Title: The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
Author: Benjamin Franklin
Category: Nonfiction – Autobiography
What is the book about as a whole?
The book is an account of the main events and key moral values that marked the life of Benjamin Franklin.
What is being said in detail, and how?
The book has two main parts for me. The first one is the letters to his son where he tells about his ancestry, his early years and the events of his life that marked him the most. Of particular interest for me was the account of his endeavors as a kid and his love for books and learning. The trips that he did without doubt marked him a lot. Reading about his life what stroke me the most was his ardent desire to learn and to explore his world. In specific I liked his passion for reading that he makes explicit in some anecdotes, such as spending his money on buying books. But not only that but that he started the JUNTO that reading club that allowed him to meet other learners and increase his understanding. He is even more admirable since he made of his passion an entrepreneurial journey. He afterwards became an entrepreneur in the field of publication! And not only one more, but a really important one. He also achieved a lot of successes in the process of independence of the United States of America. But he could not have been possible achieved this goals without what he called his System of Virtues that he developed at age 20! Among them we can find the following:
TEMPERANCE: eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
SILENCE: speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.
ORDER: let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
RESOLUTION: resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
FRUGALITY: make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.
INDUSTRY: lose no time; be always employ'd in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
SINCERITY: use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
JUSTICE: wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
MODERATION: avoid extremes, forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
CLEANLINESS: tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloths, or habitation
.
TRANQUILITY: be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
CHASTITY: rarely use venery but for the health or offspring, never to dulness, weakness or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation.
HUMILITY: imitate Jesus and Socrates
What are the author’s questions and problems?
As any autobiography he is concerned about leaving a record about the milestones in his life. He is particularly concern about leaving a written legacy for his dear son and maybe somehow share his views on life on following generations.
What of it?
I really liked the book since it was a great view inside the mind and values of a man I admire a lot. Sometimes we are not able to see the structure and foundations that lie behind the achievements of great men like him. I think any entrepreneur, learner and passionate person might find in Benjamin a peer.
