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    Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
    Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
    Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
    Ebook348 pages4 hours

    Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

    By E. Boyd (Elmer Boyd) Smith, Frank Woodworth Pine and Benjamin Franklin

    4/5

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    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArchive Classics
    Release dateJan 1, 1793

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    Reviews for Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

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    • 5/5
      Though the reading is a little rough at times due to an older style of English writing, I found myself entertained and impressed by this life account by Benjamin Franklin. He was a highly-accomplished man of greater wisdom than most. It was interesting to read how he came up with the ideas and then carried them through to form the first public library in Pennsylvania as well as a volunteer fire department and what you might call a handy 'road crew'. Not to mention vast public undertakings that were successful via his participation. What I especially enjoyed was his list of personal virtues--character traits he purposefully molded into himself to become a better husband, friend, neighbor, and individual. Benjamin Franklin was by choice a grand fellow.
    • 3/5
      I first picked this book up along with a good binding of Poor Richard's Almanack quite some time ago but I didn't start reading it until after I heard about it from Christopher Hitchens in his collection, Arguably. Besides calling him the cleverest of the founding fathers, he also had seemingly unearthed new light on the downright humor of Benjamin Franklin. I didn't know a saying like "The Lord Helps Those Who Help Themselves" was in jest but after I heard that suddenly it made perfect sense. Sadly that and much of the rest of his famous proverbs are not included in this biography which has some humor in it but contrary to what Hitchens said is actually fairly straight forward and worse, a little on the unedifying side. This may be due to its incomplete state. Sure, some of it had some insight into what made the man so successful and for that I've awarded the score I did but it also gets into matters of state which I find to be boring. All in all not what Christopher Hitchens touts it to be or even what Franklin probably wanted it to be and therefore a disappointment. Stay for parts 1 and 2 but leave for parts 3 and 4, and wonder what the book would've looked like complete. As it is, it's just not enough. Of anything.
    • 4/5
      I'm not a big fan of biographies, but I feel like the useful advice offered within Franklin's life-story is deserving of some serious bonus points. So much of what he said was so motivating and makes me feel like I can achieve some previously unforeseen potential.
    • 4/5
      I listened to the autobiography via LibriVox.org. While I recognize that volunteers read the books, the narrator for this book would've been right at home on NPR.Nevertheless, I quite enjoyed Franklin's autobiography. Although I've read much about the period, I was a bit worried that the language would be such that it might be difficult to follow. But this was not the case. Many of the anecdotes were quite humorous and certainly illuminating. Franklin was an amazing man.The problem with the book is that he didn't cover anything beyond 1764 or so. This was disappointing to me as I expected to hear his thoughts on the 10-year period leading up to the Declaration of Independence, as well as his involvement in said document. I also wanted to hear, from his perspective, about his time in France. Maybe I should have already been aware of the period the book covered but I wasn't.Regardless, I'd encourage you to read (or listen) to it as it reminds us that human nature doesn't change, but that every now and then along comes someone who breaks the mold. Franklin is clearly an example of this.
    • 3/5
      Well I found out only in reading that it wasn't complete! That surprised me. The title really should be changed to 'The Unfinished...' or something similar.

      Started off so well! An awesome insight into the path this god of industriousness took from adolescence to adulthood. The best part was his account of how he settled his printing business in Pennsylvania, and how he carried out his life in general at that time, and how he learned to deal with people. It petered off half way and became mainly an account of politics and goings-on, still with the backdrop of his ridiculous industriousness.

      The first part was 5/5, but the the book is not coherent so 3/5. Looking forward to a biography
    • 4/5
      About the author, I'd say — honest. The language style requires good syntax and wording in translation.
    • 3/5
      Interesting little slice of life from the start of our democracy. He definitely thought outside the box!
    • 4/5
      The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin was written in two sections, the first in 1771 and the second in 1778. The autobiography ends in 1757 and so never arrives at the American Revolution, but it still captures Franklin's wit and personality. Though he claims to write for his son's benefit, his adage on page 157 better sums up his goal: "That, as we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours; and this we should do freely and generously." Much like the advice doled out in Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanacks, the Autobiography serves as an example to his readers on how to live their lives. For those reading with an interest in history, Franklin's writing helps to capture the character of the time in which he lived, but is likely colored by nostalgia and memory.
    • 3/5
      The first part of this is quite engaging, as Franklin relates his time in Boston and his moving to Philadelphia. I remember reading part of this in eighth grade, including his wife-to-be seeing him walking with bread under his arm when he first arrived in Philadelphia. His time in develping his career as a printer is of interest. The next three parts are less attractive, as he tells of his wisdom and success in his endeavors in regard to the library, the fire fighting force, and his inventions. The autobiography does not cover the most important events of his life and effectually ends in the 1750's when much of his brilliant career lay in the future.
    • 3/5
      I like the reflection on his growth and tales of upbringing. But, Old Benjamin was prone to speak highly of himself and there are a few racist and sexist parts regarding Native Americans especially.
    • 4/5
      The book is split into four parts. The first part was a spectacular overview of the first third of his life. It wasn't tedious and brought together for me many concepts I've so far spent my life contemplating.

      I do recommend.
    • 2/5
      oh my. what an unlikable guy this benjamin unles you are a workoholic. he refused to play chess with his friend because it takes time away from his studies? he never stopped to smell the roses it seems. a sad life.
    • 4/5
      My first look into the early life of a famous American. I always knew he was a printer, but never fully understood how much his profession played a roll in his life. As a printer and a Mason I hope to follow Ben as a great American.
    • 4/5
      "Started From The Bottom" in book form, basically. Franklin's own 4-page outline of his life is amazing.
    • 4/5
      Benjamin Franklin has a wonderful voice. It is consistently sincere and earnest while having a strange combination of humility and smugness. I found Part I of the Autobiography most interesting. It describes Franklin's early experiences, his start in printing, his flight from Boston to Philadelphia, the rivalries between different print shops, and his trip to England. In part this was interesting because it was a single unified narrative, whereas much of what came later was more of a collection of miscellanies about Franklin's role in everything from the legislation provisioning armed forces to Poor Richard's Almanac to the Indian wars to inventions as varied as the Franklin stove to how to best arrange the gutter in public streets. Unfortunately it had only a very brief part on the runup to the revolution and nothing on the revolution or what followed. It is a loss that Franklin never wrote a complete autobiography.
    • 3/5
      I don't feel qualified to rate this. I'm just going to give it a solid 3.
    • 3/5
      I took this book to understand more about Franklin. Franklin is writing this to his son. I enjoyed his plan for moral perfection, and he admits that he is not perfect. It seemed that Franklin read a lot and enjoyed being around with readers.

      Deus Vult
      --Gottfried

    • 2/5
      It reads more like a diary or journal than an autobiography.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed it, especially how much humor it contained. There are so many stories that I had to bring up and discuss with others - learning about how he was a vegetarian for awhile and while watching the other people on a ship catching and eating cod, and smelling how delicious it was when they were being cooked, and then seeing that inside each cod, there were smaller fish, he decided it was OK to eat another animal because the cod were eating other animals too. And then admitting to himself how great it was that man was a reasonable creature and could make such reasonable accomodations. And I enjoyed how he put together a list of virtues that he practiced and monitored (I'm actually considering trying out his system in 2013), and when someone he knew suggested he should add to the list, and in particular add pride. He eventually agreed to add pride, but he also admitted he was proud of his list of virtues...! Franklin's autobiography isn't complete, there are some gaps and it only covers ~50 of his 84 years. And certainly as an autobiography it's a bit biased...(there's a lot of pride in it!) I had read McCullough's John Adams and remember vividly what John Adams though about Franklin based on the time he spent with him in France. So, at some point I will need to read a good biography of Franklin.
    • 4/5
      Benjamin Franklin has a wonderful voice. It is consistently sincere and earnest while having a strange combination of humility and smugness. I found Part I of the Autobiography most interesting. It describes Franklin's early experiences, his start in printing, his flight from Boston to Philadelphia, the rivalries between different print shops, and his trip to England. In part this was interesting because it was a single unified narrative, whereas much of what came later was more of a collection of miscellanies about Franklin's role in everything from the legislation provisioning armed forces to Poor Richard's Almanac to the Indian wars to inventions as varied as the Franklin stove to how to best arrange the gutter in public streets. Unfortunately it had only a very brief part on the runup to the revolution and nothing on the revolution or what followed. It is a loss that Franklin never wrote a complete autobiography.
    • 4/5
      Originally written as a letter to his illegitimate son, Benjamin Franklin sets out to tell the story of his life's work. It briefly covers his childhood but focuses more on his years of employment, first as a printer's apprentice, then as a prominent political leader among many, many other things. By the end of it you will be asking what didn't this guy do? However, it ends (abruptly) before his involvement in the Revolution or his efforts to free slaves, two aspects of his life I find most interesting. Peppered throughout the autobiography is Benjamin Franklin's adamant call to humility, modesty, and virtue which is humorously contradictory for a man with such a long list of obvious accomplishments.
    • 3/5
      Ben had a rare brilliance. That being said, when reading this book it's obvious he knew that as well. The hardest part in reading this book was muddling through the mind-blowing vanity. It was amazing to see history from his point of view, in an accurate historic and non-fictional setting but DANG! Very vain. That's my only complaint but it lowered my opinion of the account.
    • 2/5
      There must be better audio out there on Benjamin Franklin. It was an autobiography so it was interesting hearing it from his perspective. That said it ended to early in his life for it did not even cover the revolution. Also, one has to focus due to the use of 18th century words and phrases. Overall it was very dry.
    • 3/5
      I have mixed feelings about this book. Franklin's accomplishments are beyond dispute, and certain stories he relates have a charm that harken back to America in a very different age.Nonetheless, Franklin's view of himself is nothing other than narcissistic, and his incessant attention (i.e., devotion?) to money is distasteful. All in all, a decent read into a storied but ultimately unappealing personality.
    • 4/5
      Like many autobiographies, this one omits so much (though it was never really finished) and gives us an understanding of what Franklin felt was important in his life. The first part of the book is in the form of a letter to his son telling about his youth, followed by the other sections which were written at a later date. I had hoped that he would go more into subjects like the Revolutionary War and his electrical experiments and other inventions, yet Franklin seemed most proud (if that's the correct way to describe it) about the work he did in Pennsylvania and in his ability to provide invaluable assistance in various circumstances.
    • 5/5
      If you think you know Benjamin Franklin from what they taught you in school, you should read his autobiography and be enlightened. In fact, did you know this man invented the autobiography? You think of Benjamin Franklin as this old fat rich white guy who you may have heard was kicked out of France for being too rowdy. Of all places, he was kicked out of France. How do you get kicked out of France? Only Benjamin knows how. Now you might also feel scornful of him because his pretty face is on the $100 bill you're having a hard time keeping tabs on, and you have to hear time and time again about how great this guy is and how he's one of America's founding fathers. We get it. But do you know how he managed to get so great? Would you believe this man went to grammar school for less than a year and yet he was able to be so successful? Not that my point is: "Hey, if Benjamin Franklin became famous without having to suffer in the prison-like schools, why can't anyone else do the same?" No. By all means, stay in grade school until you graduate. The reason why Benjamin was so successful is because he was auto-didactic, that is, he was self-taught. He would take out a book and copy the writing word for word until he could imitate it and develop his own writing style. Now that's dedication. This man believed in the quality of hard-work, and he believed that anyone could climb to the top if they work hard enough. Sound familiar? Now if any of the above information piques your interest, go read about the great inventor and one of the successful men in the world.
    • 5/5
      Franklin was a crazy guy back in his day. I really enjoyed reading about his life and the interesting ways he went about trying to constantly be a better person.
    • 4/5
      Some excellent points about how to plan your life and successes betwixt Benjamin's personal adventures. A worthwhile read, because of the picture your get of our most industrious founding father, and the insight that can be gleaned from his regimented lifestyle.
    • 5/5
      The great man in his own words. A classic everyone should read.
    • 5/5
      A classic. More than anyone else, Franklin may have been the template for what Americans like to think of as the prototypical American: ambitious, disciplined, enterprising, entreprenurial, gregarious, socially oriented, creative and dynamic.All of which calls to mind later entities: Horatio Alger,Tom Swift, Dale Carnegie, "Silicon Vallyites" among others...

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    Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin - E. Boyd (Elmer Boyd) Smith

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