Walter Isaacson on the Greatest Sentence Ever Written

Hybrid

Walter Isaacson, in conversation with Max Boot, discusses his new book and what the Declaration of Independence's most famous words mean for America as it marks its 250th anniversary.

Walter Isaacson speaking in red tie, in front of light grey background

May

Carlos Osorio / AP

Speakers

Walter Isaacson
Max Boot

Date and Time

May 18: 2:30 - 3:30 pm CDT

Doors Open: 2:15 PM

Location

Chicago Council Conference Center, 130 E Randolph Street; or via YouTube

Who Can Attend

For General Members

For All

REGISTRATION

This event will take place in person at the Council's Conference Center and is open to Council members. If you are not a member and would like to attend in person, you can become a member. Members and nonmembers alike are welcome to register to watch the livestream.

About This Event

At the heart of the Declaration of Independence is a single sentence that has defined, inspired, and challenged Americans for 250 years: "We hold these truths to be self-evident." In his new book, Walter Isaacson unpacks how those words came to be—who wrote them, how they were revised, and why they still matter. Which of the Declaration's promises have we kept, and which are we still working toward? What does it mean to reckon with those words as America marks its 250th anniversary? Join Walter Isaacson and Max Boot for a conversation on America's founding ideals, how far we've come, and how far we still have to go.

Copies of Walter Isaacson’s book, The Greatest Sentence Ever Written, will be available for sale and signing at the program.

About the Speakers

Walter Isaacson

Author & Professor of History, Tulane University

Walter Isaacson is a professor of history at Tulane University. He has been editor of Time Magazine, CEO and chairman of CNN, and CEO of the Aspen Institute, and currently serves as an advisory partner at Perella Weinberg and a cohost of PBS's Amanpour & Co. A prolific biographer, his subjects have included Leonardo da Vinci, Steve Jobs, and Albert Einstein, among others. His latest book is "The Greatest Sentence Ever Written."

Max Boot

Jeane J. Kirkpatrick Senior Fellow for National Security Studies, Council on Foreign Relations

Max Boot is a best-selling historian, biographer, and foreign policy analyst. He is the Jeane J. Kirkpatrick senior fellow for national security studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and a columnist for The Washington Post. His last book, "Reagan: His Life and Legend," was named one of the 10 best books of 2024 by the New York Times.

America at 250: The Arc of Global Influence This content is part of the Council’s America at 250 initiative, a series of high-level dialogues, expert perspectives, public and private programs, and a signature conference focused on the critical questions that will define America’s future.

Learn more