Saturday, November 22, 2003

By Bob Hoover, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

From the irascible John Adams to the cerebral James Madison, the Founding Fathers are hot properties for writers these days.

"Along with being the best scientist and diplomat in America, Franklin was important for instilling the notions of rationality and tolerance -- religious and racial -- into the culture," says Walter Isaacson, author of "Benjamin Franklin: An American Life." The author and former editor of Time magazine will speak at the Drue Heinz Lectures Tuesday night. (Associated Press) Click photo for larger image.

None is hotter right now than Benjamin Franklin. This year's biography by Walter Isaacson -- "Benjamin Franklin: An American Life" (Simon & Schuster, $30) -- is in its 15th printing, with 540,000 copies in print.

What's the attraction to a bunch of guys in wigs and stockings?

"I think there's a yearning today for both the ideas of clear values and tolerance," said the former Time magazine editor, who'll be discussing his book here Tuesday at the Drue Heinz Lectures.

"During the 1990s, I think we lost touch with those values [of the Founders] in business, politics and the media. Reading about people like Benjamin Franklin reminds us of them."

While the runaway success of David McCullough's 2001 "John Adams" fanned the nation's interest in those early patriots, Isaacson said he was working on his Franklin bio for 12 years before McCullough's book.

The Pittsburgh-born McCullough initially considered a Franklin book before turning to the nation's second president, Isaacson said.

"I'm glad he changed his mind," he added, "but the success of 'Adams' certainly helped my book. I think it gave people a clearer grasp of the [magnitude] of what those men accomplished."

During the Revolutionary War, Franklin, Adams and Thomas Jefferson were all in Paris seeking France's help. Adams, a New England workaholic, took issue with Franklin's "laid-back" approach to diplomacy, McCullough wrote.

Isaacson called their relationship "complicated" and points out that prickly Adams was booted out of France while "Dr." Franklin stayed on the strength of his charm and good humor.

"These were not marble statues but flesh-and-blood people," Isaacson said. "They disagreed, but they shared the same patriotic spirit."

Later, he pointed out, the two became friends and even shared a bed while on an official trip to New Jersey.

Accounts of Franklin's life always discuss his scientific interests and accomplishments, but Isaacson said he wanted to change impressions a bit.

"School kids all get this picture of a doddering old sage flying a kite in the rain, and that's about all they remember. I wanted to rescue the fullness of Franklin from the shallow version we have of him from school," he said.

Certainly Franklin's scientific discoveries (Isaacson rates his single-fluid theory of electricity as tops) were major breakthroughs, but his biographer cites his subject's tolerance and pragmatism as his hallmarks.

"Along with being the best scientist and diplomat in America, Franklin was important for instilling the notions of rationality and tolerance -- religious and racial -- into the culture," Isaacson said.

Franklin donated funds to every church in Philadelphia and was the largest donor to the city's first synagogue, he said.

"When he died, every clergyman in town attended his funeral."

Slavery became a paramount issue in Franklin's life, but his opposition came late, Isaacson said. He had freed his slaves and aided free blacks, but in the years after the Declaration of Independence.

"Franklin finally realized that slavery was a blot on the nation," Isaacson said, "but he was wrong to tolerate slavery as long as he did, and he tried to make up for it."

At 84, he was president of a Philadelphia abolition group, and among his last published efforts was an article attacking slavery.

One source of his tolerance came from his years as a merchant and publisher in Philadelphia, his biographer said.

"Unlike many of his colleagues, Franklin knew what it was like to deal with the customer," said Isaacson. "It developed his tolerance and his ability to compromise."

"I think that fact that he fought against fanaticism is something so relevant today," Isaacson said.

Walter Issacson speaks at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Carnegie Music Hall, Oakland. For tickets, call 412-622-8866.

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