The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

I really enjoyed reading this book, if you didn't know he was married you may not miss this aspect. I missed his getting married and his married life, which was a part of his life remaining unsaid in this book. I did battle with some of the words that he used, thankfully the kindle dictionary came to the rescue. This book should be read by anyone going into business as they could learn a lot, even if the lessons are from over 200 years ago.
I will be looking for maybe a biography of his life which may cover some things in more depth.

I found this book very interesting and eye opening. Benjamin Franklin was interested in so many different things and used his curiosity to find answers and solutions to many different issues in public and private life. I learned so much about him. I was disappointed that the autobiography ended quite short of his life, not including anything past about 1757. He used many words that are archaic to us now and I had to look them up through the Kindle's dictionary which is a wonderful feature. Overall a very eye opening book, though a slow read.

It is written in almost one stream of consciousness, no chapter breaks. A lot of the words are still spelled as Ben Franklin would've spelled them, making it a little more difficult to read, but not by much.
I am so amazed by his common sense in everyday living, and especially amazed by his 13 virtues.
I wish he would've finished his biography. It seems so much more valuable in his own words.

Provides a look into the times, the challenges and accomplishments from Franklin's point of view. Even though we think we know him the list of experiences and contributions still seems extraordinary.

I have read this book myself at least twice. This book was purchased as a graduation present for a nephew. I wish someone had made me read this book at the age of 13. Franklin is quite the character. There are a lot of controversies surrounding his life, but for the purpose of instruction, I prefer to quit the debating society. This fellow is the first native born genius of record produced in this country. He may have painted a rosy picture of his life, but any of us would in an autobiography. If you want a critical examination of his life, check out some of the excellent athoritive biographies available. If you want inspiration, read this. Most inspiring are the roles that thrift and hard work played in his success and his practical approach to striving for "moral perfection".

Benjamin Franklin played a key role in the formation of our country as we know it today. From his inventions to his negotiating treaties......Ben Franklin is part of the tapestry of the American way of life. Every citizen should be educated about him. Ben's contributions to our country are immeasurable......from establishing the first hospital to reigning as the first post master to creating the first volunteer fire department.......we wouldn't be such an organized and civilized society without him.

A fascinating read, really added "flesh and bones" to a historical figure. Difficult at first to follow the dialect and wording of the times but well worth the effort to get used to it, the dictionary function of my Paperwhite got a work out! Several very significant parts of his life are missing including the Revolutionary War years, partially explained by segments that were lost over time. This is one book that I will be looking for a more complete version to reread.

He went through many phases of life : As a printer and then using a pseudonym to start printing his own stories through his brother's paper. He seemed to always get back into the printing business. He had a bunch of bludger friends and soon became a better judge of people and mitigated his life risks that way.

He was very involved in community life - the establishment of the post office, libraries and universities were some of his accomplishments.

His philosophy in life was sound. you can;t be perfect, but if you are anything like Ben, you will be doing this world a service !

This autobiography is very boring. He only talks about mundane matters such as going places and his printing press and the people he worked with at these printing presses. NOTHING else. No diplomacy, no science, no establishing a nation.

There's a bit of everything in this book. Franklin talks about his religious views, he discusses history, he talks about his life of course, and a great many other things. I've learned a lot by reading this autobiography and it's not even that long of a book. It makes you realize that with hard work and ingenuity, it IS possible to make something of yourself. Some people say this should be required reading in middle or high school. I disagree simply because I don't think when it's done for school, it'll be read as something that could be applied to one's life, but more for a grade. Maybe on a summer reading list it'd be useful, but I think in the late teenage years and further it'll be more useful (in general).

Everyone knows about Benjamin Franklin and his participation in the freedom of our country and the different inventions that we use everyday. This autobiography reveals the true man and is written from the heart to his son.
We can give this man great credit in the creation of our country. All politically involved citizens should read this book and then, maybe, they would understand what their true elected positions are expected of them.
Everyone can learn from this great man and truly understand how our country was developed. I wish there was more to read.
I was disappointed that it stopped just short of our country's revolution.

I'm not normally interested in history, but I really enjoyed reading Franklin's autobiography.

I wrote a paper for English comparing this work to Thoreau's Walden, and had a lot of fun doing so. If you think you know Franklin, but have never read Franklin, do so now.

It's nothing short of awe inspiring to read Benjamin Franklins' autobiography. It illuminates first hand the courage and perseverance of an incredible historical figure. It's fascinating to learn about the people, places and texts that inspired such a genius. Dr. Franklin also makes clear some of the study, work habits and social skills that helped him not only to survive but to thrive in an extraordinary time in American history. These are lessons still applicable to todays' society.

In this autobiography, Dr. Franklin displays the most incredible feats of memory I have ever witnessed. It's astonishing to read his work as he quotes, seemingly verbatum, conversations from his earlier years. His descriptions of walking along, working and living in various streets and places in Philadelphia, made me, a Philadelphia native, feel as if I was experiencing many of the things he experienced first hand.

It's both awesome and sad to witness the genius of a mind so far ahead of it's time. Awesome because of Dr. Franklins' clarity of thought, insatiable appetite for wisdom and friendship, and spirituality born of the bond between people working toward a common goal: that of improving society for the betterment of humankind. He was also quite the healthy eater! It's sad, however, because it would have been nice to meet the man. Alas, he lived so long ago.... Also sad, that today's children are fed so many things through technology that there may never again be a reason to develop such a prodigious mind.

I just finished reading this excellent autobiography and recommend it. This important historic figure gives an account of his life that is credible and inspiring. I love that he tells of his experiences and innovations without seeming to seek glory, but only giving an account. He gives credit to others where credit is due. He admits his errors. He doesn't hesitate to tell of the slights and cheats accorded him through the years, and these also make for interesting reading. I love also that at the end, his son adds a chronology of the life of his amazing father.

This is an interesting book, but only covers mostly the first part of Franklin's life. It does give an interesting perspective on what the times were like in Boston and Philadelphia in the early 18th century. I also liked his 13 point philosophy of living. The end of the book was not as interesting, as he talked about things not as relevant to today's times. The book gives a new perspective of his diplomatic skills and work ethic. A great, innovative man!

Reading this made me understand why Benjamin Franklin is deemed a founding father of America in more depth than any history class could have ever taught. In using logic and reasoning, Benjamin Franklin reveals the beliefs and thought processes he used to grow into the symbol we all know him as today -the philosopher, inventor, genius. His story is inspiring as what he has to say about virtue and applying it to one's life to attain success. Atheist, Christian, republican,communist, young, old, whatever you are, this book will inspire you and show you what fulfilling the American Dream looks like done right.

Benjamin Franklin has always interested and impressed me. I was really hoping to be wowed by this book, especially since he wrote it himself. Unfortunately, he never got around to finishing it quite the way he wanted to. At times, he definitely rambles -- which he even admits in his own writing. It is still an interesting book, but it does not impress nearly as much as I was hoping for.

Autobiografies allow the reader to step into the mind of the author.
Franklin autobiography is well known for aiding to understand a man like Franklin. Why he did what he did and how accomplished he was.

Benjamin Franklin is a fascinating man with an incredible story to tell but it takes some patience to plow through his own autobiography. Some good historical tidbits in here (did you know he was a vegetarian?) but it includes a good number of letters from friends that are equally dry reading. If you are doing research of course this book is a must, just don't pick it up for light reading or a quick read.

I was just fascinated by the genius of Ben Franklin, his economics, politics, leadership and love of life. He was the Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Ronald Regan and Steven Hawking of the 1700's all rolled up into one. Since he wrote it, and it was way back at the beginning of the country, it is in it's original style of olde English and you will find a lot of strangely old style phrases. You would be surprised how his focus on the craft of printing was the beginning "internet" of that age by way of books.

An insightful look at one of the more fascinating of our Founding Fathers.
From a distant relative of his, I learned a lot about the family history... but this book reveals a deeper part of Ben's personality.
Reading his own accounts of his childhood and early years shows how he got to become our first real scientist and statesman extraordinaire. I would have loved to have lived in Philadelphia in those days; just to have the privilege of meeting him and exchanging ideas.

it was so inspiring!

when you hear people talk about these great men it always sounds so typical - like another lecture is about to follow on the greatness of this and that.

But after reading the autobio from the person's own life and words - you really get a sense of the hardship they had to over come and the courage deep within, not to mention the sense of adventure BF had in all of his endeavors..... truly, truly inspiring.

Kids are playing Xbox and complaining about not getting a Wii for Xmas at the same age BF is running away from home to start his own business - and starting his own study club when he can't afford to go to school..... kids can really learn from this guy!

Tbetty

Ben Franklin lived a busy life with a plethora of interests. Two or three times during his life he sat down and wrote a couple of chapters of autobiography.

As other reviewers have mentioned, this produces an incomplete autobiography. The later part is more like a collection of blog entries than a thorough book. Still, I enjoyed it, because Franklin's writing reflects the exuberance of his life. Several times, it's almost as if he had written "gotta run -- there's a legislature / public meeting / battle starting in 15 minutes -- more later!"

It's an autobiography, it is what it is. Interesting life, brilliant man. I needed a quiet room to read as it's written in the "old language" and he tends to jump around and get off topic. Ended before I was ready for it to end.

I'll make this short. Benjamin Franklin is a hoot. He's hilarious. Althought this book is short and unfinished, he is an exceptional writer and plays on his ability to fascinate the mind of the reader extricating the right amount of concern and appeal desired. There are a few parts, primarily his 13 virtues, that I believe are good to really chew down on; i.e. his striving to achieve personal discipline. He also mentions other great books that he has read that should also give you a few good reads. Enjoy. You won't be disappointed.

This is real classic. Despite the length of the time, since this book was written, it is still fresh in its contents.
To gain self - control over many virtues is one of the most difficult task. Read this book and try it yourself.

There is a clear guide How to conquer yourself and also thanks to this guide Franklin managed so many
thing in his life. This little book shows what to do, when we want to get somewhere in our life. How to stop
wasting your time on unnecessary things and concentrate on things which really matter.

This volume prove an insight of some depth into the life and character of one of our greatest Americans. An unassuming accounting of a gentleman who did more for his fellow citizens then anyone else I know of. A delight to read.
Richard,
Sausalito, CA

I was telling my grandson how remarkable Franklin was, and how very good this book was...it had been years since I read it as part of a high school English assignment and I decided to take another look....then, I loaned my grandson the Kindle....he just used it as part of an American History assignment....some things never grow old.

Interesting to get a glimpse into the mind of one of our most preeminent forefathers. He seems to be rather agnostic in his religious beliefs. And even though he claims in the beginning to be anything but humble he never seems to brag about himself. Perhaps one problem with this is that it includes only what he deemed significant, and skips over a lot of his accomplishments.

By the most profoundly intelligent and resourceful inventor, statesman, printer, and writer, this self-portrait of our well-known Founding Father goes deep into Mr. Franklin's childhood and is a study of a maturing and stirring witness to the beginnings of the United States of America! Franklin's writing style is conversational and still prosy, but understandable by anyone with at least an 8th grade education. By turns serious and whimsical, Mr. Franklin's recollections and statements undergird the readers understanding of the nation's founding principles. It is a short volume, but packs quite a lot in. And the book's price is eminently reasonable for the value of the information contained therein. Highly recommend to anyone who is an American history buff and all others as well.

I'm not a North American, but still considered this document of high historical relevance. A personality like that of Mr.'s Franaklin is worth your time, even more when the text is written by himself. This is not a lineal story, but it is a clear effort to share with us what this man did and what his views were so that we can understand why he is one of the most relevant historical figures of the past centuries.

Clearly presents this great man and patriarchs accomplishments.
I find it a shame that so few are aware of his contributions to the forming of our great country.
Our schools spend to little on our heritage.

This book is considered foundational information for understanding the development of our early institutions/government functions. It also gives you a very good picture of the lives of colonists in colonial times-social mores, education for employment and development of the postal system, job markets and challenges of commerce with England. Benjamin Franklin turns into a real human being starting as a youth. Really wished I had read this before I was 70 yrs old.

Interseting read, at times difficult just based on all of the old English that was used. Grateful that I read it on my Kindle as it is so easy to look up a word. It jumps around a bit but all in all enjoyable. The only thing that prevents me from giving it five stars is the ease of readability. However, if you want a true insight into probably our greatest founding father Benjamin Franklin this book is outstanding.

I loved reading this because Franklin's voice is so unique. He is definitely a pompous man, but you can't help but enjoy his point of view. I kept waiting for the important years of the revolution, but sadly he did not keep up the autobiography in those years.

Ben Franklin had many character flaws that kept tripping him up in his early life. What is amazing is that he designed a plan to correct his deficiencies. And the successful man emerges. Super Successful. Who doesn't need this? While he shares his plan (and it's a great plan), it would be best to design a custom plan that will help us live a better life. Definitely worth the read.

I think Franklin is an admirable figure offering sound advice. Of course some of it may be a little dated, but for the most part the principles he expounds are timeless. Up to you whether you how much of a role model you want him to be but I think most people could do far worse and, if you do want to understand the inner workings of his mind, reading this is about the best way to do it.

An American classic about one of our great historical figures and an intriguing individual. Lot's to be learned, especially from his comments about how he set about to achieve "moral perfection." The book is a thin, large format, which makes it easy to read.

What a life! What a temperament! An example we can all work to emulate. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding the reasoning behind those who worked to shape our ideals of what is meant when we say American.

The kindle edition is missing content from what is in the Oxford paperback edition. I am really disappointed because some of the missing content is among the best parts of the book. I tried to look at the TOC for the Kindle edition, but do not see it. Why not be sure to put the table of contents in _every_ Kindle preview?!?

The Oxford edition is one of my top 5 star books. I have now briefly compared the Kindle and Oxford edition to the "Mass Market Paperback" which is a Signet Classics. They are all different, I highly recommend the Oxford edition.

Franklin became interested in government at a young age, perhaps from working is his father's print shop which became his. While this autobiography sticks mainly to his businesses, scientific research and especially, his political life, I would have liked to learn a bit more about his private and family, too. The book ends when he moves to France and there are a few notes of what he accomplished after that. I plan to read a biography of him also.

I gave this five stars because Benjamin Franklin mainly because was such an incredibly fascinating man. A word of warning: this is not an easy read for many people. Franklin had a huge vocabulary and used lots of long sentences, in a style very different from modern writing. Reading this book requires slowing down and focusing, but it is WELL worth it. Once you get used to the different rhythm of the language, you may even find it enjoyable. :-)

Frankly speaking, I was blown away by what I learned about Benjamin Franklin after reading through this autobiography. You get such an interesting portrayal of one of history's and America's famous historical figures, and as odd as this may sound, it was actually a page turner for me. It's a relatively short autobiography, granted, but I found myself more and more immersed in his story as I continued to read. Perfect for a lazy summer afternoon.