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ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson

ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson

iHeartPodcasts and Kaleidoscope

He didn’t have a role in Hamilton, but America wouldn’t be the same without him!

From Walter Isaacson– the bestselling biographer behind Musk, Einstein and Steve Jobs– and journalist Evan Ratliff (Mastermind, co-host of the beloved Longform podcast) comes a behind the scenes look at the story of Ben Franklin, and how his genius shaped our national character.

From Franklin’s adventures as a mischievous apprentice, to his evolution over 84 years into America’s best writer, inventor,scientist, diplomat, and business strategist... as well as Founding Father, Isaacson covers everything from the wit behind Poor Richard’s Almanac to the wisdom behind the Declaration of Independence; not to mention, how a former slave owner evolved into the shepherd of a near-perfect Constitution.

In this intimate behind the scenes interview, Isaacson provides a look at how he came to understand Franklin’s remarkable life, how it shaped America’s national identity, and why Ben Franklin matters so much right now.

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Top 10 ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson - ON Musk Episode One: Genius

ON Musk Episode One: Genius

ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson

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12/12/23 • 31 min

Space travel, electric vehicles, future-powering batteries—the ability to push technology forward and to bring it into the world in a real way is without a doubt the best of Elon Musk. In his 600 page biography, Walter Isaacson chronicles a man with superlative engineering skills, but who “doesn’t have a fingertip feel for social emotional networks.” On this first of four episodes, Isaacson shares the aspects of Musk that gave meaning and muscle to ... the rest of Musk.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson - Introducing: The Sicilian Inheritance

Introducing: The Sicilian Inheritance

ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson

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04/02/24 • 2 min

Every family has an origin story – for author Jo Piazza (Under the Influence, Wilder) her family's is a murder mystery. For as long as she can remember the Piazzas have told the story of their Sicilian roots going back over a hundred years ago: one by one the sons and then their father sailed off to America to carve out a better life. Their mother, Lorenza Marsala was supposed to join them – but she never made it. She was murdered by the Sicilian mafia, they said. The truth of what happened has morphed like a game of telephone through the generations. Various versions of the story claim she was killed by the Black Hand, others insisted she was a witch, killed over a bad spell. Now, Jo is determined to untangle the twisted narrative which just might bridge the gap from cinematic mob fantasies to an unexpected reality. Join her in Sicily on a family vacation/fact finding mission in which she goes to the scene of the crime, confronts mafia experts, consults mediums, and tracks down Italian officials, determined to set the record straight on her great, great grandmother’s mysterious disappearance.

Listen here and subscribe to The Sicilian Inheritance on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts!

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ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson - Introducing: Afghan Star, hosted by John Legend

Introducing: Afghan Star, hosted by John Legend

ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson

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05/16/24 • 3 min

From the fall of the Taliban until its return, people all over Afghanistan planned their lives around Afghan Star. People would pack into apartments. Villages would hook up generators to a single tv so crowds could watch. New Year’s celebrations would come to a halt, all to watch this one show. Over its 15 seasons, Afghan Star spotlighted an Afghanistan that could be: women singing without hijabs, Afghanistan’s first rapper, people of warring ethnic groups hugging and cheering for each other on stage. And it launched a cultural revolution. This is the story behind it all– from how a ragtag team scrambled to make the show every week, to the dangers they faced for trying to push the country forward. In Afghanistan, a cultural revolution was televised through a musical talent show, and this is its story. Hosted by John Legend.

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ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson - ON BENJAMIN FRANKLIN Episode 5: Legacy

ON BENJAMIN FRANKLIN Episode 5: Legacy

ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson

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10/03/24 • 35 min

In this final episode of our series, host Evan Ratliff and biographer Walter Isaacson discuss Benjamin Franklin's remarkable late-in-life achievements-- from his last anonymous essay, to the way he empowered George Washington, to his evolution on slavery, to the beautiful way Philadelphia mourned its favorite son... oh, and they discuss Ben Franklin's favorite magic trick, too!

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ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson - ON BENJAMIN FRANKLIN Episode 1: Ingenuity

ON BENJAMIN FRANKLIN Episode 1: Ingenuity

ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson

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08/29/24 • 27 min

From Walter Isaacson– the bestselling biographer behind Musk, Einstein and Steve Jobs– and journalist Evan Ratliff (Shell Games, Longform) comes a revealing look into the life of Ben Franklin, and how his genius shaped America.

In this first episode of five, we dive into the way Franklin's scientific curiosity laid the groundwork for his approach to democracy, and how his thirst for innovation not only led him to invent everything from swimming flippers to the lightning rod, but also turned him into a bona fide, worldwide celebrity—a fame he would soon wield for America's benefit.

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ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson - ON Musk Episode One Genius

ON Musk Episode One Genius

ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson

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09/26/24 • 31 min

Hey listeners! We're off this week, but we'll be back with the FINAL episode of ON BENJAMIN FRANKLIN next week. In the meantime, remember, you can always binge the first season about the controversial tech genius Elon Musk right now... starting with episode one, here!

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ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson - Introducing: Fire and Fury – The Podcast

Introducing: Fire and Fury – The Podcast

ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson

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08/12/24 • 0 min

What happens when one of the best-sourced reporters in the game catches up with an old friend to share his latest scoop? Every week, we listen in as journalist Michael Wolff (Fire and Fury, Siege, Landslide) speaks with James Truman, former editorial director of Condé Nast. They dish from inside the Trump campaign and share election intel before the world gets to hear it. Fire and Fury: The Podcast is essential listening for anyone looking to stay one step ahead of the headlines.

Listen here or on the iHeartRadio app.

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ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson - ON BENJAMIN FRANKLIN Episode 2: The Great American Character

ON BENJAMIN FRANKLIN Episode 2: The Great American Character

ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson

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09/05/24 • 32 min

From writing under pen names in the newspaper as a teenager, to the Poor Richard maxims we all know, to the autobiography he created to show the path toward American virtues, Ben Franklin literally wrote the books on what it means to be American. But how close was the real Ben Franklin to the character he created?

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ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson - Introducing: On Musk with Walter Isaacson

Introducing: On Musk with Walter Isaacson

ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson

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12/05/23 • 3 min

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ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson - ON Musk Episode Four: What is Musk’s Legacy?

ON Musk Episode Four: What is Musk’s Legacy?

ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson

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12/12/23 • 43 min

Which of Musk’s efforts will mark his legacy? Will it be Starship and his work bringing Americans back into orbit, or will it be X and his amplifications of the worst of humanity? Isaacson wrestles with his time in Silicon Valley, and relays a comparison of Jobs and Musk that’s sure to stay with you.

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FAQ

How many episodes does ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson have?

ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson currently has 15 episodes available.

What topics does ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson cover?

The podcast is about Society & Culture, Podcasts and Technology.

What is the most popular episode on ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson?

The episode title 'ON Musk Episode One: Genius' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson?

The average episode length on ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson is 25 minutes.

How often are episodes of ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson released?

Episodes of ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson are typically released every 7 days, 2 hours.

When was the first episode of ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson?

The first episode of ON Benjamin Franklin with Walter Isaacson was released on Dec 5, 2023.

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