Mark Skousen, America’s Economist, Revives Ben Franklin’s Wisdom for Today’s President

Out Today! Mark Skousen’s new book, The Greatest American: Benjamin Franklin, History’s Most Versatile Genius, revives the legacy of America's first diplomat.

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, May 27, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In an era of growing division, rising debt, and economic turmoil, bestselling economist and historian Dr. Mark Skousen, America's Economist, releases his first book in a decade, a compelling argument that Benjamin Franklin, more than any other founder, holds the key to restoring American unity and prosperity. The Greatest American: Benjamin Franklin, History’s Most Versatile Genius, is the highly anticipated new book that officially launches today.

The Greatest American is now available at bookstores nationwide and can be ordered online at The Greatest American on Amazon.

“If anyone can bring America together again, it’s Benjamin Franklin,” says Skousen.“He was ‘America’s greatest diplomat,’ as Ken Burns rightly calls him. Franklin’s genius was not only in science or politics, but in his unparalleled ability to unite people across cultures, classes, and continents.”

Skousen’s new book, The Greatest American, reveals Franklin’s timely relevance in today’s turbulent landscape. Admired across the political spectrum, Franklin represents the best American spirit: a self-made man, a scientific innovator, and the diplomatic architect of America’s independence.

“Franklin is the one Founding Father everyone still admires, Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, or Independent,” Skousen said. “He lived the American dream, promoted peace and prosperity, and warned us about the dangers of debt and divisive politics.”

In a surprising turn during a press conference last week, former President Donald Trump was seen with the famous Houdon bust of Franklin on his Oval Office desk, a symbolic gesture that hasn’t gone unnoticed by historians and commentators.

“Is he channeling ‘America’s greatest diplomat? Franklin’s portrait is a reminder of a time when wisdom, wit, and diplomacy built nations. Maybe, just maybe, his legacy can guide us out of our modern malaise.”

Could the spirit of Franklin awaken a new era of peace, prosperity, and love of country? Skousen questions.

In the book, Skousen explores Franklin’s views on

1. Trade wars and tariffs: and why he preferred free trade

2. Taxes and inflation: Franklin believed a "virtuous and industrious people may be cheaply governed."

3. National debt: a danger Franklin believed could destroy a republic

4. Foreign policy and diplomacy: lessons for today’s geopolitical struggles: Franklin said America's policy should be "commerce with all and war with none."

A call to rediscover America’s grandfather, Benjamin Franklin: The Most Modern of the Founding Fathers, urges readers to apply Franklin’s timeless principles to today’s challenges. Skousen offers fresh economic insights into Franklin’s legacy, revealing how his ideas helped shape American capitalism, civil liberties, and innovation.

"My new book is NOT a traditional biography of Franklin; dozens of books have been written detailing his life," explains Skousen. "Rather, mine is unique, 80 chapters on what we can learn from this unique founder, with Franklin’s very modern views on the trade war and globalization, diplomacy and dealing with enemies, taxes and inflation, deficits and the national debt, science and technology, healthy living and living long, racism and discrimination, education and the American dream, inequality and financial independence, wars and conflicts, investing and the economy, sex and family life, the list goes on and on."

About the Author

Dr. Mark Skousen is a presidential fellow at Chapman University, editor-in-chief of Forecasts & Strategies, and the author of dozens of books, including The Making of Modern Economics and The Maxims of Wall Street. He is also the Doti-Spogli Endowed Chair of Free Enterprise at Chapman University. He is also the Founder of FreedomFest. Don’t miss FreedomFest, “The World’s Largest Gathering of Free Minds,” happening June 11-14, 2025, in Palm Springs, California. Visit: www.freedomfest.com

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Personal website: www.mskousen.com
Annual conference: www.freedomfest.com

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