The Wit & Wisdom of Benjamin Franklin

This is a great addition to any collection of books on and by Franklin. James Humes goes beyond just listing wonderful quotations. The chapters on "Franklin Firsts" and "Inventions, Ideas, and Discoveries" make this much more than just a quotation book. I've read well over a dozen books on Franklin and I still enjoyed reading this. Humes' obvious love of history and humor brings context and a deeper meaning. This is something I've tried to do in Snappy Sayings: wit & wisdom of the world's greatest minds. Each quotation is followed by the author of the quote with his birth and death year. There is an appendix with a short biography on each individual. Also the print is larger so you don't need a magnifying glass to read the quotes. There are too many quotation books that read like dictionaries. James Humes' brings the wit and genius of Franklin alive. Also check out Humes other books.

I treasure this book! Not just a book of quotations -- in a series of annectdotes, mouthwatering morsels, that leave you hungry for more, this is a literary feast. It presents Ben Franklin in a way that few books can. The reason? It shows you the Franklin you want -- when you want him. The topics -- prejudice, slander, or party loyalty -- to name some, are clear, well-organized, and often witty. But these are not the main reasons I treasure the book. You might have excellent access to short squibbs on Warren Harding. The book draws its delight from the greatness of Franklin and the authors abiding appreciation of the First American. A possessor of the earlier edition, I promise you an inexhaustible treasure.