I just finished reading a highly engrossing book called Diagnosing Jefferson - Evidence of a Condition that Guided His Beliefs, and Personal Associations by Norm Ledgin. The book makes the case that Thomas Jefferson -- Founding Father, 3rd president of the United States, and principal author of the Declaration of Independence -- suffered from a condition known as Asperger's Syndrome. Asperger's Syndrome is a developmental disorder closely tied to autism and characterized by higher than average intellectual ability coupled with impaired social skills and restrictive, repetitive patterns of activities and interest. Ledgin contends that Jefferson exhibited a bevy of characteristics that unequivocally placed him on the autism-Asperger's continuum: As a law student at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, he frequently studied 15 hours a day. He spoke four languages and learned to read Latin, Greek, Italian, French, and Spanish.  He had a remarkable memo...

Regrettably, even I have yet to visit Monticello, the estate of third U.S. president Thomas Jefferson, who spent more than forty years designing, dismantling, and reimagining this "essay in architecture," as he called it.  The property is regarded a national treasure -- both for its historical significance and beauty. It's perched atop a lofty hill in Albemarle County, Virginia, not far from Jefferson's birthplace of Shadwell.  Franklin Delano Roosevelt once wrote, "Monticello speaks to me as an expression of the personality of its builder."  Indeed, if you were to pick the president with the widest range of hobbies and abilities, Jefferson would have to be in the Top 3. He was a writer, inventor, philosopher, architect, scientist, scholar, gardener, statesman, founder of the University of Virginia, viticulturalist, and the list goes on. Unlike any of the other 43 men to take office, Jefferson was a polymath -- a true intellectual and Renaissanc...

A hidden chemistry lab was recently unearthed by a worker overseeing renovations being made to the Rotunda at the University of Virginia. School officials say the room is directly connected to none other than Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), who helped design the building. Most people know Jefferson as the third president of the United States and principal author of the Declaration of Independence. But did you know that he also founded the University of Virginia? The "chemical hearth," which traces its origins to the 1820s, is thought to be one of the few remaining in the world, as most of the hearths from the era have been destroyed. Not only did it feature two sources of heat for conducting experiments, but it also had a system for pulling out fumes. The room, which school officials describe as "a semi-circular niche in the north end of the Lower East Oval Room," was preserved because the walls of the hearth were closed shut in the mid-1800s. Moreover, Thomas Jef...

Best known as the third commander-in-chief of the United States, author of the Declaration of Independence, founder of the University of Virginia, and the mastermind behind what was arguably the best real estate deal in the history of the United States – the Louisiana Purchase – Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) is ranked among the greatest U.S. presidents of all time. But many of the decisions Jefferson made throughout his presidency and in his personal life remain a source of controversy to this day.   For most of my life, I have been an avid U.S. history buff, soaking up information on virtually everything from the American Revolution to World War II like a sponge.  Since so many of our nation’s landmark events have revolved around the 44 men who have taken the presidential oath of office, I’ve always felt compelled to learn as much about them as possible.  I find that most history lovers tend to zero in on our most famous presidents – from Thomas Jefferson and Ab...

Today's quote of the day comes from Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826). Not only was he was the third president of the United States, but the revered Founding Father also wrote the Declaration of Independence, founded the University of Virginia, and pulled off the Louisiana Purchase, among other notable accomplishments. "It is neither wealth nor splendor; but tranquility and occupation which give you happiness." - Thomas Jefferson I think what Thomas Jefferson was trying to say in a nutshell is that it's the simple things in life that truly hold value and brings us true joy. Reading a great book, taking a tranquil walk around the park, connecting with nature, petting your cat -- it's these simple moments that makes us the happiest, yet we often take them for granted. Instead, we become overly focused on acquiring more and more material possessions, being promoted into jobs that require longer hours and thus more time away from our families, and so on. I think th...