Poor Richard's Almanack (New Edition) »

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) was a man of many roles-printer, author, philosopher, scientist, inventor, diplomat, and politician to name only a few. He was so successful as a businessman that he was able to retire at the age of forty-two. He proved equally adept at science, and his experiments in electricity made him the most famous American in the colonies. Politics and diplomacy took up much of the latter half of his life, and he showed himself a master of these as well, perhaps most importantly by securing the support of France during the American Revolution. And his Autobiography made him the role model for countless future generations who hoped to emulate his rags-to-riches story. To understand Franklin is, to a large extent, to understand early America

Poor Richard's Almanack is one of Benjamin Franklin's most charming creations. He delighted in cloaking his writing behind a variety of literary personas, and Richard Saunders remains one of his most beloved, although some critics have complained that Poor Richard reveals the shallow materialism at the heart of Franklin's homespun philosophy and, by extension, at the heart of America itself. The Almanack holds a central place in understanding Franklin and his evolution from humble tradesman to founding father as well as providing a fascinating window into colonial America. Franklin's sharp wit still retains its ability to surprise and delight readers today.