Italy has Leonardo da Vinci; America has Benjamin Franklin (1706-90), a genius who competes with Thomas Jefferson for the title of Greatest Ever American. Diplomat, inventor, printer, writer, he was also an open, honest, likeable character, as this engaging account demonstrates through Franklin's narrative voice. Begun in his spare time while posted in Europe, and initially addressed to his son, this wonderful self-portrait was never finished and, in fact, was only discovered in manuscript form in 1867. The theme is self-improvement and while reading it, one is reminded of another famous American - albeit a fictional one - who also kept a journal of self improvement: the young man in Scott Fitzgerald's novel who eventually rose to become Jay Gatsby.
Franklin makes it possible to hear his living voice as if he were sitting in the room and simply telling his story to his listener.
