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The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin,

Charles William Eliot (Editor)

3.83 · Rating details · 63,589 ratings · 2,710 reviews

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, with Introduction and Notes, edited by Charles W Eliot, LLD., was originally published by P F Collier & Son Company in 1909. This edition covers the life of Benjamin Franklin from 1706 to 1757, with an introductory note by the editor and, at the end, a listing of chief events in Franklin's life dated by year.

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Kindle Edition, 151 pages

Published July 1st 1994 by Public Domain Books (first published 1791)

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Jul 25, 2015 Darwin8u rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015

“...there will be sleeping enough in the grave....”
- Benjamin Franklin

description

Even in death, I can't imagine Franklin resting. There is always just too much to do, too many questions to ask, too many books to read, too much to explore.

My brother recommended this book to me about 30 years ago. I'm not sure why I never read it until now. Part of it must be the feeling that Benjamin Franklin would always just be there. He wasn't going anywhere. He seems to permeate so much of what it means to be an American and is an essential part our shared historical map. His autobiography, which is divided into two parts, ends in 1757. So all of the Revolutionary War Franklin and Continental Congress Franklin is obviously missing. These are his early years. It is a portrait of a polymath as a young man. It shows his curiosity, his work ethic, his creativity, his risk-taking, his bridge-building. All the things that would later be used as part of the myth-making around Franklin.

After reading this autobiography, I kinda agree with Christopher Hitchen's take about the role of Benjamin Franklin as the Socrates of his day:

"Franklin was also the main man. He was drafted onto the committee that drew up the Declaration (and may well have been the one who imposed the ringing term "self-evident," as against the more pompous "sacred and undeniable" in its crucial opening stave.) When George Washington's horse bore him into Philadelphia for the grueling meeting that would eventually evolve the United States Constitution, it was at Franklin's front door that the president necessarily made his first stop.... -

The thing about reading Franklin is you are never quite sure when he is pulling one over on the reader. His humor was dry and sharp. He could adapt the language of his foes and flail them with it. He was happy to guide and get things done, rather than glory and stay stationary. He was an American original and we are all better for his curiosity, his humor, his readiness to take risks, his ability to learn and adapt. When people talk about standing on the backs of giants, I imagine we all have climbed a bit on the back of Franklin. ...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Trevor rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: history, biography

This is a curious little book. As an autobiography it suffers from the fact that it leaves out nearly all of the most interesting parts of Franklin’s life. This is a bit like reading an autobiography of John Lennon that ends a few years before he meets Paul McCartney. I’m not saying there is no interest in what is here, but any sort of version of such a man’s life that ends well short of the American Revolution is more than a little heart breaking.

There are very amusing parts of this – This is a curious little book. As an autobiography it suffers from the fact that it leaves out nearly all of the most interesting parts of Franklin’s life. This is a bit like reading an autobiography of John Lennon that ends a few years before he meets Paul McCartney. I’m not saying there is no interest in what is here, but any sort of version of such a man’s life that ends well short of the American Revolution is more than a little heart breaking.

There are very amusing parts of this – particularly around how he sought to improve himself both morally, through a thirteen step plan, and as a writer. In fact, as ‘advice to a young writer’ this book offers some wonderful advice. He would read what he considered to be well written articles and then, a day or two later, would try to re-compose them, as accurately as possible, from memory. Then he would go back to the original article and compare his effort with that. As he persisted with this strategy he would sometimes find he had improved on the original, making the ordering of the points raised more logical or finding a particularly apt phrase that made the point in a way better than had been done in the original. This is such good advice. It is remarkably hard for us to take the reader into consideration when we write – and this method forces us to do exactly that. We think we know what we mean when we write something, but all too often we are only sure of our meaning at the moment we write it, and sometimes not even then. My favourite metaphor is that a writer must ‘take the reader in hand’. And that is the level of care that is called for in our writing. His advice on arguing and avoiding words that imply too much certainty in our views is also well worth heeding.

It is interesting to read someone so steeped in the Enlightenment. To read a humanist who, as much as anything else, was keen to see a general improvement in humanity – whether through more universal access to learning (he set up the first subscription library and was instrumental in forming the first university in Pennsylvania) or in finding ways to ensure the streets are kept clean and well lit. In a world so much defined by Galbraith’s memorable phrase about our being prepared to accept personal affluence set amidst public squalor, we can look back in wonder at the civic conscious people of the past.

There is something ‘homespun’ in the wisdom contained here, but the writing is always beautifully clear and this book does make you wish he had dedicated more time to telling more of his life – even the parts on his experiments with electricity are skimmed over in ways that leave you wishing for much, much more.
...more

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Apr 26, 2009 Isis rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: fans of early-mid 18th century

Shelves: memoir, politics, audiobook, nonfiction

The charm and pleasure of this book, for me, is that it is not about the famous Benjamin Franklin, the inventor and one of the fathers of the American Revolution, but that it is about the young Franklin; about his education and apprenticeship as a printer to his brother, about his love of books and his determination to improve his writing skills, about how he uprooted himself from his birthplace and family and moved to Philadelphia, and began a business there. He meets rogues and swindlers, has The charm and pleasure of this book, for me, is that it is not about the famous Benjamin Franklin, the inventor and one of the fathers of the American Revolution, but that it is about the young Franklin; about his education and apprenticeship as a printer to his brother, about his love of books and his determination to improve his writing skills, about how he uprooted himself from his birthplace and family and moved to Philadelphia, and began a business there. He meets rogues and swindlers, has unexpected fortune both good and ill, and eventually prospers through his own cleverness and industry. The first half of the book - and parts of the second half - is as entertaining as any novel.

I especially like what it reveals about early and mid-18th century America and its inhabitants. The journey from Boston to Philadelphia was far different in those days! The way he talks about men being "bred" to their various professions is fascinating, as is his discussion of religious beliefs and doctrines of the time. And it's so interesting to see the workings of the pre-Revolutionary government, in which each colony is nearly a separate country, and yet all absolutely subjects of the Crown.

Franklin is a sly and entertaining narrator. He does not shy from making himself look bad on occasion, but it's clearly calculated to gain the reader's sympathy and goodwill. He's a schmoozer and a schemer, but he schmoozes and schemes to (what he perceives to be) the common good, not to his own betterment.

The book does have some serious flaws. For one thing, it is an abandoned WIP, ending abruptly with his passage to England in 1757. He also laid it down in the middle for a long time, and the second half is markedly different from the first; when he starts again, he repeats himself quite a bit, and then goes into this rather preachy and (to me) boring discussion of virtue, and how he attempted to become a Better Person through diligent self-examination. I also thought his accounts of his involvement in the French and Indian War a little dull in parts. But overall, I really enjoyed this book.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book, narrated by Adrian Cronauer, whose own story formed the basis for the movie Good Morning, Vietnam. Cronauer has a pleasant voice, but in my opinion he reads too fast, and his uncompromisingly modern American accent is somewhat at odds with the 18th-century language. I think the audiobook would have been improved by using the accent used in e.g. the recent John Adams HBO miniseries. Maybe I'm just too accustomed to theatrical portrayals of Franklin to accept a modern voice! ...more

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Mar 15, 2009 Shannon rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Man oh man, that dude had some mad skills. This book is written somewhat sloppily - changing narrative styles throughout, carrying on from time to time, and not even finishing it - but the content is truly amazing. Why didn't I learn in school about how awesome Ben Franklin was? In addition to his kite flying escapade, he invented a better type of wood burning furnace, and a better street lamp. He created the first public university in America (U. Penn), helped create one of the first public ...more

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Jan 28, 2009 Ilyn Ross rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: everyone

Dr. Benjamin Franklin is the embodiment of Thomas Edison’s “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” He came from a poor family. His sensible father was of good character. Dr. Franklin was a deist. What God has given man, he purposefully, methodically, and continually used to improve himself. A self-driven independent thinker, he endeavored to improve, not only mentally and financially, but morally. He did it for his own sake, and the fruits became the glory of mankind.

Dr. Franklin Dr. Benjamin Franklin is the embodiment of Thomas Edison’s “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” He came from a poor family. His sensible father was of good character. Dr. Franklin was a deist. What God has given man, he purposefully, methodically, and continually used to improve himself. A self-driven independent thinker, he endeavored to improve, not only mentally and financially, but morally. He did it for his own sake, and the fruits became the glory of mankind.

Dr. Franklin resolved to practice virtues every moment. He said he was not so successful in some, e.g. Order, but his ambitious efforts did him well. Some in the list, e.g. humility, were purposed to conquer his natural inclinations. It is clear from his depictions of his practice of humility that he did not mean self-abasement nor self-negation – he practiced diplomacy. He said about humility: “I cannot boast of much success in acquiring the reality of this virtue, but I had a good deal about the appearance of it… In reality, there is, perhaps, no one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as pride. Disguise it, struggle with it, beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as one pleases, it is still alive, and will every now and then peep out and show itself; you will see it perhaps, often in this history; for even if I conceive that I had completely overcome it, I should be probably proud of my humility.”

A benevolent man of great honor, Dr. Franklin had no mean bone in his body. He used reason and persuasion to advance his convictions. His integrity earned the respect and trust of his fellowmen. It is logical that he could not subdue his pride – because, as Ayn Rand said, “pride is the sum of all virtues” (http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/pri...). Dr. Franklin earned the virtue of pride.

He depicted errors that he regretted. He had the misfortune of losing a four-year-old son to smallpox.

I found page 63 very interesting. I dearly enjoyed reading Dr. Franklin’s words. I laughed heartily at this part: a great gun is certainly a fire engine.

Dr. Benjamin Franklin had an exemplary, glorious life. ...more

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Jul 06, 2018 Jason Koivu rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: history, non-fiction, humor, autobiography

Ben Franklin did it all. He was an incredible self-made human. Why wouldn't someone want to read more about him?

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is fairly short and to the point. It took a while to come to grips with Franklin's olde timey speech, but once I got up to speed (or slowed down?) with it, I really started to enjoy his walk down memory lane. He was a natural storyteller. Seriously, was there anything this dude couldn't do?

Not only was he industrious, but he made an admirable ...more

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Mar 02, 2008 Holly rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is a wonderfully inspiring Read. It's a small book packed with great insights into virtuous living. His curiosity and observation of the world around him lead him to live an amazingly full life in which he accomplished much for the good of mankind. All this combined with his wit and writing style make it enjoyable to read and truly encourages the reader towards self improvement. I'm actually reading it again right now. It's great for new year's resolutions.

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Aug 25, 2010 Bruce rated it liked it · review of another edition

I read this book as a teenager and was so captivated that I tried Franklin’s scheme of cultivating the virtues, probably with only marginal success. It was fun to reacquaint myself with the work.

Franklin first of all affirms that he would live his life over again unchanged, were he given the opportunity. Compare this with Nietzsche’s assertion that such would be repugnant to most men. Thus one can see that Franklin was essentially a content and optimistic man. This book is a candid and ...more

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Aug 31, 2011 James rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: autobiography, amer-history

In the summer of 1771, while he was living in a country home in England, Benjamin Franklin began an autobiography that he was destined to never finish. He prepared an outline of a final section that he did not complete, but the four parts that he did finish represent one of the seminal documents of the enlightenment.
He was a statesman, an author, an inventor, a scientist, a printer, and the list goes on and on when describing Benjamin Franklin. As an autobiographer he also demonstrated his In the summer of 1771, while he was living in a country home in England, Benjamin Franklin began an autobiography that he was destined to never finish. He prepared an outline of a final section that he did not complete, but the four parts that he did finish represent one of the seminal documents of the enlightenment.
He was a statesman, an author, an inventor, a scientist, a printer, and the list goes on and on when describing Benjamin Franklin. As an autobiographer he also demonstrated his genius as he reinvented the genre and the result is a classic. By focusing on his own self-invention the narrator of the autobiography broke with the previous models of this type of writing and provided a way for America to imagine itself.
Reading this work is both useful and inspirational. Undoubtedly that was intended for the author demonstrated a practicality in everything he did in his long life. The book also demonstrates a secular character that differs from some of the earlier classics such as Augustine's Confessions. For those who love reading his description of the founding of the first lending library is a perfect example of how he led his life, and he determined from this experience that the best way to promote a project was to remain in the background, avoiding self-promotion.
"I therefore put my self as much as I could out of sight, and stated it as a Scheme of a Number of Friends, who had requested me to go about and propose it to such as they thought Lovers of Reading. In this way my Affair went on more smoothly, and I ever after practis'd it on such Occasions; and from my frequent Successes, can heartily recommend it."
The autobiography is filled with many examples like this and may be read as not only the story of a person's life, but as the foundation of a country's character. I am reminded of a lecture I attended several years ago where Franklin's achievement was described as a "new Regime" by Professor Joseph Alulis. In his lucid and invigorating presentation at the Chicago Cultural Center (part of the First Friday series of lectures of the Basic Program of Liberal Education at the University of Chicago), he told how Franklin outlined a new order - a foundation for what became The United States of America.
Only 5 years after writing the first part of his autobiography Franklin would join Thomas Jefferson and others in writing the Declaration of Independence of the United States. The autobiography is an inspirational work and one that recommends a life of the pursuit of virtue and wisdom. It is a book worth reading and rereading. ...more

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Jul 20, 2019 Kristy K rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: biography-memoir, 2019

An interesting, short autobiography, but a little slow.

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Mar 10, 2019 Christine Boyer rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: American history buffs.

I've always loved this guy, but to have him talk to me in his own words gave me goosebumps! Franklin certainly was the original "jack of all trades" and it was fun to hear him talk about his days as a young man, getting started, before and leading up to the time of the Revolution - which is probably what most people associate him with. He was so ahead of his time. I started to tab all the quotes of ideas he was proposing that we hear the current, leading self-help gurus propose today. Franklin ...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Joe rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

I have always been very skeptical of self-help books. I read The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey on the recommendation of a friend. Covey openly admitted that Benjamin Franklin's autobiography guided his ideas. So, I decided to go right to the source.

There is no better life book, and it is so effective because it does not seek to be a self-help book. This autobiography is really just a look into the life of a person who sought only improvement in his own person and ...more

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Jul 14, 2011 Henry Avila rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Benjamin Franklin's autobiography is perfect except for one thing, its only half finished!Franklin was prevented from completing it, by becoming involved in the American Revolution.Later going as a diplomat to Paris, to get French help.Born in Boston in 1706, to Josiah Franklin and his wife Abiah. A good student in his youth but the family lacked the money to send him to college. His father was a candle maker and Benjamin after many false starts became an apprentice to his brother James in the ...more

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Oct 07, 2016 Jon Nakapalau rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: philosophy, history, classics, autobiography, cultural-studies, us-history

This book was a referral from a friend who became the CFO of his company through hard work and sacrifice. He credits this book, above any other he read while pursuing his MBA, for his success. Franklin has a 'favorite uncle' way of giving you advice that will set you on the path to success.

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Jul 24, 2011 Jan Rice rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This was exciting, once I found out it really was his autobiography! I couldn't believe it at 1st. Turned out to be divided roughly into two parts, the 1st starting with his family history and younger years, and the second coming later after a break. He was in his 80s, and his public had encouraged him to continue. The 2nd part is a little slower but still informative. The book is not very long, not a huge tome. It stops all of a sudden, before the revolutionary years. Maybe he just couldn't ...more

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Jan 25, 2008 Niesha rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommended to Niesha by: Heidi Shetka

There is so much to learn from Benjamin Franklin and his autobiography and other writings. Please read it yourself. It is well worth your time. I was inspired by his genius, curiosity in all subjects and in people.

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Apr 27, 2019 Saadia B. || Hustle, Bustle and Hurdles rated it liked it · review of another edition

This autobiography written by Benjamin Franklin himself is more of a chronological diary of his achievements than an autobiography, as not much have been discussed about his life but mostly it tell us about the work done by him.

He started working with his brother from a very young age at his printing press, while writing prose at the same time. Seeing that he couldn’t progress much in Boston went to Philadelphia and set up his own business - a printing house and a newspaper.

Apart from his ...more

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Mar 17, 2011 Jessica added it · review of another edition

Benjamin Franklin invented the American Fire Department, wood stoves, and the American system of government. You would think, then, that he'd invent some way of writing an autobiography that wasn't boring as hell. But no. Franklin loves his books, and he also loves self-improvement (the best parts of this are his bizarre charts where he rates himself on a 13-point scale of morality). But despite all of his attention to rhetoric this book does not, in my opinion, rise to the occasion of ...more

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Feb 16, 2017 Jimmy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: autobiography, history

I just finished a biography and decided to reread his Autobiography, which I read in high school. I loved it then. What kind of boy did that make me? A nerd? A dork? I prefer to say "budding intellectual." I remember myself thinking then about how I could be a better person. Nothing wrong with a book that does that.

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Mar 02, 2014 Roy Lotz rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: americana, biography-memoir-travel

Benjamin Franklin is the closest America will ever get to producing a Buddha. There is just something unreal about Ben, like he stepped right out of a myth. Of course, this is perhaps an image he cultivated, but he cultivated it well.

What I mean by that Buddha comment is that I think Benjamin Franklin epitomizes a certain, distinctively Yankee notion of virtue. First and foremost, it is the virtue of industriousness. Benjamin Franklin never let himself have an idle moment. Every day was Benjamin Franklin is the closest America will ever get to producing a Buddha. There is just something unreal about Ben, like he stepped right out of a myth. Of course, this is perhaps an image he cultivated, but he cultivated it well.

What I mean by that Buddha comment is that I think Benjamin Franklin epitomizes a certain, distinctively Yankee notion of virtue. First and foremost, it is the virtue of industriousness. Benjamin Franklin never let himself have an idle moment. Every day was subdivided into little blocks of time, in which he strove to better himself, his business, his town, and his country.

Benjamin Franklin was a schemer. He was always looking for new, beneficial ideas and plans. He set up a lending library to improve the public education; he wrote pamphlets to facilitate the war effort against France; and he even designed a new type of stove. Every page of this book is filled with one scheme or another—to increase his revenue, to start a newspaper, to improve his prose style, to marry a pretty girl, to erect forts, to clean the streets.

Even when Benjamin Franklin turns his sights on achieving moral perfection—a distinctly sage-like goal—he applies his same scheming mind to it. He drafts a thirteen-point plan of virtuous behavior, and drills himself on each quality of virtue like a music student practicing an instrument. He also has a habit of creating little wise maxims of behavior, which he compiled and published for the benefit of the public.

His quirks and virtues aside, this biography is a very charming, albeit uneven, work. My favorite parts were in the beginning, when he was just getting on his feet, and using his ingenious and resourceful mind to quickly ascend from the shadow of a ‘low birth’. Some parts near the end are less lively and more tedious—a consequence, I think, of their being written when Franklin was older.

Of course, the most disappointing thing about this book is that it stops before the Revolutionary War. We get the build-up, but not the climax. It’s a shame Franklin didn’t finish it. Perhaps he wasn’t as industrious as I thought.
...more

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Mar 26, 2013 Samantha rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction, audiobook

This was a very interesting and informative book made up of letters from Benjamin Franklin to his son over the course of several decades. I listened to it on audiobook which was neat because I sometimes felt like Franklin was sitting right next to me sharing stories of his life. Given the personal letter style, I felt like he became a friend rather than just someone I was reading about. Franklin shares what he learned from his long and active life not hesitating to admit where he made mistakes ...more

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May 09, 2019 Linda ~ chock full of hoot, just a little bit of nanny ~ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, 4-stars, bios, history, set-in-1700s, non-fiction, read-in-2019

What didn't this man do? He started a printing press, a library, a fire brigade, the Poor Man's Almanac, drew up the plans for a school system that would eventually become the University of Pennsylvania, invented the Franklin oven and helped give us electricity, and got the roads in his hometown paved to save everyone from having to sweep up dust all day - and that's BEFORE the revolution. Which is sadly when this biography ends, since he passed away before he could get to the real meaty parts ...more

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Dec 21, 2012 Kim rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, classic, biography, historical, political, philosophical, usa, educational, 2013-literary-exploration-challenge, literary

I really enjoyed this book far more than I anticipated. I've read a lot about Benjamin Franklin but to read his story in his own words makes it really come to life.

He had a very down-to-earth writing style. I know that some of the words would have been modernised a little at some point in the publication history but you still get a very 18th century style without it bogging down with a lot of needless filler.

My problem with this book though is that there was quite a lot not included. He writes ...more

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Sep 27, 2015 Jeremy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: politics, sociological

Franklin's life was completely nuts. And while his image has become little more than a goofy caricature in our age, the times that he lived and worked in were fraught with bizarre religious strife, nascent colonial revolutionary sentiment, doomed military expeditions, and kooky scientific/technological explorations.

America is first and foremost, a WEIRD place. Always has been. Always will be. And Ben Franklin, more than any other founding figure, apothasizes and simultaneously transcends that ...more

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Sep 27, 2016 Arun Mahalingam rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, must-read, non-fiction

After i read an article that Narendra modi got inspired of Benjamin Franklin,i started this book. It is indeed a book worth reading. Especially, Benjamin's way of life and his 13 moral point is good for everyone to follow .

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Jan 22, 2019 Terris rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics

Just amazing -- to read Benjamin Franklin's own words written in the 1700's! I love it! What am amazing man!

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Oct 19, 2013 Ilchi Lee rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Benjamin Franklin's lifetime commitment to personal development really inspired me. I developed great respect and admiration for this prominent American historical figure.

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Mar 29, 2012 Kressel Housman rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, history, non-fiction, memoir, biography, colonial-america

Because of the movie "American Treasure" and the plot sequence involving Benjamin Franklin's Silence Dogood letters (a series of letters he published under a pseudonym at age 16), my youngest son became interested in him and picked out a biography for me to read aloud at night. That biography, written for kids, cites its main source as Ben Franklin's autobiography, so I figured it was high time I read that American classic.

I'll admit it: the old-fashioned language of the original is daunting ...more

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Nov 20, 2016 Martin Asenov rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Never have I read a more boring and terribly written book. I started it because it was a recommended reading from one of Robin Sharma's books (which was pretty good) but my only explanation of why it made it to this list is that neither Robin Sharma, nor anyone of his editors have read it.

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Aug 19, 2013 Maq Khan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Appreciate the hard working of Benjamin Franklin.today who works hard like him or who is honest?.

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About Benjamin Franklin

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Benjamin Franklin was a writer, a philosopher, a scientist, a politician, a patriot, a Founding Father, an inventor, and publisher. 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 17 years to the colonies.

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“Never confuse Motion with Action.” — 296 likes

“Were I a Roman Catholic, perhaps I should on this occasion vow to build a chapel to some saint, but as I am not, if I were to vow at all, it should be to build a light-house.

[Letter to his wife, 17 July 1757, after narrowly avoiding a shipwreck; often misquoted as "Lighthouses are more helpful than churches."]” — 142 likes

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