20 Best Book On Ben Franklin (2023 Update)

In the first comprehensive biography of benjamin franklin in over sixty years, acclaimed historian h. brands brings vividly to life one of the most delightful, bawdy, brilliant, original, and important figures in american history. a groundbreaking scientist, leading businessman, philosopher, bestselling author, inventor, diplomat, politician, and wit, benjamin franklin was perhaps the most beloved and celebrated american of his age, or indeed of any age. now, in a beautifully written and meticulously researched account of franklin's life and times, his clever repartee, generous spirit, and earthy wisdom are brought compellingly to the page. his circle of friends and acquaintances extended around the globe, from cotton mather to voltaire, from edmund burke to king george iii, from sir isaac newton to immanuel kant. franklin was gifted with a restless curiosity, and his scientific experiments with electric currents and the weather made him the leading pioneer in the new field of electricity on both sides of the atlantic; among his many inventions were the lightning rod, the franklin stove, and the harmonica, a musical instrument that became the rage of europe. from his humble beginnings in boston as a printer's apprentice, he became, within two decades, the leading printer and one of the most important businessmen in the colonies. a longtime philadelphia civic leader, he created philadelphia's first fire department, wrote the bestseller poor richard's almanac, served as postmaster general for the colonies, and in the process, completely modernized the mail service. a bon vivant and ladies' man throughout his life, he matched wits with parliament and the crown during thedecade leading up to the stamp act; and as the official agent to parliament, representing several of the colonies, he helped push the colonies into open rebellion. tracing franklin's gradual transformation from reluctant revolutionary to charismatic leader in the fight for independence, brands convincingly argues that on the issue of revolution, as franklin went, so went america. during the revolutionary war, franklin was charged by congress with wooing the king of france to the american cause, and it was the diplomatic alliances he forged and funds he raised in france that allowed the continental army to continue to fight on the battlefield. in his final years, as president of the constitutional convention, it was franklin who held together the antagonistic factions and persuaded its members to sign the constitution. drawing on previously unpublished letters to and from franklin, as well as the recollections and anecdotes of franklin's contemporaries, h. brands has created a rich and compelling portrait of the eighteenth-century genius who was in every respect america's first renaissance man, and arguably the pivotal figure in colonial and revolutionary america. a fascinating and richly textured biography of the man who was perhaps the greatest of our founding fathers, the first american is history on a grand scale, as well as a major contribution to understanding franklin and the world he helped to shape.

Statesman, scientist, entrepreneur, inventor . . . benjamin franklin is synonymous with american ingenuity and achievement. it's no coincidence that his face is on the hundred dollar bill. in "the way to wealth," franklin reveals–through his wise and witty sayings–the fundamental principles for a prosperous life. originally published in the 1757 poor richard's almanac, this work was america's first financial advice book. widely read throughout the colonies, franklin's wisdom guided our nation during the founding era–and it is just as relevant today. this beautifully-designed volume also includes franklin's other writings on success, "advice to a young worker" and "the path of virtue."

Written during the most eventful years of benjamin franklin's life (1771–90), the autobiography is one of the most influential memoirs in history. this newly edited norton critical edition includes an introduction that explains the history of the autobiography within the larger history of the life-writing genre as well as within the history of celebrity. the text is accompanied by new and expanded explanatory annotations and by a map, an illustration, and six facsimiles.“ contexts” presents a broader view of franklin's life with a journal entry from a 1726 voyage, correspondence, a poor richard piece on ambition and fame, franklin's views on self-improvement, and his last will (and codicil).“ criticism” draws on a wealth of material that reflects both the wide range of franklin's achievements and the global impact of his life and memoirs. new international voices in “contemporary opinions” include immanuel kant, honoré gabriel riqueti, comte de mirabeau, josé antonio de alzate y ramírez, and josé francisco correia da serra. “nineteenth-century opinions” includes humphry davy on franklin's discovery of electricity as well as empress shoken of japan's franklin-inspired poem. finally, “modern opinions” reprints important pieces: i. b. cohen on franklin and the autobiography's importance to science; michael warner's theoretical interpretation of the practices of writing and printing and what they tell us about franklin; and peter stallybrass's insightful and engaging history-of-the-book perspective on franklin's writing generally and the autobiography specifically.a chronology of franklin's life, a selected bibliography, and an index are also included.

The inventions and inspiration of benjamin franklin and how they've stood the test of timewhat would you do if you lived in a community without a library, hospital, post office, or fire department? if you were benjamin franklin, you'd set up these organizations yourself. franklin also designed the lightning rod, suggested the idea of daylight savings time, and invented bifocals-all inspired by his common sense and intelligence. in this informative book, gene barretta brings benjamin franklin's genius to life, deepening our appreciation for one of the most influential figures in american history.now & ben is a 2007 bank street – best children's book of the year.

Get whisked away through time in the magic tree house with jack and annie in the #1 bestselling series–and meet famous founding father and inventor ben franklin! when jack and annie are whisked back in time by the magic tree house, they find themselves in old philadelphia in 1787. their mission? help dr. – it isn't hard to find him–dr. ben is none other than benjamin franklin! but to help him, jack and annie have to do something they've never done before. something daring, dangerous, and almost impossible. travel through time and history in this magical and surprising edition of mary pope osborne's new york times bestselling magic tree house series. – track the facts with jack and annie in the nonfiction companion to this book: benjamin franklin. – did you know that there's a magic tree house book for every kid? magic tree house: perfect for readers who are just beginning chapter books – merlin missions: more challenging adventures for the experienced reader – fact trackers: nonfiction companions to your favorite magic tree house adventures

Benjamin franklin: young printer is the next installment in the childhood of famous americans series.one of the most popular series ever published for young american's, these classics have been praised alike by parents, teachers, and librarians. with these lively, inspiring, fictionalized biographies – easily read by children of eight and up – today's youngster is swept into history.

A groundbreaking look at the strange friendship between george whitefield and benjamin franklin, who together defined what it means to be an american.they were the most famous men in america. they came from separate countries, followed different philosophies, and led dissimilar lives. but they were fast friends. no two people did more to shape america in the mid-1700s.benjamin franklin was the american prototype: hard-working, inventive, practical, funny, with humble manners and lofty dreams. george whitefield was the most popular preacher in an era of great piety, whose outdoor preaching across the colonies was heard by thousands, all of whom were told, “you must be born again.” people became excited about god. they began reading the bible and supporting charities. when whitefield died in 1770, on a preaching tour in new hampshire, he had built a spiritual foundation for a new nation—just as his surviving friend, ben franklin, had built its social foundation. together these two men helped establish a new nation founded on liberty. this is the story of their amazing friendship.

The incredible story of benjamin franklin's parting gift to the working-class people of boston and philadelphia–a deathbed wager that captures the founder's american dream and his lessons for our current, conflicted age. benjamin franklin was not a gambling man. but at the end of his illustrious life, the founder allowed himself a final wager on the survival of the united states: a gift of two thousand pounds to boston and philadelphia, to be lent out to tradesmen over the next two centuries to jump-start their careers. each loan would be repaid with interest over ten years. if all went according to franklin's inventive scheme, the accrued final payout in 1991 would be a windfall. in benjamin franklin's last bet, michael meyer traces the evolution of these twin funds as they age alongside america itself, bankrolling woodworkers and silversmiths, trade schools and space races. over time, franklin's wager was misused, neglected, and contested–but never wholly extinguished. with charm and inquisitive flair, meyer shows how franklin's stake in the "leather-apron" class remains in play to this day, and offers an inspiring blueprint for prosperity in our modern era of growing wealth disparity and social divisions.

Learn about science the same way ben franklin did–by performing incredible experiments! ben franklin, the famous patriot and signer of the declaration of independence, was also america's first great scientist. at a time when science was a mystery to most people, he performed incredible experiments that revealed amazing facts about light, heat, sound, electricity, the weather, and other aspects of the natural world. now the enormously popular franklin institute science museum shows you how to do your own exciting experiments ben franklin's way. he used common objects such as cooking oil, a glass bottle, or pieces of colored cloth to chart the gulf stream, predict the weather, or measure how much a molecule weighs. the first hands-on science museum ever, it offers people a chance to learn about science by experimenting with hundreds of exhibits, including a 20-foot model of the human heart, a 350-ton steam locomotive, and a working weather station.

Central to america's idea of itself is the character of benjamin franklin. the problem with this beloved notion of franklin's quintessential americanness, gordon wood shows us in this marvelous, revelatory book, is that it's simply not true. and it blinds us to the no less admirable or important but far more interesting man franklin really was and leaves us powerless to make sense of the most crucial events of his life. indeed, thinking of franklin as the last american would be less of a hindrance to understanding many crucial aspects of his life–his preoccupation with becoming a gentleman; his longtime loyalty to the crown and burning ambition to be a player in the british empire's power structure; the personal character of his conversion to revolutionary; his reasons for writing the autobiography; his controversies with john and samuel adams and with congress; his love of europe and conflicted sense of national identity; the fact that his death was greeted by mass mourning in france and widely ignored in america. but franklin did become the revolution's necessary man, wood shows, second behind george washington. why was his importance so denigrated in his own lifetime and his image so distorted ever since? ironically, franklin's diplomacy in france, which was essential to american victory, was the cause of the suspicion that clouded his good name at home–and also the stage on which the "first american" persona made its debut. the consolidation of thismirage of franklin would await the early nineteenth century, though, when the mask he created in his posthumously published autobiography proved to be the model the citizens of a striving young democracy needed. the americanization of benjamin franklin is a landmark work, a magnificent fresh vision of franklin's life and reputation, filled with profound insights into the revolution and into the emergence of america's idea of itself.

This work is in the public domain in the united states of america, and possibly other nations. within the united states, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. to ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface.

National book award finalist one of the best books of the year npr – time magazine – the washington post – entertainment weekly – the boston globe a new york times notable book from one of our most accomplished and widely admired historians—a revelatory portrait of benjamin franklin's youngest sister, jane, whose obscurity and poverty were matched only by her brother’s fame and wealth but who, like him, was a passionate reader, a gifted writer, and an astonishingly shrewd political commentator. making use of an astonishing cache of little-studied material, including documents, objects, and portraits only just discovered, jill lepore brings jane franklin to life in a way that illuminates not only this one extraordinary woman but an entire world.

With over 25 hands-on building projects and activities, amazing ben franklin inventions you can build yourself introduces readers ages 9 and up to the life and times of one of america's greatest thinkers. from his groundbreaking scientific discoveries and inventions to his career as a writer, printer, and politician, amazing ben franklin inventions gives young readers a comprehensive look at the man who gave us the lightning rod, the armonica, bifocals, the post office, the first public library, poor richard's almanac, and so much more. amazing ben franklin inventions provides detailed step-by-step instructions, diagrams, and templates for creating each project. historical facts and anecdotes, biographies, and fascinating trivia support the fun projects and teach readers about the courage, creativity, and determination of ben franklin. the text and projects in this book provide readers and teachers an interdisciplinary framework through which to understand ben franklin and his environment growing up in a young america. furthermore, amazing ben franklin inventions meets common core state standards for reading informational text. guided reading levels and lexile measurements indicate grade level and text complexity.

With over 25 hands-on building projects and activities, amazing ben franklin inventions you can build yourself introduces readers ages 9 and up to the life and times of one of america's greatest thinkers. from his groundbreaking scientific discoveries and inventions to his career as a writer, printer, and politician, amazing ben franklin inventions gives young readers a comprehensive look at the man who gave us the lightning rod, the armonica, bifocals, the post office, the first public library, poor richard's almanac, and so much more. amazing ben franklin inventions provides detailed step-by-step instructions, diagrams, and templates for creating each project. historical facts and anecdotes, biographies, and fascinating trivia support the fun projects and teach readers about the courage, creativity, and determination of ben franklin. the text and projects in this book provide readers and teachers an interdisciplinary framework through which to understand ben franklin and his environment growing up in a young america. furthermore, amazing ben franklin inventions meets common core state standards for reading informational text. guided reading levels and lexile measurements indicate grade level and text complexity.

The library of america is dedicated to publishing america's best and most significant writing in handsome, enduring volumes, featuring authoritative texts. hailed as the "finest-looking, longest-lasting editions ever made" (the new republic), library of america volumes make a fine gift for any occasion. now, with exactly one hundred volumes to choose from, there is a perfect gift for everyone.

Written between 1717 and 1790, and originally referred to by its author as simply memoirs, benjamin franklin's autobiography is considered the pioneering example of the genre. in this influential account of the american dream in action, franklin recounts his early life, his inventions, his quest for virtue and self-improvement, and his political achievements. the unfinished work is a vivid depiction of life in early america, as well as a relatable and inspiring portrait of one of its revolutionary thinkers. amazonclassics brings you timeless works from iconic authors. ideal for anyone who wants to read a great work for the first time or revisit an old favorite, these new editions open the door to the stories and ideas that have shaped our world. revised edition: previously published as the autobiography of benjamin franklin, this edition of the autobiography of benjamin franklin (amazonclassics edition) includes editorial revisions.

Written between 1717 and 1790, and originally referred to by its author as simply memoirs, benjamin franklin's autobiography is considered the pioneering example of the genre. in this influential account of the american dream in action, franklin recounts his early life, his inventions, his quest for virtue and self-improvement, and his political achievements. the unfinished work is a vivid depiction of life in early america, as well as a relatable and inspiring portrait of one of its revolutionary thinkers. amazonclassics brings you timeless works from iconic authors. ideal for anyone who wants to read a great work for the first time or revisit an old favorite, these new editions open the door to the stories and ideas that have shaped our world. revised edition: previously published as the autobiography of benjamin franklin, this edition of the autobiography of benjamin franklin (amazonclassics edition) includes editorial revisions.

In this remarkable work, rae katherine eighmey presents franklin's delight and experimentation with food throughout his life. at age sixteen, he began dabbling in vegetarianism. in his early twenties, citing the health benefits of water over alcohol, he convinced his printing-press colleagues to abandon their traditional breakfast of beer and bread for "water gruel," a kind of tasty porridge he enjoyed. franklin is known for his scientific discoveries, including electricity and the lightning rod, and his curiosity and logical mind extended to the kitchen. he even conducted an electrical experiment to try to cook a turkey and installed a state-of-the-art oven for his beloved wife deborah. later in life, on his diplomatic missions–he lived fifteen years in england and nine in france–franklin ate like a local. eighmey discovers the meals served at his london home-away-from-home and analyzes his account books from passy, france, for insights to his farm-to-fork diet there. yet he also longed for american foods; deborah, sent over favorites including cranberries, which amazed his london kitchen staff. he saw food as key to understanding the developing culture of the united states, penning essays presenting maize as the defining grain of america. stirring the pot with benjamin franklin conveys all of franklin's culinary adventures, demonstrating that franklin's love of food shaped not only his life but also the character of the young nation he helped build.

"franklin gave us the definitive formation of the american dream" –j. a. leo lemay benjamin franklin's autobiography is both an important historical document and franklin's major literary work. it was not only the first autobiography to achieve widespread popularity, but after two hundred years remains one of the most enduringly popular examples of the genre ever written. it provides not only the story of franklin's own remarkably influential career, but maps out a strategy for self-made success in the context of emerging american nationhood. the autobiography is a major source for exploring franklin's ideas on wealth and virtue as well as his motivations in pursuing a long life of active civic participation. it is also uniquely useful as the story of a successful working printer in eighteenth-century north america, revealing much about the art and business of the printer's trade that is not documented with such coherence elsewhere. a true american classic that belongs on every bookshelf!

Born to boston puritans, by his teenage years franklin had abandoned the exclusive christian faith of his family and embraced deism. but franklin, as a man of faith, was far more complex than the "thorough deist" who emerges in his autobiography. as thomas kidd reveals, deist writers influenced franklin's beliefs, to be sure, but devout christians in his life–including george whitefield, the era's greatest evangelical preacher; his parents; and his beloved sister jane–kept him tethered to the calvinist creed of his puritan upbringing. based on rigorous research into franklin's voluminous correspondence, essays, and almanacs, this fresh assessment of a well-known figure unpacks the contradictions and conundrums faith presented in franklin's life.