The Most Dangerous Man In America Scenes From The Life Of Benjamin Franklin

Presents a biography of the eighteenth-century printer, inventor, and statesman who played an influential role in the early history of the United States.

This book describes the life and contributions of the man who helped make France an ally of the American colonies to win the Revolutionary War. Franklin was also a leader in studying electricity, wrote POOR RICHARD'S ALMANAC, and served as a member of the Constitutional Convention.

Carol Byrd is a college professor of linguistics and feminist criticism, with a reputation in academia as an original feminist. She’s married to John Byrd, also a professor at a midwestern university. Hired by a publishing company to write on the sexist attitudes of the founding fathers, Carol chooses Benjamin Franklin as her subject and begins her research. One night she has a dream in which Franklin appears and explains what kind of book he’d like her to write about him. Certain aspects of his life, he tells her, such as his over-fondness for women, and his lack of spirituality, have been misinterpreted by history and he’d like these corrected. He begins appearing in her dreams regularly as well as in her waking life, guiding her writing and discussing his life and his philosophy with her. At first, she dismisses these experiences as imagination, but begins to be drawn into his story and finds herself taking his side, seeing history his way. Soon she is unable to deny the reality of his presence, and that there are planes of existence outside the physical world. This awareness changes her, expands her world, her marriage, her writing and her outlook on life.

Benjamin Franklin is generally considered one of America's most versatile and talented statesmen, scientists, and philosophers. His achievements include publisher of Poor Richard's Almanac and many articles on political, economic, religious, philosophical and scientific subjects. He was the inventor of bifocals, the Franklin stove, lightening rod, he was one of the signers of the 'Declaration of Independence', and the founder of, what is now the University of Pennsylvania. This book presents a detailed and riveting review of Franklin's life based on excerpts from the renowned 1899 book on Franklin by Sydney George Fisher. This overview is augmented by a substantial selective bibliography, which features access through title, subject and author indexes.

How did Ben Franklin become an outspoken leader of the American Revolution? Learn all about it in seven (not-so-easy) steps in this humorous, accessible middle-grade chapter book that focuses on Ben’s political awakening. Famous founding father Benjamin Franklin was a proud subject of the British Empire—until he wasn’t. It took nearly seventy years and seven not-so-easy steps to turn Benjamin Franklin from a loyal British subject to a British traitor—and a fired-up American revolutionary. In this light, whimsical narrative, young readers learn how Franklin came to be a rebel, beginning with his childhood lesson in street smarts when he buys a whistle at an inflated price. Franklin is a defiant boy who runs away from his apprenticeship, and while he becomes a deep thinker, a brilliant scientist, and a persuasive writer when he grows up, he never loses that spark. As a community leader who tries his best to promote peace and unity both between the colonies and with Great Britain, he becomes more and more convinced that independence for the American colonies is the way forward. Illustrated throughout with art by noted New Yorker cartoonist and illustrator John O’Brien and sprinkled with quotations from Franklin, this unfamiliar story of a familiar figure in American history will surprise and delight young readers.

The 18th century saw the emergence of the industrial and chemical revolutions and witnessed the near-universal acceptance of applied science. It was a time of revolutionary, lasting transformation for the practice of science and mathematics. Most procedures and precepts of modern science took hold during the 18th century, when scientists first paired scientific research with practical application to astonishing results. In over 60 alphabetical entries, Shectman examines at the tremendous scientific discoveries, inventions, and inquiries of the period. Familiar topics such as the steam engine and hot air balloon are covered, along with lesser-known topics such as the Watt copy press and Newton's experimentum crucis. A thorough discussion of each entry's scientific impact provides readers with an understanding of the lasting social and political importance of these advancements. Narratives enrich the entries by adding context and perspective to the century's fascinating scientific history. Students and researchers will find this reference book easy to use. Included are an appendix of entries listed by scientific field, a glossary of terms, indexes by name and subject.

A History of Alternative Dispute Resolution offers a comprehensive review of the various types of peaceful practices for resolving conflicts. Written by Jerome Barrett—a longtime practitioner, innovator, and leading historian in the field of ADR—and his son Joseph Barrett, this volume traces the evolution of the ADR process and offers an overview of the precursors to ADR, including negotiation, arbitration, and mediation. The authors explore the colorful beginnings of ADR using illustrative examples from prehistoric Shaman through the European Law Merchant. In addition, the book offers the historical context for the use of ADR in the arenas of diplomacy and business.