The Life of Benjamin Franklin, Volume 2Named "one of the best books of 2006" by The New York Sun Described by Carl Van Doren as "a harmonious human multitude," Benjamin Franklin was the most famous American of his time, of perhaps any time. His life and careers were so varied and successful that he remains, even today, the epitome of the self made man. Born into a humble tradesman's family, this adaptable genius rose to become an architect of the world's first democracy, a leading light in