There are countless books about that famous colonial multitasker. But Kathleen Krull sheds new light on the Benjamin Franklin who considered science his true calling in life, not nation building. Witty and engaging, her biography follows Franklin’s studies on the nature of air and heat and the process by which he proved electricity and lightning were one and the same. Readers come away with a perceptive, fair-minded portrait of a man who became such a celebrity during his years in Paris that souvenir stores sold Franklin ashtrays, dolls, and even wallpaper. With droll black-and-white artwork by Boris Kulikov, this is a most worthy addition to a series that has garnered critical acclaim and an avid readership.