The Common Thread of Walter Isaacson’s Biographies

Biography readers will not be strangers to Walter Isaacson’s string of well-researched and well-written biographies of unique figures, some alive and some departed. There’s Leonardo DaVinci, Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, Jennifer Doudna and, now, Elon Musk.

There are many commonalities between these figures. The main one is: science. There is also the commonality that all of the biographies are available through the Mercer County Library System in multiple formats.

Initially, one might look at the names above and see a diversity of interests and that each one is or was an innovator in some capacity. Then again, one might think of each icon in a more obvious fashion. For example, think of Leonardo DaVinci and the Mona Lisa may be the first thing that comes to mind. However, one then might neglect DaVinci’s intense study of anatomy and engineering, among an array of other subjects. Likewise, when considering Benjamin Franklin, one might think of his part of the founding of the United States of America before considering his scientific interests, such as electricity.

When we come to Einstein it is, likely, that beyond images of the iconic figure, his physics work changed the way we understand the universe itself. Steve Jobs brought the personal computer and digital age to new heights, and Jennifer Doudna pioneered gene editing – opening new opportunities to cure diseases.

Isaacson’s most recent biography is that of controversial figure and innovator (it’s hard to decide which descriptor to put first) Elon Musk. With Musk, you may think of Tesla, SpaceX, yet another X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) and much more.

Isaacson himself is also a fascinating figure, having worked for the highest levels of government as well as serving at editor of Time Magazine and CEO of CNN. Each of his biographies is available through MCLS. Whether or not you have a strong interest in science and technology, these books are worth reading for the complex and, often, contradictory lives of each of the subjects.

Take a read and let me know what you think. 

- by Chip, Hickory Corner Branch