Short, lively profiles of all 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence, including the ones you have never heard of and what signing cost them.
Posts Published byEd Barton
Book Review: The Richest Man in Babylon, by George S. Clason
A century-old book of Babylonian parables that still teaches saving, investing and caution better than most modern money guides.
Book Review: The Golden Bough, by James George Frazer
Frazer’s sprawling survey of magic, ritual and religion is outdated as anthropology but still worth reading. His line between magic and faith stayed with me.
Book Review: The Ultimate Sales Letter, by Dan S. Kennedy
A step-by-step method for sales letters that get read. The research and objection chapters are the strongest parts.
Book Review: Dark Night of the Soul, by John of the Cross
Saint John of the Cross on dryness in prayer. The darkness, he says, is often God’s light too bright for us. A classic for anyone who used to feel God.
Book Review: Walk in Love, by Scott Gunn and Melody Wilson Shobe
A plain, warm guide to what Episcopalians believe and why we worship the way we do. The book I now hand to newcomers.
Why the Prayer Book Tells You to Make a Will
Most people are surprised to learn that the Book of Common Prayer has an opinion about wills. It does. Tucked into the instructions after the Thanksgiving for the Birth or Adoption of a Child, the…
Before You Pay the Beneficiaries, Hold Back a Reserve
The beneficiaries want their money. You want to be done. So you write the checks. Then the final income tax bill arrives, or a hospital bill nobody knew about, and the trust account is empty….
Washington Estate Tax in 2026: The Date of Death Decides
Ask three people what Washington’s estate tax exclusion is and you may get three answers. They could all be right. The answer depends on one fact: the date of death. The Legislature changed the rules…
Should You Repay Debt or Save for Retirement?
It’s a difficult choice between repaying your debt and saving for your future retirement. Which one do you choose to get the maximum benefit and results? If you have a debt and also want to…