A Conversation with Walter Isaacson

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation’s Center on Civility and Democracy is pleased to announce a new program as part of their Informed Patriotism Series with bestselling biographer Walter Isaacson. Mr. Isaacson will be discussing his new book, The Greatest Sentence Ever Written (Publish Date: November 18, 2025).  Tickets to the event are $35 per person and include one pre-signed copy of The Greatest Sentence Ever Written. Additional copies of the book can be purchased through the registration process.  Guests may go through the Museum Store prior to the program for a photo opportunity with Mr. Isaacson. An optional dinner (Mr. Isaacson will not be at the dinner) may also be purchased through the registration process. 

To celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, in The Greatest Sentence Ever Written, Walter Isaacson takes readers on a fascinating deep dive into the creation of one of history’s most powerful sentences: “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.”

Drafted by Thomas Jefferson and edited by Benjamin Franklin and John Adams, this line lays the foundation for the American Dream and defines the common ground we share as a nation.

Isaacson unpacks its genius, word by word, illuminating the then-radical concepts behind it. Readers will gain a fresh appreciation for how it was drafted to inspire unity, equality, and the enduring promise of America. With clarity and insight, he reveals not just the power of these words but describes how, in these polarized times, we can use them to restore an appreciation for our common values. 

Walter Isaacson is the bestselling author of biographies of Elon Musk, Jennifer Doudna, Leonardo da Vinci, Steve Jobs, Benjamin Franklin, and Albert Einstein. He is a professor of history at Tulane and was CEO of the Aspen Institute, chair of CNN, and editor of Time.