Customer Reviews

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

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When I was a boy, my father told me to read the "Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin." Of course, I didn't listen to Dad but now, decades later, I have finally read it. This book is not a comprehensive memoir of the historical events that made him famous. Indeed, the book ends when he is in his early 50s, long before his activities in the Continental Congress, as delegate to the constitutional convention, and as Minister to France. What this book does is to give us the flavor of this remarkable man's personality.

The first part of this book was really letters to his son and the latter part continued the narrative. He writes with a subtle humor that at times had me in stitches. He writes about his scientific achievements and inventions such as what has become known as the "Franklin stove," and his experiments with electricity. Evidentally, there were some in the scientific community who did not believe that lightening was electricity and he took delight in proving them wrong (he very briefly mentions his kite experiment).

He writes about virtues and his cultivation of them. He reflects upon religion yet he was not dogmatic. He was civic minded, starting, among other things, a fire department and a public library. In short, he was a reflective, intelligent, industrious, remarkable man and we realize this best by reading his own words. My father was right; I should have read this years ago.

Great man that Ben.
Nice that he did all these things not so much for himself but with the view that people should be nobler thoughts.
A must read...

Fsrom the first to the last sentence this littel book is full of humor ,optimism, fascinating facts and the great soul and mind of Franklin is vivid. since it is written as a letter to Franklin's son it seems to me it would be a great gift from a father to his son or daughter for prom or end of college years. )

Ten years ago, I purchased the paperback and could not get past the first few chapters. Five years ago, I bought the cassette version and could not get much further. After finishing and enjoying Walter Isaacson's Franklin bio immediately prior to this third attempt, I was finally able to enjoy "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin". Fredd Wayne brings Franklin to life with what seems like a perfect portrayal. He *performs* rather than narrates.

Without the insight from Issacson, or, I suspect, from any decent biography of Franklin, the autobiography is disjointed, as he wrote different sections at different times of his life, and some time periods are eliminated completely. And it seems to have multiple personalities, struggling between the subjects of self-help, biography, history and simple meanderings and ruminations of an old man.

As a companion book - 5 stars; as a standalone - 2-3 stars

Franklin wrote this autobiography as a letter of instruction in the ways of the world to his youthful and illegitimate son of 40. It only covers the first half or so of his incredible life, so the things that really made him well-known are not covered, but there is plenty here anyway.

Franklin recounts his family's modest life in England and the circumstances that brought them to Boston. He was among the youngest of a very large family, ultimately finding his way to Philadelphia to find work as a printer when an apprenticeship with an older brother turned sour.

We always think of Franklin as being a slightly older statesman among the Founding Fathers, when in fact he was a full generation older than Washington or Jefferson. Unlike popular perception, he was an athletic and vibrant youth, who rescued a drowning Dutch companion and taught swimming to children of London's elite.

Philadelphia in the 1720's and 1730's was a small town, never sure if it would really take off as a settlement. Franklin quickly befriended key politicians who felt Philadelphia had grown sufficiently to have a world-class print shop. He played a key role in the town's development, leading civic groups in establishing libraries, fire companies, meeting halls, and street cleaning services. Of course, he was also the consummate politician, serving in office, and networking his way to his first fortune by publishing government documents and printing the first paper currency. He also had a knack for working with the several important religious sects of that time and place, especially the pacifist Quakers, even though Franklin was a deist.

Franklin was a clever businessman. In today's lexicon, he effectively franchised across the colonies his concept of the publisher/printer who would provide both the content and the ink on paper. By age 30, he had set up his business affairs so that his printing businesses in several colonies were operated by partners and he received a share of the profits, allowing him to pursue other interests.

The autobiography is unfinished, so we don't hear his account of his pursuits of electricity, which made him as famous and well-known as Bill Gates is today, nor his thought on the Revolution. Franklin did play a key role in establishing logistical support to the British during their fight with the French in the New World. At that time and during his years in Europe, he was generally perceived as a Tory supporter.

Read this book to learn how Franklin devoted himself to self-improvement by establishing clubs, lending libraries, a sober lifestyle allowing time for study, and his methods for measuring his personal performance against metrics he had established for a proper lifestyle. One will also gather a new appreciation for the fullness, utility, and richness of the English language when put on paper by a master.

Said to be the first work of American literature, by America's first citizen: Ben Franklin's autobiography has certainly drawn a lot of praise.

Written in several pieces, it takes his life just past his electrical experiments, ending with his ambassadorial trip to London in 1757 on behalf of the Pennsylvania Assembly to argue that the Proprietors (the descendants of William Penn) should accept a tax to fund the raising of a militia.

Ben's early life story is familiar to all, coming penniless from Boston to Philadelphia, etc. particularly these days when new Franklin biographies seem to appear almost monthly. It is an interesting book, particularly because it was written by Franklin himself. But the breathless praise that is everywhere showered upon it seems a bit over done. First of all, it's incomplete, and secondly, it's not nearly as witty as Poor Richard.

Benjamin Franklin is regarded as one of the finest minds of colonial America. Franklin explored many interests, allowing him to play many roles during his lifetime (as P.M. Zall states): "inventor, scientist, entrepreneur, political activist, statesman, diplomat, cultural gurr, social revolutionist." However, until his death, Franklin thought of himself as merely a printer and a writer. In his Autobiography, he recounts much of his life, beginning with his genealogy and ending unfinished at a point prior to the Revolutionary War.

Essentially, Ben Franklin's Autobiography contains "unstructured" structure, in which the narrative meanders along different episodes of Franklin's life. The division of the Autobiography into four Parts, solely a modern addition by critics, is not extremely helpful in partitioning the events in the book into easily understandable parts for the reader. What the reader sees are blocks of text occaisionally separated by poetic or witty verses Franklin has included, an obstacle that sometimes allows the experience of reading the Autobiography to be monotonous. The content, and by association, the themes, are somewhat obscured to modern readers by the structure of the book as well as Franklin's language. However, the organization of the book is not completely ineffective for the reason that it lends to the reader's understanding of four different mindsets of Benjamin Franklin, allowing for a more multifaceted understanding of Franklin himself. All four of these mindsets contain similar themes of acheiving the American Dream and becoming a better person with age.

While Franklin's Autobiography has high historic value, its other value is the documented story about the man behind the myth. Much of why I liked reading Franklin's memoirs was due to the subject matter itself. In this book, he is able to provide a picture of success of a man who possessed many admirable qualities, as well as many vices. Interestingly, Franklin's best material is the anecdotal text in Part One. These anecdotes, apparently to Franklin "of no Importance to others," are what lends a human quality to the man whom history has magnified to mythical proportions. I feel that the bulk to the work, with the exception of Part Two, is a rather dry account of Franklin's accomplishments. Had Franklin continued his memoirs as advice for hig son (as originially intended) rather than write for the public, the tone of the work might have been different.

Here, then, is the opinion of a high school student who chose this book to read for school: Through no fault of his own, Franklin has written a work that contains a weak structure and is difficult for modern readers to understand. It is for these two reasons that I would not recommend the Autobiography for light beach reading. However, I would strongly recommend it for historical research. Franklin's accounts of incidents in history provide excellent primary sources. Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography will please those who are avid history buffs and who have the patience to wade through the language of colonial America. Also highly recommended as an enlightening book. Aside from his political achievements, he was a scientist/ inventor, a humanitarian, a founder of the first library, fire station, and university in the American colonies. It's not easy to get through, but once you do, you'll see how amazing Franklin was.

I believe that this book is considered a classic of its type. Dr. Franklin tells his story up to 1771, and a most unusual story it is. Franklin's intelligence, general sagacity and energy are almost unmatched anywhere or any time. His accomplishments are so many and so varied that they would be unbelievable if not documented. A surprise to me was that he was very strong and athletic in his younger years. Being a printer, he regularly had to take carriers of type to the press. In a long stay in London, where he hired out to a printer, he would carry two rack of type up the stairs to the second floor, one in each hand. All the other employees carried one rack in two hands. They couldn't understand how he could do such a thing when they always drank "strong beer" and he only drank water. Franklin was a master swimmer who could swim for great distances and do many different strokes and tricks in the water.

His major accomplishments hardly need detailing although the vastness of them will come as a surprise to people who have not previously seen a description of all of them. Dr. Franklin shows a certain amount of pride and conceit in this book even though he seems to try not to. It really doesn't show that much ego however, considering what he had to be proud of. The language used in this book is quaint to 21st. century people, but interesting and completely understandable. It's a pity that he never completed his autobiography, covering the Revolution and afterward. Considering his immense efforts for the new country during that time, it's no surprise that he didn't have time to do it. I think that no one should miss spending a little time with this extraordinary, unique and fascinating man through this book.

Franklin's timeless words echo through the centuries in this wonderful autobiography. In its pages we can catch a glimpse of Franklins extraordinarily beautiful mind, his wit, and his wisdom. If you are young, and just starting out on life's amazing journey, read Franklin's words. If you're not so young anymore, read Franklins words; after all, it's never too late learn about life.

The prevailing conception of the American character found its apotheosis in the persona of Benjamin Franklin. In early American culture Franklin was considered the typical American whose life philosophy exemplified American attitudes towards life, wealth, and happiness. The proof of this philosophy was found in Franklin's life and both are interwoven in his autobiography.

Certainly Franklin became omnipresent in American history (the greatest president who was never president, as I recall) partly because of his own efforts at self-promotion, of which "The Autobiography" is a prime example along with the constant reprinting of "Poor Richard's Almanac" (see the preface to the last edition in 1758 entitled "The Way to Wealth," which presages the autobiography). Franklin was first and foremost a moralist concerned with the personal, social, and civic improvement of his fellow citizens. The book opens with a letter, written to his son William in 1771. Of course, William, the Royal Governor of New Jersey, is forty years old, so the advice being offered is not to his literal (illegitimate) son but rather to any and all "youth." The book is intended as an exemplar for moral action and virtues.

Part I has Franklin describing his ancestry and lineage, covering his precocious childhood where he learned the virtues and morals that would serve him in good stead as an adult. Indeed, the story of Franklin becoming a successful businessman and important citizen in Philadelphia is a series of anecdotes in which he uses his intelligence and wit to solve any and all challenges. As autobiography we know this account to be flawed, for Franklin recreates his life to suit his purpose, but as rhetorical exemplar it is impressive. Part II reinforces this point by beginning with a pair of letters from Abel James and Benjamin Vaughn, who praise Part I for having celebrated the frugality, industry, and temperance necessary for a man's character to develop as a prelude to success. This section was written ten years after the first, when Franklin was in France. Here Franklin discusses moral perfection and the importance of industry and frugality in achieving success. Part III was written when Franklin returns home to Philadelphia in August of 1788, and continues the detailing his long career of public service, from publisher "Poor Richard's Almanac" to becoming Postmaster of the United States. Part IV is something of a fragment devoted to an episode in London in 1747 when Franklin became an early proponent of American rights. Ironically, this section, which would have contained the autobiographical information we would most want to hear with regards to the fight for Independence, is the briefest.

Ultimately, what becomes most important about "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin" is that it serves as the genesis of the aristocracy of merit in the United States. Franklin's life is the model for the stories of Horatio Alger a century later and instantiates the idea that America is the land of opportunity where it is by merit that we can earn success. That idea has been expressed in countless ways since this book was first published in all its myriad forms, but the life of Franklin is the font from which it all springs.