The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin - The Original Classic Edition (Franklin DeCosta Benjamin) ; Ingram

This book is well-written and engaging, even 300+ years later. It stops in 1760, well before his involvement with the Revolution, but it covers in detail his youth, apprenticeships, the formation of his philosophy and ideals, and his path from poor roots to business and social success – the first telling of the American Dream, the idea that a poor young man could Find His Fortune in the New World through enterprise, wisdom, and work.

There is a high degree of self-hagiography here, and it would be amusing to tally up (for example) how many times Franklin praises himself vs. how many times he advises on the virtue of humility. He smooths over issues like his illegitimate son, he doesnt mention his membership in the Freemasons, etc. The construction is also a bit rambling (Then I did this thing. Next, I did another thing. Then I did a third thing), but Franklin simply did so many interesting things – even in this short slice of his life – that the book is interesting despite that. Theres a great deal of discussion on his scientific and inventive accomplishments, and he talks at length about his development of his own personal moral code and how he achieved business success (along with Franklins Personal Method You Can Use for Self-Improvement – in some ways, this is the first self-help book!)

All in all, this is very much worth reading, and gives a compelling picture of Franklins life and times. Youll particularly like the picture Franklin draws of contemporary American society – free, open, and small, with most people in most towns all knowing each other, and business opportunities are wide open for anyone with industry and pluck. Im not sure how similar modern-day America still is to Franklins Philadelphia, but its certain that Franklin – and this book – helped set the image that we still *want* to believe America conforms to. And for that alone, its worth reading.

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