The GREATEST SENTENCE EVER WRITTEN
Walter Isaacson
Synopsis
To celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, Walter Isaacson takes readers on a fascinating deep dive into the creation of one of history’s most powerful “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Drafted by Thomas Jefferson and edited by Benjamin Franklin and John Adams, this line lays the foundation for the American Dream and defines the common ground we share as a nation.
Isaacson unpacks its genius, word by word, illuminating the then-radical concepts behind it. Readers will gain a fresh appreciation for how it was drafted to inspire unity, equality, and the enduring promise of America. With clarity and insight, he reveals not just the power of these words but describes how, in these polarized times, we can use them to restore an appreciation for our common values.
Richard says…
Many years ago I was a history teacher, never seeing it as fulfilling…until I began teaching computers. Technology is the quicksilver of humanity, inventions that claim the news headlines when discover, immediately fading to page two with the discovery of a new technology. I found teaching computers, fun and engaging but it lacked foundation, staying power. Here today gone tomorrow. History, on the other hand, had staying power. It was there for a long time, always sitting back there, but coming to life whenever recalled, always vibrant, engaging and captivating. When recalled it dominated the stage with longevity and durability. It was interesting, It told a story. It had meat on the bones. It made technology a second fiddle to humanity.
The Greatest Sentence Ever Written is history. It grabs you. Here’s a seemingly innocuous sentence that has a lot of history attached to it, a lot of meat on the bone.
The writers of the sentence had stories behind them. They were men who might not have been dominant in their every day society, but they lasted thoughout history, so their names are recognized and well known today: Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Jean Jacques Rousseau, John Locke, Thomas Hobbes. Everyone with a little education will recognize those names and they are crucial to the writing of the Greatest Sentence Ever Written.
The Greatest Sentence Ever Written is the American Declaration of Indepence. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Isaacson provides an excellent analysis and examination of the sentence. He dissects it word or phrase by phrase explaining the meaning and the editing behind it. Furthermore, he provides the historical context in which the sentence was written with the historical basis founded on the words of philosophers and political thinkers.
Likely AmeriKans take the words for granted. After all they hear it everywhere all the time as it has been exalted to the highest order in their educational system, as well it should be. Isaacson gives the sentence its due with historical support in the appendices with supporting quotes from the philosophers and political thinkers who created the planks that comprise the declaration.
The book is a visit to the pages of history. It does a nice job in the visit but it is an erudite, scholarly examination that likely appeals to the scholarly more than anyone in general.
