The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
by Benjamin Franklin
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Book Summary Information
Author: Benjamin FranklinEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2003-12-23
ISBN: 0743255062
Number of pages: 160
Publisher: Touchstone
Book Reviews of The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
Book Review: Mr. Franklin's Autobiography should be required reading today.
Summary: 5 Stars
I often lament the fact that we as humans are constantly reinventing the wheel, and if we were to read more biographies and learn from our forebears -- we would avail ourselves of much of their wisdom and knowledge. That being the case, "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin" should be considered as one of the finest and best sources of autobiographical material upon which to build.
In fact, Mr. Franklin's autobiography is considered to be one of the very first "self-help" books by some personal productivity gurus today (and often referenced by them in their works). His autobiography is really a guide to proper living, industriousness, and of obtaining wisdom -- and I think it should be required reading for anyone who wishes to overcome bad habits and obtain good ones.
In addition, his principles of obtaining wealth through hard work should be mandatory reading for many in our financial sector today who brought about such calamity to the global economy through their greed, excess and obfuscations in the housing and stock markets.
Written as a book addressed to his son, Franklin tells an interesting story of how he rose from very modest beginnings in Colonial Massachusetts -- decades before the United States even existed -- to become one of the most highly respected people of his day. It is a remarkable life that he describes, and it is to the great benefit of the reader that he interweaves into his tales many nuggets of wisdom that he has learned the hard way.
One style of his writing that I particularly enjoy -- and which in some ways models the parables of Jesus -- is that he will often offer some bit of wisdom, and then explain and reinforce that wisdom with a story from his life (or vice versa). I have found especially helpful his advice on how to avoid being argumentative, while at the same time being more persuasive. Mr. Franklin also prescribes a set of Thirteen Virtues -- of which good moral habits can be systematically obtained and incorporated into our daily lives.
I've read a few reviews that criticize the latter half of the book as meandering and less interesting than the first half. This was not the case for me, as I found the second half of the book to actually be even more interesting than the first.
Unfortunately, the autobiography ends in the 1760s -- which is well before his death or the events that led up to the formation of the U.S. However, you do get a sense of some of the reasons why the American colonists felt aggrieved by the actions of the British crown in Franklin's description of the decades prior to the American Revolution. Also, I should warn that this work was written in the 18th century, so his style of writing reflects that. It's not in any way a problem, but you might want to have a dictionary nearby for some of the less commonly used words today.
Overall, "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin" is an excellent read for anyone seeking to overcome bad habits, gain wisdom, and be prosperous in life -- or for anyone interested in American history.
Summary of The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
"The first book to belong permanently to literature. It created a man."
-- From the Introduction
Few men could compare to Benjamin Franklin. Virtually self-taught, he excelled as an athlete, a man of letters, a printer, a scientist, a wit, an inventor, an editor, and a writer, and he was probably the most successful diplomat in American history. David Hume hailed him as the first great philosopher and great man of letters in the New World.
Written initially to guide his son, Franklin's autobiography is a lively, spellbinding account of his unique and eventful life. Stylistically his best work, it has become a classic in world literature, one to inspire and delight readers everywhere.
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