The Greatest Sentence Ever Written

by Walter Isaacson

Genres: Nonfiction

1 pages, Audio CD

Published November 18, 2025

About the author

Walter Isaacson, a professor of history at Tulane, has been CEO of the Aspen Institute, chair of CNN, and editor of Time. He is the author of 'Leonardo da Vinci; The Innovators; Steve Jobs; Einstein: His Life and Universe; Benjamin Franklin: An American Life; and Kissinger: A Biography, and the coauthor of The Wise Men: Six Friends and the World They Made. Visit him at Isaacson.Tulane.edu and on Twitter at @WalterIsaacson

Reviews

[Kelly Fulghum · Rating 5 out of 5]

A total of 67 pages. A phenomenal read that reminds me words matter.

[CONSTANCE · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author is well known for his biographies of historical and contemporary figures; among them Benjamin Franklin, Leonard da Vinci, Henry Kissinger, and Steve Jobs. And while those fascinating reads are anywhere from 600 to 900 pages, this little gem, written to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, clocks in at a mere 80 pages. The majority of the book deals with expounding the first sentence of the Declaration of Independence “We hold these truths…” and includes prior documents that influenced the men writing. And while we are all familiar with that off quoted sentence, following that sentence the writers site specifics of what the king had done to move these men to write. I encourage everyone to read this book, but for those who will not be reading this book, go download and read the full document.

[Nicole · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yuck. Re-reading the Declaration of Independence, majority written by slave holding white men, about the equality of all men under the social contract theory of Locke, Hume, and Rousseau that was clearly written to exclude women, indigenous people, non-land owning men, and slaves is a dark commentary that I don't think this book intends. The author glosses over these topics and gives us a very superficial rhetorical analysis. My advice is skip it.

[Lauren Moen · Rating 1 out of 5]

A ggood quick read on the drafting of The Declaration of Independeance, particularly the first line. 250 years later. it was good to better understand the different philosophies, live experiences and compromises people made made to establish the first version of our country. Also, to acknowledge that the founders anticipated change as the country matured and grew in knowledge.

[Laurel VanDenBerg · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the country's 250th birthday, Isaacson analyzes the second sentence of the Declaration of Independence word by word, how this sentence was crafted, what it truly means, and how we can honor, in these troubled times, its underlying values.

[Joel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sriting of the Declaration of Independence and what it meant then and now.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another audiobook, short and sweet.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting dissection including contradictions eg slavery

[Janet L · Rating 3 out of 5]

Isaacson’s civic lesson that parses the opening words of the Declaration of Independence that reminds us of the underlying concepts of our founding document. Yes not “all men are created equal” as it related to enslaved persons and women (and probably men without property) but as a revolutionary concept in its time, it reminds us that we were founded as a unique experiment in self government and that even in these charged partisans times, our founders encourage us to believe and act as “national statesmen” not people who can only tolerate like minded others. Very quick read, I finished it with a satisfied feeling that as a nation we are called upon to serve and behave and remember the opening lines of the Declaration and that it is written in the “plural” as an expression of “we”.