Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin: With Introduction and Notes |
What people are saying - Write a review
User Review - Flag as inappropriate
Long winded at times but gives great insight into the inner-workings of the Franklin mind. Sheds light on what made him tick, things he worried about in day to day life and insights into not just who he communicated with personally and in business but more importantly how he interacted and what his motives were. He paints an humble portrait of himself and a seemingly completely honest account of his life. Definitely worth the $0 I paid to read it.
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
able acquaintance advantage afterward American answer appeared arrived asked Assembly attended become began Boston brother brought called carried common conduct considered continued conversation desire employed England expected expense father Franklin friends gave give governor hands heard hundred immediately improved Indians industry instructions interest keep kind learning leave length letters lived London look master means meeting mention mind nature necessary never night observed obtained occasion once opinion paid perhaps person Philadelphia piece pleased pleasure Poor Poor Richard pounds practice present printed proposed Quakers ready reason received respect says seems sent shillings sometimes soon Street taken things thought tion told took turn virtue walk week whole wish writing wrote young
Popular passages
Page 170 - Methinks I hear some of you say, Must a Man afford himself no Leisure? I will tell thee, my friend, what Poor Richard says, Employ thy Time well, if thou meanest to gain Leisure; and, since thou art not sure of a Minute, throw not away an Hour.
Page 176 - This doctrine, my friends, is reason and wisdom; but, after all do not depend too much upon your own industry and frugality and prudence, though excellent things; for they may all be blasted, without the blessing of Heaven; and, therefore, ask that blessing humbly, and be not uncharitable to those that at present seem to want it, but comfort and help them. Remember Job suffered, and was afterward prosperous. " And now, to conclude, Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other...
Page 99 - I happened soon after to attend one of his sermons, in the course of which I perceived he intended to finish with a collection, and I silently resolved he should get nothing from me. I had in my pocket a handful of copper money, three or four silver dollars, and five pistoles in gold. As he proceeded I began to soften, and concluded to give the coppers.
Page 14 - I had never before seen any of them. I bought it, read it over and over, and was much delighted with it. I thought the writing excellent, and wished, if possible, to imitate it.
Page 78 - Father of light and life, thou Good Supreme ! O teach me what is good ; teach me Thyself! Save me from folly, vanity, and vice, From every low pursuit; and feed my soul With knowledge, conscious peace, and virtue pure; Sacred, substantial, never-fading bliss...
Page 74 - ORDER Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time. 4 RESOLUTION Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
Page 234 - Good," which, I think, was written by your father. It had been so little regarded by a former possessor that several leaves of it were torn out, but the remainder gave me such a turn of thinking as to have an influence on my conduct through life; for I have always set a greater value on the character of a doer of good than on any other kind of reputation ; and if I have been, as you seem to think, a useful citizen, the public owes the advantage of it to that book.
Page 168 - Sloth, like rust, consumes faster than labor wears, while the used key is always bright, as Poor Richard says. But dost thou love life, then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of, as Poor Richard says. How much more than is necessary do we spend in sleep, forgetting that The sleeping fox catches no poultry, and that There will be sleeping enough in the grave, as Poor Richard says.
Page viii - Then I compared my Spectator with the original, discovered some of my faults, and corrected them. But I found I wanted a stock of words, or a readiness in recollecting and using them...
Page viii - I thought the writing excellent, and wished, if possible, to imitate it. With this view I took some of the papers, and making short hints of the sentiment in each sentence, laid them by a few days, and then, without looking at the book, tried to complete the papers again, by expressing each hinted sentiment at length, and as fully as it had been expressed before, in any suitable words that should come to hand. Then I compared my Spectator with the original, discovered some of my faults, and corrected...
Bibliographic information
| Title | Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin: With Introduction and Notes Macmillan's pocket American and English classics |
| Author | Benjamin Franklin |
| Publisher | Macmillan Company, 1901 |
| Original from | the University of Michigan |
| Digitized | 29 Jul 2005 |
| Length | 249 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |