走近富兰克林

著作: 富兰克林自传

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

作者: [美] 本杰明·富兰克林 (1706-1790)

主题: 成长、自传

Plot Summary: 

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is one of his masterpieces. The book tells of Franklin's growing experience as an incredible generalist from the hardships of a poor family's children.

Quotes:

1、I concluded to let my papers shift for themselves, believing it was better to spend what time I could spare from public business in making new experiments, than in disputing about those already made.

2、Human felicity is produced not so much by great pieces of good fortune that seldom happen, as by little advantages that occur every day. Thus, if you teach a poor young man to shave himself, and keep his razor in order, you may contribute more to the happiness of his life than in giving him a thousand guineas. The money may be soon spent, the regret only remaining of having foolishly consumed it.

Recommendation:

Franklin's Autobiography has received widespread praise, both for its historical value as a record of an important early American and for its literary style. It is often considered the first American book to be taken seriously by Europeans as literature. William Dean Howells in 1905 asserted that "Franklin's is one of the greatest autobiographies in literature, and towers over other autobiographies as Franklin towered over other men."

In this work, Franklin's persona comes alive and presents a man whose greatness does not keep him from being down-to-earth and approachable, who faces up to mistakes and blunders ("errata") he has committed in life, and who presents personal success as something within the reach of anyone willing to work hard enough for it. (wikipedia.com)