Franklin, B. (2005). “The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin”. New York City: Dover Publications; New edition edition.
Book Review: The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
Introduction
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin is considered to be one of the most well-liked works of American literature; this delightful self-description has been interpreted into approximately every language. It is a book that covers Franklin's life all the way up to his pre-war visit in London as the agent of the Pennsylvania Gathering, as well as his year as a boy, work as a printer, experimentations with political career, electricity, and many other things that made Benjamin the remarkable man that he is today and a whole lot more. The purpose of the paper is to show the life and times of Benjamin Franklin.
This book talks about Franklin, and how he was a man that had a kind heart. He was decent, and did have high what many would consider to be ethics. Franklin does note in his autobiography that he was a man that made it is business to makes sure that he strived to be someone that was good in character. The book explains how he was a man that wanted to live his life in a way where he did not have any type of errors. He wanted to be perfect by some people’s standards. The book shows how he was a person that was actually fascinated by trying to improve himself with commendable assets. This is obvious when Franklin mentions, “It was about this time I conceived the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection,” (pg 93). The book also shows that Franklin does go on to show that it was not as simple as he first thought it could turn out to be, nevertheless Benjamin would be the one that put together a technique for performing and learning his qualities to the completest degree.
The book also talks about how Benjamin Franklin, besides with being a well-intentioned human being, was an extremely clever person in addition. The book explained how Franklin was a very shrewd man, witty and intellectual, and he did not let his ideas go to the waste. Franklin was a man that was often fascinated with getting new ideas and the trying them. He was a kind of man that read tons and tons during his journeys. The book mentioned how he was always trying to gain knowledge by being creative with some self-experiences. The book displays how Benjamin was not bothered by trying new ideas that people who are common would not essentially accept into their routine lifestyle. One good example of this is when Benjamin took up vegetarianism for the as a hobby. In the text Franklin makes the point, “When I was about seventeen years of age there was a time I engaged with a book written by one Tyron, endorsing a vegetable dietMy making the decision not to eat flesh occasioned an problem, and I was regularly chid for my singularity,” (p 29).
Ben had a way with his printing press to assist individuals in being able to appreciate the world that was around them. As a theorist, Benjamin Franklin never wasted his time, so surely it makes perfect sense that he really loved life. The book shows how he is basically recognized as one of America's great thinkers. His visions and ideas assisted in laying the basis for the United States of America as it is known nowadays. He had a clear vision of the way America would need to be and he started spending his time assisting to make sure that it would become this ideal place. Not many people recognized Benjamin Franklin as an instrumentalist. Ben Franklin discovered attractiveness in tunes that were simple. He played numerous musical tools, comprising the harp, violin, and guitar.
I also think that the autobiography introduced a very high amount of self-hagiography in some ways, and I actually think that it would be interesting and humorous to tally up (for instance) the amount of times Franklin appeared to be praising himself vs. the amount of times that he was able to counsel on the asset of meekness. Franklin appeared to have a way of smoothing over debatable topics such as the case of his illegitimate son. However, Franklin does not cover things like his membership in the Freemasons and in fact, does not even bring it up. Another thing to bring up was that the construction is also a bit long-winded but Franklin just did a lot of stimulating things. Even in the short time of his life, the book does an interesting job with displaying a lot of interesting things that he had done. The book is thought-provoking even without him not mentioning everything that had gone on in his life. There is a huge deal of conversation on his technical and creative activities, and he does discuss at length in regard to his growth of his own personal ethical code and how he attained business achievement.
This shows how Franklin was not a product of his society for the reason that he was always concerned to break beyond the kingdom of the “ordinary” culture. Later on down the road, in his life, he gradually started to construct the culture and society that he had come a part of. The wisdom of his writing, from when he was a young man to the time he became a full-grown grown-up, inspired anyone who decided to pick up the book and read it. One of his most prevalent pieces that were printed was called the Poor Richard’s Almanac. This encyclopedia had an immediate impact on the common individuals as Franklin makes the point that it was “both useful and entertaining,” (p 105). The Poor Richards Almanac is an example of how Franklin was able to form society as it “therefore came in such request that I was able to get some kind of substantial income from it, marketing annual near something like ten thousand,” (p 106). Ben Franklin’s resourceful nature was what allowed him to express his ideas to the individuals and then be able to assist in shaping the culture and society of his time. The book really showed Benjamin as though he was a man that was before his time. This was because he was a very smart man. All things considered, this is book is very much worth the read, and provides a convincing picture of Franklin's times and life. I really did appreciate the picture that Franklin draws of modern American society small, open, and free, with a numerous of individuals in most towns that know each other, and commercial chances are wide open for any person with industry and determination.
Review of the book
I think that the book was really well-written and very engaging, years later. I like that it stops somewhere around 1760, which was right before he had his participation with the h the Revolution, nevertheless it covers in part his youth, educations, the creation of his philosophy and what made him think the way he did. What fascinated me the most was being able to get inside his brain because he makes everything so obvious when reading the book? It was almost as if a diary or some kind of journal is being read. Other things that I found to be interesting were his ideals, and his journey from being poor all the way from a man with wealth. It sort of reads just like a rags to riches story.
This book is really different form other manuscripts because there appears to be in a high grade of self-hagiography here, and I think that it would really be humorous to actually tally up (for instance) all the times Franklin was praising himself vs. every time he counsels on the asset of modesty. He was able to kind of smooth over all the contentious topics like his unlawful son, he does not really reference his association in the Freemasons.
The building that he was talking about in regards to the Freemasons was a little confusing but besides from that Franklin merely did a lot of interesting things even in this short share of his life that the book is thought-provoking in spite of that.
One thing that I believe that others would find interesting were the great deal of discussion on his inventive and scientific accomplishments, and he also talks a great deal in regards to his length about his growth of his own individual ethical code and how he attained commercial achievement.
I think that there are some that might not really like the book because it does not cover the type of finished material that a person probably has come to expect in a completed intelligible autobiographical writing that would normal covering the entire life span of the person that was being written about. There were some things left out of the book that other people probably would have thought to be written in it. There are things that were written for example talking about his inventions and how passionate he was about them. Some reading the book may be more concern about his love life and unfortunately this may not be the book for them if that is the case.
With that said, I really do believe that this book is a delightful and informative piece of work. In my opinion, it should, be measured for placement so that it could be in every college library and high school where it would need to be perhaps wise to deliberate it for obligatory reading in those places of institutions. Many such as historians would want to read it because the book goes into great detail and gives vivid examples of the life and times in where Benjamin lived, the approaches of the settlers and of the British and the ways that things were talented in colonist America. One thing that I thought was very inspirational was when it explained how a man that that only had two years of formal education can teach himself as this man did and then come up to be a man that would bring great and true great influences to engineering, science, society, and politics. This book is interesting for others because they will found out that Franklin is actually somewhat older than all of the other Founding Fathers, actually, he was a full generation older than Jefferson and Washington. Also new things to learn about Benjamin were that he was he was a vibrant and athletic youth that actually taught swimming and saved a young woman from drowning.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Ben Franklin was a man that wore many hats. Although he came from a Puritan lifestyle he by far. Franklin was a man that was proud of his achievements and the autobiography was able to show this. The autobiography showed that he was not a complicated man at all but very simple and easy going. It was a surprise to learn that he was very free spirited and open-minded and was not able to contain his displeased accepting of the world. Franklin was a man that was light years ahead of his time and book was able to show that by talking about all of his inventions. The book was able to expose his private life but not all of it. He did a good job with just sticking to things that were important such as his trips that he had taken and also things about the revolutionary war.
Works Cited
Franklin, B. (2005). “The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin”. New York City: Dover Publications; New edition edition.
