You're listening to The Michael Shermer Show.

All right, everybody, it's Michael Shermer.

It's time for another episode of the Michael Shermer show.

My guest today is Dr. Mark Skousen. He is the Dottie Spogley Chair of Free Enterprise at Chapman University, where I used to teach. In California, is an eighth generation direct descendant of Benjamin Franklin. That's what his new book is about, Benjamin Franklin. He has a lifetime interest in the grandfather of our nation,

not the father of our nation, but the grandfather. Dr. Skousen's career has often followed that of

his illustrious ancestor as a publisher, author, financial advisor, teacher, father, public servant,

and world traveler. In 2006, he and his wife, Joanne, compiled and edited the completed autobiography of

Benjamin Franklin, covering the remainder of his career from 1757 to 1790.

And his new book is, here it is again, the greatest American, I love that title, Benjamin Franklin,

the world's most versatile genius.

All right, Mark, nice to see you. It's a pleasure. I'm here in Florida, so it's quite 3,000 miles away.

Okay, well, so you are a indirect or directed, I don't know how you say that, but one 512th part of Benjamin Franklin

or something like that? How'd you do that calculation? It's hard to inherit very much

of Franklin's unique skills, but we are both left-handed, which is unique. I mean, 10% of the

population is left-handed, And I am like Franklin, a financial advisor,

guru, if you will, and he wrote the poor Richard's almanac with lots of one-liners,

like three can keep a secret of two or dead. I've used that one.

So we have some, and, you know, I'm a father, and I'm not as, not as much of a ladies' man like Franklin was, but.

Yeah, I don't think Joanne would appreciate that i have made some contributions to economics

uh franklin made his contributions to science um but uh it's it's it's you know franklin once said

he that both of his ancestors does but advertise his own insignificance.

That's great.

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