First Friend: Thomas Jefferson- The Original Social Networker

by Kathleen Reid

Thomas Jefferson developed the first social network 200 years before the founders of MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn were born. He wrote more than 20,000 letters to thousands of friends during his lifetime. His network was the foundation of a lifelong commitment to learning that left a legacy we all benefit from today. First Friend brings Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States, author of the Declaration of Independence, author of the Statutes of Virginia for Religious Freedom and founder of the University of Virginia… to just cite a few of his prodigious accomplishments… to life for a new generation. Based on scholarly research but written to appeal to readers overwhelmed by minutiae, First Friend allows readers to see Thomas Jefferson through a familiar lens, and see Thomas Jefferson as a friend, a connection in their social network. His life, his accomplishments, his travail and triumph are experienced as he would blog, tweet and text them to his social network. First Friend is Vol. 1 of the Wakestone Legacy Series. The Wakestone Legacy Series is about approachable history. Stories of the people who shaped our nation and culture and upon whose shoulders we all stand. Written for young adults (of all ages) these books bring alive the men and women we know we are supposed to know. We are the beneficiaries of the experiences of those who came before, but their stories have too often been lost amongst the press of scholarship, buried under the need for the new and controversial. The Wakestone Legacy Series biographies bring their stories into a modern context and allow us to see them through a new, brighter lens.

202 pages, Paperback

First published April 4, 2012

About the author

Kathleen Reid is an award-winning author of three works of fiction: Paris Match, A Page Out of Life and Sunrise in Florence (2019). Sunrise in Florence won 5 Indie Book Awards in Romance and Romantic Suspense. New York Times Bestselling Author, Adriana Trigiani, said “Sunrise in Florence is a tonic for readers who love Italy, fine art and adventure.”

Her new book, Secrets in the Palazzo, just won a PenCraft Fiction award in contemporary romance. Rose’s adventures in Italy continue as she pursues a career as an artist and searches for a lost Leonardo da Vinci painting. Kathleen is a wife, mom to two girls, avid runner, and volunteer. Please see www.KathleenReid.com