The Autobiography Of Benjamin Franklin

Excellent and good quality. Not photocopy.

Bad quality: It's not a book for sure. Formatted like a school text book with poor alignments and small font size making it difficult to read.

In this candid autobiography, B. Franklin unveils his vision and tactics in business, political, social, religious and sexual matters. His colonial viewpoint stands in sharp contrast with his `moral' attitude. American Dream B. Franklin is the perfect example of the fulfillment of the American Dream. Working from the age of 10 in his father's business, he goes to New York, `a boy of 17, without the least recommendation or knowledge of any person, with very little money in my pocket' and becomes a wealthy and influential businessman. Character, colonialism, protestant influence He was a ferociously independent mind with a huge aversion for arbitrary power. He was a generous, good-hearted man, who refused to patent his inventions, because `as we enjoy great advantage from the invention of others, we should be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours; and this we should do freely and generously.'(!) But he was not so generous with the aboriginal US population: `rum may be the appointed means to extirpate these savages in order to make room for cultivators of the earth.' He was a perfectionist, wanting to become completely virtuous. He even composed a catalogue of moral virtues (13) with temperance (eating, drinking), frugality (no waste), industry (useful job) and chastity (sex only for health and offspring). Business, general tactics Under the influence of his father, he became a writer (of almanacs) and a printer and later launched his own newspaper. He never published pamphlets or proposals in his own name, but under pseudonyms like `some publick-spirited gentlemen', thereby avoiding `the presenting myself to the publick as the author of any scheme for their benefit.' Another tactic was: `I shall never ask, never refuse, nor never resign an office.' Politics, religion He sees through the political game: `while a party is carrying on a general design, each man has his particular private interest in view. Man primarily considered that their own and their country's interest were united.' In religious matters, he was a deist, but never became a member of a sect, because he saw their blatant hypocrisy: `each sect grievously calumniated other sects' and `every other sect supposing itself in possession of all truth.' Even the Quakers got easily rid of their principle `that no kind of war was lawful.' Sex, marriage Candidly he confesses that `that hard-to-be-governed passion of youth hurried me frequently into intrigues with low women, which were attended with some expense besides a continual risque to my health.' For marriage, `the business of a printer being generally thought a poor one.' `I was not to expect money with a wife, unless with such a one as I should not otherwise think agreeable.' These sincere autobiographical notes are a must read for all those interested in US history.

Una biografía fascinante y vibrante. Isaacson retrata a Franklin como un genio multifacético y humano, cuya visión y humor siguen inspirando siglos después.

Great read 👍

Llegó en perfecto stado, bonito, tiene textos extra atras, como el del papalote así que todo está muy bien.

It is kind of a big in size and the letters are not in best shape. I mean they could have applied another beautiful fonts so that it would be easier to read. The designers did very bad job