Advice on living a virtuous life, from one of America's Founding Fathers. Benjamin Franklin once wrote that he had "conceived the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection [and] wished to live without committing any fault at any time", "to conquer all that either natural inclination, custom, or company might lead me into." Although he was never able to finish this project completely, Benjamin Franklin was able to lay down the beginnings...

American icon BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (1706-1790), born in Massachusetts to a British immigrant father and colonial mother, published the famous Poor Richards' Almanack, helped found the University of Pennsylvania, and was the first Postmaster General of the United States. His likeness adorns, among other things, the United States' hundred-dollar bill. Benjamin Franklin was as wildly intriguing a personality as his legend suggest, and as you've always heard,...

Franklin's autobiography has charmed readers of every generation since it appeared. Begun as a collection of anecdotes for his son, the memoir grew into a history of the father's remarkable achievements in the literary, scientific, and political realms. This volume brings together the text of the autobiography with selections from Franklin's humorous, philosophical, parodic, and satirical writings.--Adapted from publisher description.