I've always been a fan of Ben Franklin. Growing up just outside of Philadelphia, Ben was mentioned all the time in our history and even science classes.
The style of writing and the translation of some of the language was, at first, a little daunting. I found that not obsessing over some of the words was the key. The main idea still came through if you continued reading. I found myself putting purple stars throughout the book (something a librarian should have his hand smacked for doing) just so I could go back and use some of the points with my students.
Ben, essentially a vegetarian for a time...who would have thought. Another segment noted that he was chastised for wanting to always win an argument and having the last word. Ben didn't want to be remembered like that. Would anyone today make that big an effort to change their behavior enough to have it noticed by their peers?
I also found it interesting that Ben traced his family back to the 1500's. I never really imagined that anyone was interested in genealogy back then. Research wasn't done by the click of a computer key back then. Most were hand written records.
Of all the inventions credited to Ben Franklin, the library has to be my favorite. So few readers at the time, limited money......why not charge a fee? Purchase new books, add donations that attract even more readers. It was a win---win proposition credited to Franklin and his Junto friends.
Truth, sincerity and integrity were most important to Ben in dealing with others. Call me jaded but, can that be said of any of our leaders or potential leaders today?? In fact, can you compare Ben Franklin to anyone today??
In comparing this to The Shoemaker and the Tea Party, I find it wise to investigate the facts from sources other than autobiographies. The autobiography can be self serving and often downplays the negative. So historians are charged with finding a balance. I found it interesting to note that the Boston Tea Party wasn't labeled as such until much later in history. Both books presented how a common man can raise his own status by simply becoming involved in everyday events. Perhaps we should take a lesson in that today.
Looking back at what I just wrote.....seems like a bunch of random observations but the books lend themselves to doing just that.
