pennsylvania Paperbacks)
"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 ofLongitudeandGalileo'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 ofTime