Because of the movie "American Treasure" and the plot sequence involving Benjamin Franklin's Silence Dogood letters (a series of letters he published under a pseudonym at age 16), my youngest son became interested in him and picked out a biography for me to read aloud at night. That biography, written for kids, cites its main source as Ben Franklin's autobiography, so I figured it was high time I read that American classic.I'll admit it: the old-fashioned language of the original is daunting and sometimes made for dull and/or difficult reading. But if you're willing to push past that, you'll be richly rewarded. Because of the language and a few other things I'll go into below, I've rated this book a 4, but some of Franklin's insights are 5-star gems of wisdom. And he's also deliciously tongue-in-cheek.The other reason I didn't give the book a 5 is that it's more memoir than a complete biography. The only mention of the Silence Dogood letters is in the outline at the end; the letters or even a discussion of them didn't make the actual book. He does mention his lightning experiments, but almost in passing, presumably because he'd already published the details elsewhere. And though he does mention the French and Indian War and how it revealed the British army's weakenesses to the colonists, he doesn't talk much about the Revolution and doesn't seem to mention working on the Constitution at all. So while this is probably the best source there is on Franklin's early life and contains some excellent insights into human nature, to get a more general look at Franklin's life, I think I need to read another biography.

Benjamin Franklin invented the American Fire Department, wood stoves, and the American system of government. You would think, then, that he'd invent some way of writing an autobiography that wasn't boring as hell. But no. Franklin loves his books, and he also loves self-improvement (the best parts of this are his bizarre charts where he rates himself on a 13-point scale of morality). But despite all of his attention to rhetoric this book does not, in my opinion, rise to the occasion of chronicling what by all accounts is a remarkable life. At one point he remarks that books with scenes and dialogue are more pleasurable to read - it's strange that someone so bent on self-improvement did not then think to incorporate such literary devices into his own writing. Like many male autobiographers (from St. Augustine to modern day politicians), early education, mundane philosophies on life in general, and braggadocio about professional accomplishments are given much space, while almost no time is devoted to the truly personal. Love affairs, marriage, children, death of loved ones, dramatic changes in personal beliefs - these are given little or no consideration. Autobiographies like these always leave me wishing the wife had written her side of the story.

After i read an article that Narendra modi got inspired of Benjamin Franklin,i started this book. It is indeed a book worth reading. Especially, Benjamin's way of life and his 13 moral point is good for everyone to follow .