 "Tough Read" | 2010-02-21 |
| - Reviewed By C. Lipka from Sanford, Florida |
| I LOVE history but the way they spoke/wrote back then make this a really tough read. |
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| "Very interesting, but superlative?" | 2009-12-17 |
| - Reviewed By Amazon author&seeyourselfinprint.com from North Port, Florida |
I had heard grandiose things about this book, as in, one of the greatest autobiographies in existence, etc. Well, I read it and it was good. But I wonder how great people would say it was were it not for the historical color it adds to the landscape? I mean, the writing skill is fine, in my opinion, not great. As a few other reviewers have said, it also falls far short of being definitive. It's almost like Franklin thought, "Let me write a skeletal account for an autobiography; then I'll fill in all the details and put meat on them bones." But he never seemed to get around to adding the meat.
So, okay, I liked the book but it didn't appear to me to be one of the best ever. I believe Franklin was a much greater man than we see portrayed here. |
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 "Nice!!" | 2009-11-23 |
| - Reviewed By TLB from Florida |
| The book arrived quickly and in perfect condition. VERY pleased with everything including the price! |
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 "Autobiography of Ben Franklin" | 2009-10-17 |
| - Reviewed By golf girl from Tulsa, OK |
| After reading Walter Isaacson's, Ben Franklin, An American Life, the Autobiography of Ben Franklin by Benjamin Franklin was a huge disappointment. Written in the original, King's English, it is not an enjoyable read. If you want to experience the character and personality of Benjamin Franklin then read Isaacson's biography. |
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| "Should be required reading......" | 2009-07-07 |
| - Reviewed By Mr. E from 4 Corners, USA |
if this were not a land of liberty. I think every senior in high school should read this book though.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, (Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. ILLUSTRATED. Published by MobileReference (mobi))
A lot has been inferred about this great man's views of religion and politics, but letting him speak for himself has enlightened me the difference. I wonder if I am a member of that sect, "the Dunkers" that he mentioned.
Reading this book and having it available at an affordable price is a great use for the Kindle.
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| "Mr. Franklin's Autobiography should be required reading today." | 2009-04-19 |
| - Reviewed By Stephen A. Williams from Salisbury, MD USA |
I often lament the fact that we as humans are constantly reinventing the wheel, and if we were to read more biographies and learn from our forebears -- we would avail ourselves of much of their wisdom and knowledge. That being the case, "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin" should be considered as one of the finest and best sources of autobiographical material upon which to build.
In fact, Mr. Franklin's autobiography is considered to be one of the very first "self-help" books by some personal productivity gurus today (and often referenced by them in their works). His autobiography is really a guide to proper living, industriousness, and of obtaining wisdom -- and I think it should be required reading for anyone who wishes to overcome bad habits and obtain good ones.
In addition, his principles of obtaining wealth through hard work should be mandatory reading for many in our financial sector today who brought about such calamity to the global economy through their greed, excess and obfuscations in the housing and stock markets.
Written as a book addressed to his son, Franklin tells an interesting story of how he rose from very modest beginnings in Colonial Massachusetts -- decades before the United States even existed -- to become one of the most highly respected people of his day. It is a remarkable life that he describes, and it is to the great benefit of the reader that he interweaves into his tales many nuggets of wisdom that he has learned the hard way.
One style of his writing that I particularly enjoy -- and which in some ways models the parables of Jesus -- is that he will often offer some bit of wisdom, and then explain and reinforce that wisdom with a story from his life (or vice versa). I have found especially helpful his advice on how to avoid being argumentative, while at the same time being more persuasive. Mr. Franklin also prescribes a set of Thirteen Virtues -- of which good moral habits can be systematically obtained and incorporated into our daily lives.
I've read a few reviews that criticize the latter half of the book as meandering and less interesting than the first half. This was not the case for me, as I found the second half of the book to actually be even more interesting than the first.
Unfortunately, the autobiography ends in the 1760s -- which is well before his death or the events that led up to the formation of the U.S. However, you do get a sense of some of the reasons why the American colonists felt aggrieved by the actions of the British crown in Franklin's description of the decades prior to the American Revolution. Also, I should warn that this work was written in the 18th century, so his style of writing reflects that. It's not in any way a problem, but you might want to have a dictionary nearby for some of the less commonly used words today.
Overall, "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin" is an excellent read for anyone seeking to overcome bad habits, gain wisdom, and be prosperous in life -- or for anyone interested in American history. |
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