The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Truly one of America’s greatest-ever heroes, Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography is a classic. Though not well- written, it is his view of things, and that makes it very important, I think. The first section is written when he is in his 20’s and is the account of his childhood , teen years and young adult life. This first section- Part 1- is very interesting, even page -turning. The second half of the book is written when he is an older man, reflecting on his life. Part 2 covers his self improvement plan that has become so famous and what qualifies this book as a “self help” book. Part 3 is harder to read. It’s Franklin’s reflections of his life when he is an old man, and is a bit didactic. But it does describe so many of the great accomplishments and inventions of this great man and the things he learned from his experiences. Though Franklin is best known for his role as a Founding Father of our country, his autobiography does not even cover that most important part of his life. Sadly, he died before he wrote about the pinnacle of his life. But it does cover many others of his accomplishments, reflections and experiences and is worth the read.



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