Just got an email from Amazon with “A new book by Benjamin Franklin” in the Subject field. True,The Art of Virtueis not really a book by Franklin, more like a collection of his various moral pieces, but it’s strange to think of oneself as living in a society where the past is cancelled and a new book by Franklin is out today, and he’s supposed to get his share of the $9.99 readers will pay for the Kindle edition. It’s not just that Franklin is living and keeps on churning out a book now and then (“Released on December 12, 2011”), it’s also a golden opportunity to establish a sort of personal contact by helping him financially.

And then click on “more by Benjamin Franklin”