The Autobiography of Benjamin FranklinThe Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
Score Classic
What it's about
Benjamin Franklin tells his own story, written in pieces late in life: running away from an apprenticeship with his brother in Boston, arriving in Philadelphia with a few coins, building a printing business, founding a library, a fire company and a university, and his famous plan to achieve moral perfection by practicing thirteen virtues, one week at a time.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Guardian's list of the best nonfiction of all time and is the original American self-made-man story. It's witty and practical.
You'll love it if you liked
The First American: The Life and Time of Benjamin Franklin
1776
Common SenseGood to know
Franklin never finished it, and it stops in the 1750s, before the Revolution. The style is 18th-century but readable.
By the numbers
- Readers18 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics51 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller23 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #250 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #635 of the 762 classics we rank
- #2204 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
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Quick answers
Is The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Guardian's list of the best nonfiction of all time and is the original American self-made-man story. It ranks #2,204 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 61.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin about?
Benjamin Franklin tells his own story, written in pieces late in life: running away from an apprenticeship with his brother in Boston, arriving in Philadelphia with a few coins, building a printing business, founding a library, a fire company and a university, and his famous plan to achieve moral perfection by practicing thirteen virtues, one week at a time.
How long does it take to read The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin?
About 7 hours (272 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin?
If you liked it, try The First American: The Life and Time of Benjamin Franklin by H.W. Brands, 1776 by David McCullough or Common Sense by Tom Paine.