Benjamin Franklin The Great American

The Way to Wealth (Benjamin Franklin)

Date July 10, 2008

The Way to Wealth
The Way to Wealth The first American book on personal finance, “The Way to Wealth” by Benjamin Franklin is still the best and wisest money book ever written. Originally published in 1758 as the preface to “Poor Richard’s Almanack,” this little gem has been through innumerable printings and sold millions of copies to those in search of smart but entertaining advice about hard work, earning and saving money and debt.

As the 21st Century charges along and the current economic climate continues to send out mixed messages, Franklin’s simple but wise commentary on the value of industry and frugality resonates as much for us today as it did for listeners nearly 350 years ago. Here is a sample:

- “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.”

- “If you would be wealthy, think of saving, as well as of getting.”

- “If you would have your business done, go; if not, send.”

- “Think what you do when you run into debt; you give to another power over your liberty.”

- “Creditors have better memories than debtors.”

Although older than the United States itself, “The Way to Wealth” is still very popular. It is handed out by major companies and financial institutions to friends, clients, and customers and is the January, 2004 selection of “The Washington Post’s” the Color of Money Book Club. As Michelle Singletary, director of the Club wrote in a column about The book, “At just 30 pages, this pocket-size book takes less than an hour to read but will give you a lifetime of financial wisdom–that is if you’re wise enough to follow the advice.”

Author: Benjamin Franklin
Hardcover:  30 pages
Company: Applewood Books  (1986-09-01)
ISBN: 0918222885
List Price: $9.95
Amazon Price: $5.30
Used Price: $2.99

Source: www.amazon.com

The First American: The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin
The First American: The Life and Times of Benjamin <b>Franklin</b>” align=”left” style=”margin-right: 15px;” /> Benjamin <b>Franklin</b> may have been the most remarkable American ever to live: a printer, scientist, inventor, politician, diplomat, and–finally–an icon. His life was so sweeping that this comprehensive biography by H.W. Brands at times reads like a history of the United States during the 18th century. <b>Franklin</b> was at the center of America’s transition from British colony to new nation, and was a kind of Founding Grandfather to the Founding Fathers; he was a full generation older than George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Patrick Henry, and they all viewed him with deep respect. “Of those patriots who made independence possible, none mattered more than <b>Franklin</b>, and only Washington mattered as much,” writes Brands (author of a well-received Teddy Roosevelt biography, <I>T.R.: The Last Romantic</I>). <b>Franklin</b> was a complex character who sometimes came up a bit short in the personal virtue department, once commenting, “That hard-to-be-governed passion of youth had hurried me frequently into intrigues with low women that fell in my way.” When he married, another woman was already pregnant with his child–a son he took into his home and had his wife raise. <p> <b>Franklin</b> is best remembered for other things, of course. His still-famous <I>Poor Richard’s Almanac</I> helped him secure enough financial freedom as a printer to retire and devote himself to the study of electricity (which began, amusingly, with experiments on chickens). His mind never rested: He invented bifocals, the armonica (a musical instrument made primarily of glass), and, in old age, a mechanical arm that allowed him to reach books stored on high shelves. He served American interests as a diplomat in Europe; without him, France might not have intervened in the American Revolution. He helped draft the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. He possessed a sense of humor, too. In 1776, when John Hancock urged the colonies to “hang together,” <b>Franklin</b> is said to have commented, “We must indeed all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.” <b>Franklin</b>’s accomplishments were so numerous and varied that they threaten to read like a laundry list. Yet Brands pours them into an engrossing narrative, and they leap to life on these pages as the grand story of an exceptional man. <I>The First American</I> is an altogether excellent biography. <I>–John J. Miller</I> </p> <p> <b>Author:</b> H.W. Brands <br /> <b>Paperback:</b>  784 pages <br /> <b>Company:</b> Anchor  (2002-03-12) (2002-03-12) <br /> <b>ISBN:</b> 0385495404<br /> <b>List Price:</b> $17.00<br /> <b>Amazon Price:</b> $6.78<br /> <b>Used Price:</b> $3.00</p> <p><i>Source: www.amazon.com</i></p> <p><b>The Autobiography of Benjamin <b>Franklin</b> (Dover Thrift Editions)</b><br /> <img src=Ekaterina Dashkova, a Russian princess, was the first woman in the world to head a national academy of sciences. It is a rarity to this day.
Source: www.nytimes.com

Shaking the Foundation of Faith
Science, religion and the Cape Ann earthquake of 1755.
Source: www.nytimes.com

Knowing a Man (Ben Franklin), but Not Melons
Benjamin Franklin is celebrated for being both a pragmatist and visionary in two new shows in Philadelphia and Washington.
Source: www.nytimes.com

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