Product Description

You are holding the only modern adaptation of Benjamin Franklin's 18th century autobiography. It is at its heart one of the greatest business stories ever told.
The most versatile Founding Father was a husband, a father, a writer, an inventor, a statesman, a fundraiser and a military leader. But in his mind, he was first and foremost a businessman. Franklin's captivating adventures include his almost single-handed responsibility for establishing the first media empire, the first public library, the first fire brigade, the University of Pennsylvania, the first book club and the first franchise - all of which are detailed within these pages with Franklin's characteristic mix of humility and pride.
Franklin chronicles his own story, from his early days growing up in colonial Boston to his retirement from printing and growing involvement in national politics. It was during these years that he honed his management and leadership skills, acquired a fervent distaste for tyranny of all types, embraced a strong set of morals, and developed an uncompromising work ethic. From the moment he fled his tyrannical master and set himself up as a printer in Philadelphia, all who came into contact with Franklin recognized his destiny.
His wisdom transcends the ages - and his life lessons are insights are as compelling today as ever.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #119645 in Books
• Published on: 2005-10-15
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 384 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Although this modernized version of Franklin's autobiography achieves its goal of sharing business lessons, it also serves as an accessible—if abbreviated—portrait of the entrepreneur, statesman, scientist and inventor. The author, associate dean for undergraduate programs at Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business (and a Franklin scholar), has updated Franklin's 300-year-old text, revising the language and syntax and rearranging some stories so they appear in chronological order. He divides the work into three chunks: Franklin's first 20 years; his years as a Philadelphia printer through his retirement from business in 1748; and his move into the public sphere, as he applied his business know-how to civic, military and diplomatic projects. Each of the 82 short chapters features an introduction contextualizing the events. Some lessons are of the moral variety (honesty is a necessity in all endeavors); others pertain to development (expose yourself to a wide variety of jobs; Franklin worked for his father's candle business, enjoyed watching talented craftsmen at work and toyed with small machines for his science experiments); many are more traditionally business-minded (on partnerships, for example, Franklin advises "clearly defining the roles and expectations of each partner at the very beginning"). History buffs with business interests will enjoy this entertaining, informative account. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From the Inside Flap
The most versatile Founding Father was a husband, a father, a writer, an inventor, a statesman, a fundraiser and a military leader. But in his mind, he was first and foremost a businessman. Franklin's captivating adventures include his almost single-handed responsibility for establishing the first media empire, the first public library, the first fire brigade, the University of Pennsylvania, the first book club and the first franchise - all of which are detailed within these pages with Franklin's characteristic mix of humility and pride.

Franklin chronicles his own story, from his early days growing up in colonial Boston to his retirement from printing and growing involvement in national politics. It was during these years that he honed his management and leadership skills, acquired a fervent distaste for tyranny of all types, embraced a strong set of morals, and developed an uncompromising work ethic. From the moment he fled his tyrannical master and set himself up as a printer in Philadelphia, all who came into contact with Franklin recognized his destiny.

His wisdom transcends the ages - and his life lessons are insights are as compelling today as ever.

From the Back Cover
You are holding the only modern adaptation of Benjamin Franklin's 18th century autobiography. It is at its heart one of the greatest business stories ever told.

"Franklin's autobiography is America's first great self-help book. It teaches in a delightful way how to win friends, influence people and succeed in business. Professor McCormick makes this great work more accessible and adds his own insights." --Walter Isaacson, author, Benjamin Franklin: An American Life

"Anyone who's got the bug and drive to become a great leader and innovator can only be inspired by the life of Benjamin Franklin, who quite literally wrote the book for getting the most out of himself and bringing out the best in others. His genius - scientific, entrepreneurial, diplomatic, and literary - was sui generis. His Autobiography is a classic of American letters, and he emerges from the pages of Professor McCormick's version not only as our contemporary, but also as a 21st century visionary, not to mention a wise companion. --Judith Rodin, Ph.D., President Emerita, The University of Pennsylvania, President, The Rockefeller Foundation

"Statesman and inventor are the first images that come to mind when we think of Benjamin Franklin, but as his autobiography will remind us, he was also a very successful entrepreneur and a most fascinating individual. Dr. McCormick brings the story of Franklin's entrepreneurial spirit alive for today's audience in his adaptation of Franklin's autobiography. --United States Congressman Michael N. Castle (Delaware), Fifth Generation Franklin Descendant

This special commemorate edition was published to mark the 300th anniversary of Franklin's birth.

Customer Reviews

Different spin...
I was expecting a book that was translated into modern readability, and that is exactly what I got. Although the book is incomplete, it gives the reader the best part of Ben's writings in a no-nonsense format. This book also helped be get a very good grade in my History Final.

The best Franklin book
I am a pretty big Franklin buff and probably read about a dozen books on him, but this one stands out as the one I would recommend the most. First and foremost the excellent rewriting of Ben's text create the wisdom of Franklin in it's most accessible form.

Reading Franklin can often be challenging to sort out the entire meaning due to the antiquated language of his day. This book restates his thoughts and wisdom with updated syntax and language, so you can focus more on the wisdom, less on the translation.

The author (McCormick, not Franklin) did an outstanding job organizing both the time line of his life and his mastery of business, politics and science.

For those who have an interest in learning more about the greatest American, this is the book I would recommend most. For those passionate about Franklin this book feels fresh, rich and thoughtful.

--Cudo

Ben Franklin
Ben Franklin: America's Original Entrepreneur is the modernized version of Ben Franklin's autobiography. Though extremely intriguing and interesting in its own right, the original biography was written in a rather disjointed way in the natural language and voice of the times. These aspects make reading the original autobiography difficult while reducing the powerful messages contained in this important man's life. I believe the author has done a tremendous job of reorganizing Franklin's musings and updating the text into modern English so that Franklin's true messages are clearly understood.

As I read this book, I keep thinking that this was a man who would have been interesting to meet. He was steadfast in his values of integrity, humbleness, thriftiness, and a strong work ethic. Yet, he continually tried to better himself and the world around him.

I was also surprised at the number of interesting things that Ben Franklin had accomplished that I didn't even realize he was involved in. For instance, I hadn't realized his part in setting up the first public library, fire department, and militia in Philadelphia. I also hadn't realized that this man's talent for gently but firmly guiding projects to completion without being in the spotlight. I think that says something extremely important about his character both in his daily life and business affairs.