The Greatest American

Benjamin Franklin, the World’s Most Versatile Genius

By: Mark Skousen

Narrated by: Great Lakes Voiceover and Narration

“I have sometimes almost wished it had been my destiny to have been born two or three centuries hence.” —Ben Franklin

Was Benjamin Franklin an indispensable public servant or a cunning chameleon? A hard-headed entrepreneur or an opportunistic privateer? A devoted family man or a notorious womanizer? A scientist and inventor or a hoaxer and self promoter? A believer or a heretic? The first civilized American or the most dangerous man in America? Listen to this book and you decide!

In The Greatest American, Dr. Mark Skousen—“America’s Economist” and a direct descendant of the old man—reveals many new features and little-known facts about Ben Franklin, such as:

• Why Franklin was a free trader: "No nation was ever ruined by trade."

• The surprising benefits of inflation to pay for the American Revolution

• How the War of Independence transformed him from a religious heretic to a believing theist

• Why he hated party politics

• How he changed his mind about slavery and became a devote abolitionist

• The truth about his love affairs with women. Did he really abandon his wife Deborah, or did she abandon him?

• Why he never applied for any patents for his famous inventions

• Why George Washington loved Franklin and John Adams despised him

• Why he turned against his beloved son, William, and never forgave him

• His preference for private welfare and charities rather than state-run social programs and welfare

Benjamin Franklin was the oldest of the founding fathers—he was indeed a whole generation ahead of George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson—and yet he was the most forward-looking of the group and the most modern of the founders. The Greatest American shows just how much of an impact Benjamin Franklin had on American politics and daily life.

©2025 Mark Skousen, Assigned Under Contract to Republic Book Publishers (P)2025 Republic Book Publishers

The narrator.

I disliked the way the narrator constantly repeated himself throughout the book. He would repeat themes not just twice but three to four times using the exact words.

Terribly Repetitive

To be fair, I'm only on Chapter 18. I often have a hard copy of books, but listen as I work also. As I was listening I said I'd heard the same story regarding land speculation at least twice and possibly three times, so I referred to the text as soon as I could. I can confirm that the same story is in chapters 14, 15, AND 16! I almost can't talk myself into continuing!

This book confirms, also, what I've said for years...editing is dead!