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The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin Hardcover – November 1, 2007

by Benjamin Franklin (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 7,208 ratings
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American icon BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (1706-1790), born in Massachusetts to a British immigrant father and colonial mother, published the famous Poor Richards' Almanack, helped found the University of Pennsylvania, and was the first Postmaster General of the United States. His likeness adorns, among other things, the United States' hundred-dollar bill. Benjamin Franklin was as wildly intriguing a personality as his legend suggest, and as you've always heard, as his autobiography makes plain. From his hoarding of his pay as a teenager to buy books to his askance asides at such habits as the drinking of beer, from his work as a printer to his experiments with electricity, and much more, this is the story of Franklin's life-told as only he could tell it-in the years before the American Revolution. A classic of autobiography, this is must reading for American-history buffs, and for anyone fascinated by larger-than-life personalities.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    146 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Cosimo Classics
  4. Publication date
    November 1, 2007
  5. Reading age
    18 years and up
  6. Dimensions
    5.7 x 0.8 x 8.6 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1602069603
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1602069602
  9. Lexile measure
    1370L
  10. See all details
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Benjamin Franklin's Book of Virtues (Books of American Wisdom)
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cosimo Classics (November 1, 2007)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 146 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1602069603
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1602069602
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1370L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.7 x 0.8 x 8.6 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 7,208 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
7,208 global ratings
More for looks than for reading
3 Stars
More for looks than for reading
This book turned out to be a bit of a disappointment to me since I intended to actually read it. The cover is beautiful and good quality with a waxy / silky finish that will prevent soiling. It does measure 8.5 x 11 as the description says. Unfortunately, it's only 1/4" thick. It would easily get lost in a bookshelf so it's really meant more for a coffee table, I think. There is no writing on the binding. The word font is so small that it makes for a difficult read. I'm an avid and good reader and found that I needed my strongest reading glasses and a ruler to be able to easily navigate a smooth read. No idea why the publisher would use such small font and make the book so thin. It seems so unnecessary. If you are buying this as a display piece you will not be disappointed. It's a very handsome book.
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Top reviews from the United States

Gary Scoggins
5.0 out of 5 stars Gotta love an autobiography
Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2024
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This book was fascinating in many respects. When someone as famous smart inventive and contributed so much to our national heritage, it is so wonderful to find out how they grew up with her background was how they were encouraged to be the person they wanted to be and how they were set free throughout their life in order to achieve all that they did. This is a great read.
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Royce Callaway
4.0 out of 5 stars The Human Side of an American Icon
Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2007
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Like so many people I only know Benjamin Franklin from school and history books where he comes across as someone stiff and formal. But here in the first half of this book we find Ben Franklin the boy. We hear him complain of his parents, his restrictions, quarrels with his brothers, and of course things that all boys do. He steals from a construction site to build a fishing pier -- and gets caught. We see him finally breaking away and moving to Philadelphia where he arrives with very little money and must subsist on bread. He describes his youth and his gradual maturity as he builds his life and fortune. Interestingly this book leaves some doubt as to whether he was actually married to Deborah Read or had an "arrangement". I particularly enjoyed his description of General Braddock and his defeat by the Indians. Although this was only briefly touched on this and other similar references to the English gives you insight into why the colonists rebelled. Clearly the English completely misjudged the American Character as most Europeans do even today.

Unfortunately the second half of this book was written after the war and when Franklin was an old man and clearly not terribly interested in finishing this book. It reads as an after thought and really doesn't provide any insight into his role or the extraordinary people and events of which he was a part. But it does show the close relationship he had with his son so when the estrangement came it must have hurt him deeply although this is a subject not mentioned at all in the book.

However, the editors have kindly provided a marvelous timeline in the appendix, which really gives you a summary of the Revolutionary War as it places various key events into perspective. You see the impact that John Paul Jones's victory over the Serapis had on events in Paris. It shows how Franklin's diplomatic skills had a huge effect on the ultimate outcome of the war.

Franklin was an extraordinary man who lived an extraordinary life. He writes about himself rather modestly and really doesn't touch on his activities during the war in any detail and for this reason I only gave this book four stars. Still this is an interesting book about a truly fascinating man.
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Stephen
5.0 out of 5 stars Mr. Franklin's Autobiography should be required reading today.
Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2009
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I often lament the fact that we as humans are constantly reinventing the wheel, and if we were to read more biographies and learn from our forebears -- we would avail ourselves of much of their wisdom and knowledge. That being the case, "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin" should be considered as one of the finest and best sources of autobiographical material upon which to build.

In fact, Mr. Franklin's autobiography is considered to be one of the very first "self-help" books by some personal productivity gurus today (and often referenced by them in their works). His autobiography is really a guide to proper living, industriousness, and of obtaining wisdom -- and I think it should be required reading for anyone who wishes to overcome bad habits and obtain good ones.

In addition, his principles of obtaining wealth through hard work should be mandatory reading for many in our financial sector today who brought about such calamity to the global economy through their greed, excess and obfuscations in the housing and stock markets.

Written as a book addressed to his son, Franklin tells an interesting story of how he rose from very modest beginnings in Colonial Massachusetts -- decades before the United States even existed -- to become one of the most highly respected people of his day. It is a remarkable life that he describes, and it is to the great benefit of the reader that he interweaves into his tales many nuggets of wisdom that he has learned the hard way.

One style of his writing that I particularly enjoy -- and which in some ways models the parables of Jesus -- is that he will often offer some bit of wisdom, and then explain and reinforce that wisdom with a story from his life (or vice versa). I have found especially helpful his advice on how to avoid being argumentative, while at the same time being more persuasive. Mr. Franklin also prescribes a set of Thirteen Virtues -- of which good moral habits can be systematically obtained and incorporated into our daily lives.

I've read a few reviews that criticize the latter half of the book as meandering and less interesting than the first half. This was not the case for me, as I found the second half of the book to actually be even more interesting than the first.

Unfortunately, the autobiography ends in the 1760s -- which is well before his death or the events that led up to the formation of the U.S. However, you do get a sense of some of the reasons why the American colonists felt aggrieved by the actions of the British crown in Franklin's description of the decades prior to the American Revolution. Also, I should warn that this work was written in the 18th century, so his style of writing reflects that. It's not in any way a problem, but you might want to have a dictionary nearby for some of the less commonly used words today.

Overall, "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin" is an excellent read for anyone seeking to overcome bad habits, gain wisdom, and be prosperous in life -- or for anyone interested in American history.
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varma
5.0 out of 5 stars The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin: An Inspiring Account of Self-Improvement and Success
Reviewed in India on June 24, 2023
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Sure, here is a short and optimized title and review for The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (AmazonClassics Edition):

Title: The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin: An Inspiring Account of Self-Improvement and Success

Review:

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is an inspiring account of self-improvement and success. Franklin recounts his early life, his quest for virtue and self-improvement, and his political achievements. The book is full of practical advice on how to improve your life, and it is a must-read for anyone who is looking to achieve their goals.

I would give The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin a 5 out of 5 star rating. The book is well-written and inspiring, and it is full of practical advice that can help you improve your life. Franklin's story is an inspiration to us all, and it shows us that anything is possible if we set our minds to it.

Here are some of the pros and cons of the book:

Pros:

Well-written and inspiring
Full of practical advice
Franklin's story is an inspiration to us all

Cons:

Some of the advice may be outdated
The book can be a bit slow at times
4 people found this helpful
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Raimundo Pereira dos Santos Neto
4.0 out of 5 stars Virtude
Reviewed in Brazil on October 12, 2020
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Um verdadeiro script para uma vida bem-sucedida, tanto no universo pessoal quanto profissional. O desenvolvimento das virtudes me impressionou pela simplicidade e pela clareza.
One person found this helpful
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CARLOS A.
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesante
Reviewed in Spain on July 6, 2021
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Muy buen libro para aprender a ser mejor cada día
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Claudia Santos
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfectas condiciones
Reviewed in Mexico on September 15, 2018
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Llegó en perfecto stado, bonito, tiene textos extra atras, como el del papalote así que todo está muy bien.
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Fabrizio
5.0 out of 5 stars Molto interessante
Reviewed in Italy on August 31, 2018
Verified Purchase
L’autobiografia è molto interessante e scorrevole da leggere, anche se qua e là sono ovviamente presenti dei termini che non vengono più utilizzati nell’inglese corrente.
Avrei apprezzato una divisione in capitoli (più che altro per decidere quando interrompere la lettura) ma si lascia leggere tranquillamente anche come racconto quasi del tutto continuo.
2 people found this helpful
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