The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (1791) (edit title/settings)

• Rated 4 stars

“Benjamin Franklin is my favorite founding father. He was smart and in his autobiography he explains how his early self education made him the man he was in his later years”

• Rated 3 stars

“Ben Franklin is clearly an ingenious, industrious, and virtuous man as made evident in his autobiography. A leader, inventor, printer, reader, and advocate, Franklin achieves moral perfection while rising in status from rags-to-riches. Reading an autobiography written by a man of this prestige provides insight on American values firsthand as America was still becoming what it is today.”

• Rated 0 stars

“investing”

• Rated 4 stars

“Benjamin Franklin is one of my favorite figures from history. By no means his complete life, it is still a great insight in his life and thoughts. ”

• Rated 4 stars

“I read only part I , loved it ! but I don't have the rest of the text ! will make sure to finish it whenever I have the chance in the future !
Part one was along other texts which formed my American Literature course, 3rd year, second semester ! was one of the really enjoyable texts ! I've learnt from it a lot of things..
it also made me think about a multitude of things, it made me reevaluate the way I lead my life .. the way I spend my time & money .. it's a good piece I loved it !
”

• Rated 3 stars

“Does not cover Declaration of Independece or Revolutionary War”

• Rated 5 stars

“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.
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.”

• Rated 3 stars

“Who was ben franklin by dennis brindell fradin Illastrated by john O' brien. Bens brother James was a printer so ben wanted to be a printer. My favorite part was when ben made the lighting rod. you would love this book if you like things about ben. You should read about it to learn about ben.

By kayla hart”

• Rated 4 stars

“One of the most readable autobiographies I have ever read, which is impressive considering the time that has passed. Entertaining, bizarre, typical B. Franks zaniness. Just unfinished enough to make it feel like you are picking through his private life which is pretty fun. I read it for my "Peoples of Revolutionary America" class and we were supposed to pay special attention to the absence of any mention of his role in the Revolution which is strange since it was definitely his biggest accomplishment and he NEVER SAYS ANYTHING ABOUT IT. He's a masterful writer so it is written like literature and can be analyzed as such. It's also supposed to be one of the first self-help books ever, fun fact. :) ”

• Rated 2 stars

“I kind of have something against Benjamin Franklin... What a self-centered man. ”