Book Group: The Greatest Sentence Ever Written

Program Type:

Online/Virtual, Literature

Age Group:

Emerging Adults, Adults, Older Adults

Event Details

Join us for the Pacific Beach Library's monthly book discussion!  Our group meets in a hybrid format, so you can choose whether you'd prefer to join us in-person in the PB Library's Community Room or virtually (please send an email to cwainwright@sandiego.gov for this year's Teams login info).  

Description:  To celebrate America's 250th anniversary, Walter Isaacson takes readers on a ... 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. 

If you'd like to check out a print copy of the book, they are available 1 month before each discussion at the Pacific Beach Library's Circulation Desk.  Please call 858-581-9934 x0 before coming to pick it up so that staff may confirm availability.

Book Discussion Calendar

  • January 8, 2026: Select titles to discuss in 2026
  • February 12: James  by Percival Everett
  • March 12: The Island of Sea Women  by Lisa See
  • April 9: The Feather Thief : Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century  by Kirk Wallace Johnson
  • May 14: Feeding Ghosts  by Tess Hulls
  • June 11: The Frozen River  by Ariel Lawhon
  • July 9: The Greatest Sentence Ever Written  by Walter Isaacson
  • August 13: Wild Dark Shore  by Charlotte McConaghy 
  • September 10: Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy  by Mary Roach
  • October 8: What We Can Know  by Ian McEwan
  • November 12: One Book, One San Diego selection (to be announced)
  • December 10: Small Things Like These  by Claire Keegan
  • January 14, 2027: Select titles to discuss in 2027
  • February 11, 2027: An Unfinished Love Story  by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Accessibility

Need disability-related modifications or accommodations? Information and program content can be made available in alternative formats upon request by emailing RACooper@sandiego.gov.