Poor Richard: The Almanacks for the Years 1733-1758

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Paddington Press, 1976 - Literary Collections - 300 pages
Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanacks, are a classic of American letters and were, in their day, an immensely popular and influential publication. In colonial America they were read by one out of every hundred people; in France alone they went through fifty-six editions. Many of the sayings and homilies in Poor Richard have become a permenant part of American folk wisdom.

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About the author (1976)

One of 17 children, Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston on January 17, 1706. He ended his formal education at the age of 10 and began working as an apprentice at a newspaper. Running away to Philadelphia at 17, he worked for a printer, later opening his own print shop. Franklin was a man of many talents and interests. As a writer, he published a colonial newspaper and the well-known Poor Richard's Almanack, which contains his famous maxims. He authored many political and economic works, such as The Way To Wealth and Journal of the Negotiations for Peace. He is responsible for many inventions, including the Franklin stove and bifocal eyeglasses. He conducted scientific experiments, proving in one of his most famous ones that lightning and electricity were the same. As a politically active citizen, he helped draft the Declaration of Independence and lobbied for the adoption of the U.S. Constitution. He also served as ambassador to France. He died in April of 1790 at the age of 84.

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