Benjamin Franklin's Numbers

Benjamin Franklin's Numbers PDF Author: Paul C. Pasles
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 069122370X
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 266

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Book Description
Few American lives have been as celebrated--or as closely scrutinized--as that of Benjamin Franklin. Yet until now Franklin's biographers have downplayed his interest in mathematics, at best portraying it as the idle musings of a brilliant and ever-restless mind. In Benjamin Franklin's Numbers, Paul Pasles reveals a side of the iconic statesman, scientist, and writer that few Americans know--his mathematical side. In fact, Franklin indulged in many areas of mathematics, including number theory, geometry, statistics, and economics. In this generously illustrated book, Pasles gives us the first mathematical biography of Benjamin Franklin. He draws upon previously unknown sources to illustrate Franklin's genius for numbers as never before. Magic squares and circles were a lifelong fascination of Franklin's. Here, for the first time, Pasles gathers every one of these marvelous creations together in one place. He explains the mathematics behind them and Franklin's hugely popular Poor Richard's Almanac, which featured such things as population estimates and a host of mathematical digressions. Pasles even includes optional math problems that challenge readers to match wits with the bespectacled Founding Father himself. Written for a general audience, this book assumes no technical skills beyond basic arithmetic. Benjamin Franklin's Numbers is a delightful blend of biography, history, and popular mathematics. If you think you already know Franklin's story, this entertaining and richly detailed book will make you think again.

Benjamin Franklin's Numbers

Benjamin Franklin's Numbers PDF Author: Paul C. Pasles
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 069122370X
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 266

Get Book Here

Book Description
Few American lives have been as celebrated--or as closely scrutinized--as that of Benjamin Franklin. Yet until now Franklin's biographers have downplayed his interest in mathematics, at best portraying it as the idle musings of a brilliant and ever-restless mind. In Benjamin Franklin's Numbers, Paul Pasles reveals a side of the iconic statesman, scientist, and writer that few Americans know--his mathematical side. In fact, Franklin indulged in many areas of mathematics, including number theory, geometry, statistics, and economics. In this generously illustrated book, Pasles gives us the first mathematical biography of Benjamin Franklin. He draws upon previously unknown sources to illustrate Franklin's genius for numbers as never before. Magic squares and circles were a lifelong fascination of Franklin's. Here, for the first time, Pasles gathers every one of these marvelous creations together in one place. He explains the mathematics behind them and Franklin's hugely popular Poor Richard's Almanac, which featured such things as population estimates and a host of mathematical digressions. Pasles even includes optional math problems that challenge readers to match wits with the bespectacled Founding Father himself. Written for a general audience, this book assumes no technical skills beyond basic arithmetic. Benjamin Franklin's Numbers is a delightful blend of biography, history, and popular mathematics. If you think you already know Franklin's story, this entertaining and richly detailed book will make you think again.

Ben Franklin and the Magic Squares

Ben Franklin and the Magic Squares PDF Author: Frank Murphy
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 0385374615
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 50

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Book Description
A funny, entertaining introduction to Ben Franklin and his many inventions, including the story of how he created the "magic square." A magic square is a box of nine numbers arranged so that any line of three numbers adds up to the same number, including on the diagonal! Teachers and kids will love finding out about this popular teaching tool that is still used in elementary schools today!

Code Number 72/Ben Franklin

Code Number 72/Ben Franklin PDF Author: Cecil B. Currey
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 372

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Book Description
"Was Benjamin Franklin a British spy? This is the startling but all too legitimate question investigated in this complete reappraisal of one of America's most illustrious founding fathers. Franklin has traditionally been portrayed as a dedicated servant of the United States during the turbulent years of the nation's birth. Now in Code Number 72 / Ben Franklin: Patriot or Spy?, author-historian Cecil B. Currey has brought to life an entirely different story."--Book Jacket.

Benjamin Franklin Wit and Wisdom

Benjamin Franklin Wit and Wisdom PDF Author: Benjamin Franklin
Publisher: Peter Pauper Press, Inc.
ISBN: 9781441300591
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 76

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Book Description


Benjamin Franklin and His Enemies

Benjamin Franklin and His Enemies PDF Author: Robert Middlekauff
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520921038
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 283

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Book Description
In this engaging study of the much-loved statesman and polymath, Robert Middlekauff uncovers a little-known aspect of Benjamin Franklin's personality—his passionate anger. He reveals a fully human Franklin who led a remarkable life but nonetheless had his share of hostile relationships—political adversaries like the Penns, John Adams, and Arthur Lee—and great disappointments—the most significant being his son, William, who sided with the British. Utilizing an abundance of archival sources, Middlekauff weaves episodes in Franklin's emotional life into key moments in colonial and Revolutionary history. The result is a highly readable narrative that illuminates how historical passions can torment even the most rational and benevolent of men.

Benjamin Franklin in London

Benjamin Franklin in London PDF Author: George Goodwin
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300220243
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 396

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Book Description
An account of Franklin's British years.

The Portable Benjamin Franklin

The Portable Benjamin Franklin PDF Author: Benjamin Franklin
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 9780143039549
Category : Literary Collections
Languages : en
Pages : 596

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Book Description
It takes a very inclusive anthology to encompass the protean personality and range of interests of Benjamin Franklin, but The Portable Benjamin Franklin succeeds as no collection has. In addition to the complete Autobiography, the volume contains about 100 of Franklin’s major writings—essays, journalism, letters, political tracts, scientific observations, proposals for the improvement of civic and personal life, literary bagatelles, and private musings. The selections are reprinted in their entirety and organized chronologically within six sections that represent the full range of Franklin’s temperament. The result is a zestful read for Franklin scholars and anyone wanting to know and enjoy this American icon. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Ben Franklin's Web Site

Ben Franklin's Web Site PDF Author: Robert Ellis Smith
Publisher: Privacy Journal
ISBN: 0930072146
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 389

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Book Description
Explore the hidden niches of American history to discover the tug between our yearning for privacy and our insatiable curiosity. Book jacket.

The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin

The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin PDF Author: Gordon S. Wood
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101200901
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 321

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Book Description
“I cannot remember ever reading a work of history and biography that is quite so fluent, so perfectly composed and balanced . . .” —The New York Sun “Exceptionally rich perspective on one of the most accomplished, complex, and unpredictable Americans of his own time or any other.” —The Washington Post Book World From the most respected chronicler of the early days of the Republic—and winner of both the Pulitzer and Bancroft prizes—comes a landmark work that rescues Benjamin Franklin from a mythology that has blinded generations of Americans to the man he really was and makes sense of aspects of his life and career that would have otherwise remained mysterious. In place of the genial polymath, self-improver, and quintessential American, Gordon S. Wood reveals a figure much more ambiguous and complex—and much more interesting. Charting the passage of Franklin’s life and reputation from relative popular indifference (his death, while the occasion for mass mourning in France, was widely ignored in America) to posthumous glory, The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin sheds invaluable light on the emergence of our country’s idea of itself.

The Remarkable Benjamin Franklin

The Remarkable Benjamin Franklin PDF Author:
Publisher: National Geographic Books
ISBN: 9781426302978
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 52

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Book Description
Learn about this most amazing American.