Walter Isaacson at the Reagan Library | "The Greatest Sentence Ever Written"

Bestselling biographer Walter Isaacson joins the Reagan Library for a compelling conversation on America’s founding ideals and the most influential sentence ever written. In this special program, Isaacson discusses his latest book, The Greatest Sentence Ever Written, which explores the origins and lasting power of the Declaration of Independence’s defining words: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…” Written by Thomas Jefferson and refined by Benjamin Franklin and John Adams, this sentence helped define the American Dream and the shared values that unite the nation. Word by word, Isaacson unpacks how this radical idea took shape—and why its message of liberty, equality, and unalienable rights still matters today. Recorded at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, this discussion connects America’s founding principles to the challenges of our modern, polarized era—offering insight into how these timeless words can help restore a sense of common ground as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary. Walter Isaacson is the author of acclaimed biographies of Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, and Jennifer Doudna. He has served as CEO of the Aspen Institute, chair of CNN, editor of TIME, and is a professor of history at Tulane University.