Book Review: The Greatest Sentence Ever Written

Best-selling biographer Walter Isaacson’s The Greatest Sentence Ever Written is a concise, 80-page celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. The book dissects what Isaacson calls the Declaration of Independence’s most powerful line: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Isaacson analyzes the sentence nearly word for word — starting with “we,” which signals a revolutionary concept for a democratic government formed by and for the people — and shows how phrases like “all men are created equal,” “unalienable rights,” and “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” became the framework for the American dream.

It is a credit to Isaacson that he doesn’t ignore the messy parts of the history. In 1776 those words didn’t apply to more than half of our nation’s population, yet the sentence’s intent and structure have guided two and a half centuries of progress, opportunity, and prosperity in the United States.

Perhaps most importantly in today’s divisive political backdrop, Isaacson highlights the compromises and collaboration that made the Declaration possible — a reminder that moderation and the willingness to set aside differences for a larger purpose were essential to founding the union, and remain crucial to our continued progress.

Isaacson is best known for ambitious biographies of cultural and historical icons (Benjamin Franklin, Elon Musk, Steve Jobs).  This short tome feels more like a 250^th anniversary gift to the United States – equal parts history lesson, inspiration, and cautionary tale.