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Fart Proudly: Writings of Benjamin Franklin You Never Read in School
A mention of flatulence might conjure up images of bratty high school boys or lowbrow comics. But one of the most eloquent—and least expected—commentators on the subject is Benjamin Franklin. The writings in Fart Proudly reveal the rogue who lived peaceably within the philosopher and statesman. Included are "The Letter to a Royal Academy"; "On Choosing a Mistress"; "Rules ...more
Paperback, 128 pages
Published
March 31st 2003
by Frog
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Benjamin Franklin, you little devil you. You cost me an A on a history paper in my undergrad and now you flaunt your fame proudly whilst farting in my face. "When hope fails, let out a fart." That is a paraphrased quote from this sardonic, short, lively poop of a work that essentially gathers together all of Franklins' wit (?), humor (?), and bad poetry.
The class I'm remembering was "History of Foreign Affairs until the 19th Century", and our assignment...more
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Darryl
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Recommends it for:
students of history; those with an appreciation of satire and irony; libertarians
Part way through these 38 writings of Ben Franklin, I thought, "It's a sad comment on our times that we have to market some of the best political commentary and satirical work an American has produced by labeling it as being about farting." I still think that... though, to be fair, the book's editor, Carl Japiske tries to bring it all full circle by including a final little essay of his own in which he envisions BF castigating modern Americans for having sacrificed to government inter...more
A collection of stories, newspaper articles and letters written by the esteemed Mr. Franklin, which, as the subtitle indicates, are not likely to be included in school curriculums. The book opens with the quote, "He who lives on hope dies farting" which was published in Poor Richard's almanac in 1736. The other pieces run in a similar vein, with Franklin leaving his guise as diplomat, statesman, inventor and wise, respected philosopher behind--he gets downright bawdy at times, other ti...more
Collected here is a sampling of Benjamin Franklin's bawdy, satirical and subversive essays. Though the title emphasizes the first of these categories, the best work represented here is in Franklin's delightful, scathing criticism of the Crown's mismanagement of the American colonies—particularly in the "Edict of the King of Prussia," which elicited outrage from many Londoners who took the proclamation as genuine.
My delight with Franklin's scandalous side was soured, howeve...more
My delight with Franklin's scandalous side was soured, howeve...more
A mediocre collection of some of Franklin's writings, some good, some not so good, topped off with a dreadful essay by the editor entitled "A Dream" that reads like something that would indeed cause a tea partier nocturnal emissions, but would cause Ben to roll over in his grave. The "F-word" is only used in one essay, and Franklin's more well-known musings on the opulence of flatulence are not included. Skip this one in favor of other, superior collections and editions.
I've become more interested in this time period of American history lately, and enjoyed the chance to read some actual essays by Benjamin Franklin. The book starts humorously, then switches to more of his revolutionary work. I found it interesting that most of his creative writings would end with a very concise and dumbed down summary to be sure that the reader wouldn't miss his point.
I confess, I was disappointed to finish the book and realize that the title, Fart Proudly, was a c...more
I confess, I was disappointed to finish the book and realize that the title, Fart Proudly, was a c...more
This is a quick read that shows a whimsical yet almost ornery side of Franklin. It is not as humorous as I thought it might be but it does cause one to think a bit. That we are so fearful of offending people and/or their sensibilities that we have given back much of the freedom guaranteed by the constitution to the government. So much so, that we are afraid to fart in public, or fart proudly.
An interesting book, but not as funny as I was expecting. There are a few amusing letters/essays, but overall it is more political satire than anything else. The last entry in this book is not by Franklin, but a "dream" the editor had in which Franklin spoke to him. It is interesting, yet I think it is just an opportunity for Japikse to voice his opinion on modern America.
I really liked the first part of the book--Franklin's essays--and found them to be very timely. They made me laugh, and, interestingly, they could have been written for our time. That came through loudly, so I enjoyed the idea that political and social issues that existed more than two hundred years ago are still issues today. The idea made me think about what changes and what doesn't. Then, the editor had to add his own essay at the end, an essay about him meeting Franklin to discuss how Americ...more
You can so tell what your friends/family think of you by the kinds of books they gift you. I'm still working out whether to be flattered or offended by this one...
I loved the Franklin sections but was really annoyed by the editor's introduction and essay at the end. It's a little too anti-government for my taste.
This one was humorous at parts--specifically that one might have advice on picking a mistress-- but fairly monotonous. Like most say, it's got a little too much of the Author's influence.
Ami
marked it as to-read
This is why I asked David for Ben Franklin book recommendations. This is the kind of book I come up with on my own.
We need Ben Franklin's witty sarcasm today. His sun dial of cannons is a great example of governmental waste.
A nice collection of Franklin's writings that is almost completely ruined by the editor's closing essay.
A book my father-in-law insisted I read.
Sarah
marked it as considering
Thanks, Trivial Pursuit!
What could have been a great book was really hampered by the pointless ramblings and odd choices of the editor. The Franklin pieces chosen for inclusion were not really tied together in any sort of subject matter or chronological order. Weird. The editor even ended the book with an article by himself that was almost twice as long as any of Franklin's! What a douche.
And the title comes not from a Franklin article, but from the editor quoting himself?! What the what?
And the title comes not from a Franklin article, but from the editor quoting himself?! What the what?
This book was really witty and I enjoyed it a lot. It's even funnier if you know any of the history behind it. My favourite essay/story was "on picking a Mistress".
i include this for one essay only, recommended to me by my uncle at the age of 16, i believe. that essay is entitled "on choosing a mistress." hilarious read and an eye opener.
the other essays i have not read.
the other essays i have not read.
... I don't even know how to describe this book. My nina bought it for me so I read it...It has a lot of puns in it so it's pretty funny...but also a little boring at times.
Wonderful selection of writings, many of them a bit off color, from Ben Franklin, a great Pennsylvania, great American, and citizen of the world.
A collection of writings by Benjamin Franklin that shows the bright mind and wit of this remarkable man.
Who knew Benjamin Franklin was such a kidder? Very funny, if you can follow his ramblings.
Funny collection of Mr. Franklin's more ribald writings - amusing.
Kayla
marked it as to-read
Sandy
marked it as to-read
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Benjamin Franklin was a writer, a philosopher, a scientist, a politician, a patriot, a Founding Father. He helped with the founding of the United States of America and changed the world with his discoveries about electricity.
His writings such as Poor Richards' Almanac have provided wisdom for many generations. He has left behind an extraordinary legacy.
More about Benjamin Franklin...
His writings such as Poor Richards' Almanac have provided wisdom for many generations. He has left behind an extraordinary legacy.
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“Fools make feasts and wise men eat them.”
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“Fart for freedom, fart for liberty—and fart proudly.”
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