The remarkable story of Benjamin Rush, medical pioneer and one of our nation's most provocative and unsung Founding Fathers.
STEPHEN FRIED is an award-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author who teaches at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and the University of Pennsylvania. He is, most recently, the author of the historical biography Appetite for America, and the coauthor, with Congressman Patrick Kennedy, of A Common Struggle. His earlier books include the biography Thing of Beauty- The Tragedy of Supermodel Gia and the investigative books Bitter Pills and The New Rabbi. A two-time winner of the National Magazine Award, Fried has written frequently for Vanity Fair, GQ, The Washington Post Magazine, Rolling Stone, Glamour, and Philadelphia Magazine. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife, author Diane Ayres.
“Entertaining . . . Benjamin Rush has been undeservedly forgotten.
In medicine . . . [and] as a political thinker, he was
brilliant.”—The New Yorker
“Superb . . . reminds us eloquently, abundantly, what a brilliant,
original man Benjamin Rush was, and how his contributions to . . .
the United States continue to bless us all.”—The Philadelphia
Inquirer
“Perceptive . . . [a] readable reassessment of Rush’s remarkable
career.”—The Wall Street Journal
“An amazing life and a fascinating book.”—CBS This Morning
“Fried makes the case, in this comprehensive and fascinating
biography, that renaissance man Benjamin Rush merits more
attention. . . . Fried portrays Rush as a complex, flawed person
and not just a list of accomplishments; . . . a testament to the
authorial thoroughness and insight that will keep readers engaged
until the last page.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“[An] extraordinary and underappreciated man is reinstated to his
rightful place in the canon of civilizational advancement in Rush.
. . . Had I read Fried’s Rush before the year’s end, it
would have crowned my favorite books of 2018 . . . [a] superb
biography.”—Brain Pickings
“Fried, a talented story teller, has given his readers a
page-turning text to enjoy . . . [he] has brought Declaration
of Independence signer Benjamin Rush back to life for modern
readers. Overall, this volume represents a most worthy addition to
major biographies about the founding fathers of the United States .
. . A fast paced volume [that] deserves a wide reading
audience.”—Journal of the American Revolution
“Dr. Benjamin Rush may not be a household name, but the young
signatory of the Declaration of Independence led a remarkable life.
. . . Historian Stephen Fried has brought this lesser-known
revolutionary figure to life.”—WHYY
“A well-crafted story of early America and the Revolutionary War .
. . a biography of a Founding Father, physician and founder of
psychiatric medicine. Quite a literary undertaking, and done with
skill and grace.”—The Lancet
“Fried is able to bring a bygone era into focus...a sweeping
look at a complicated life.”—The Santa Fe New Mexican
“A welcome biography of a Founding Father . . . [who] became a
prominent revolutionary and signer of the Declaration of
Independence, then surgeon general of the Continental Army . . .
renowned in the annals of American medicine as a pioneer of medical
education and the treatment of the mentally ill. . . . A complete
portrait of a complex man...who excited attention and controversy
in his day but then fell into the shadows. Fried does well to
restore him to history.”—Kirkus Reviews
“A fantastic biography of a man who deserves more attention and
applause from modern society . . . the introduction
to Rush is a brilliant portrayal of the man’s importance
and provides fuel for the story to follow.”—Medium
“Fried’s reclamation of this important, overlooked American founder
is an invaluable addition to American history collections and a
solid recommendation to biography fans.”—Booklist
“The best books are full of surprises. Rush has more of
them than any historical biography I have read in ages. It is vast
and sumptuous and brings to life Founding Father Benjamin Rush in
full technicolor. Too long ignored, Rush’s varied
and mercurial brilliance puts him smack in the company of such
figures as Adams and Jefferson and Washington and Hamilton with one
exception: he is more interesting than any of them. He
revolutionized medicine. He revolutionized healthcare. He
revolutionized life. Fried draws it all out with his usual
perfect pitch of reportage and writing. What a grand feast and
feat.”—Buzz Bissinger, author of Friday Night
Lights and A Prayer for the City
“Benjamin Rush is best known as the founding father the more famous
founders wrote to. Stephen Fried, in this fascinating biography,
shows us why we need to reconsider, and pay more attention to a man
whose talents rivaled Franklin’s, opinions equaled Adams’s, and
facility with language approached Jefferson’s.”—H.W. Brands, author
of The First American and Heirs of the Founders
“Stephen Fried has written a gem of a book—the riveting story of a
Founding Father who is too often forgotten. In this magnificent
work, Benjamin Rush gets the biography he deserves, and readers get
an expertly researched, splendidly written account of a brilliant,
influential man and the times in which he lived.”—Jonathan Eig,
author of Ali: A Life
“An engrossing exploration of a founding father whose life sheds
new light on the American Revolution, as well as on the ongoing
challenges of civil rights and mental healthcare in this country. I
had no idea how much Rush helped to shape our young nation and how
urgent his voice remains today. Anyone who cares about our past and
future—politically, medically, spiritually—should read this
masterful biography.”—Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy, co-author of
A Common Struggle
“An important and fascinating account of a relatively neglected
yet critical Founding Father. Benjamin Rush—Surgeon
General of the Continental Army, signer of the Declaration of
Independence, and Jefferson's choice for medical advisor to
the Lewis and Clark Expedition—is also acknowledged as
the father of American Psychiatry for his study and treatment of
the mentally ill. Stephen Fried brings to life Rush's
extraordinary political and medical contributions, as well as
the times in which he lived."—Kay Redfield Jamison, author of An
Unquiet Mind and Robert Lowell: Setting the River on Fire
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