203 things from this book went into her brain. Here are the first 6.
Franklin rose from a poorly schooled runaway apprentice to a respected printer by steadily building his own trade, using his newspaper and almanac to reach ordinary readers.
Franklin pursued science and public work in the spare time left over from earning a living, and he sold his business once he had enough to free himself for study.
Franklin wrote his life story for his son so that his descendants could copy the practical habits that had lifted him out of poverty. He believed a record of what worked was worth passing on.
Franklin says that if he could live his life again he would still accept, and that writing down one's past is the next best thing. Looking back carefully is a way to learn from experience.
Franklin admits his vanity and argues it can do good for the person and those around them. Owning up to your own motives honestly is better than pretending to have none.
Franklin credits his past success to providence, while admitting he cannot know the future. Staying humble about what you cannot control is a sound way to approach both good and bad fortune.
Franklin's family history shows that a person's life can be shaped by encouragement, such as a patron who backed a bright young man's learning. Support for a capable person can change the course of a whole family.
Benjamin Franklin described an uncle who kept a large private collection of pamphlets and notes on public affairs, and who was thoughtful and steady in his interests. Keeping careful records and a habit of study can outlast any single job or station in life.
Benjamin Franklin noted that his father's friend Peter Folger wrote openly under his own name, favouring liberty of conscience, so that his criticism would be known to come from good will. Speaking up honestly and owning your words is a principle worth keeping.
Benjamin Franklin learnt that nothing is truly useful if it is not honest, after his boyhood wharf built from stolen stones taught him the lesson.
Benjamin Franklin admired his father's sound understanding and solid judgment in practical matters, the kind of prudent sense that made neighbours seek his advice and settle disputes.
Benjamin Franklin's father steered dinner talk toward sensible and useful subjects, so the children learnt to value what was good, just and prudent over fuss about food and comfort.
Benjamin Franklin noted that his parents, with no estate and no steady income, raised a large family comfortably through constant labor and industry. Diligence in one's calling, and not distrusting that things will work out, are his lessons.
Benjamin Franklin's father took him to watch joiners, bricklayers and other craftsmen so he could see where his interest lay. Watching good workers closely before choosing a trade is a sensible way to find the work you will actually stick at.
Benjamin Franklin spent his small earnings on books and sold cheap ones to buy better ones, so his reading grew as his means did. Reading widely, even in small amounts, can shape how a person thinks for the rest of their life.
Benjamin Franklin borrowed books from booksellers' apprentices, returned them promptly and in clean condition, and read through much of the night. Keeping your word and treating lent items with care earns the trust that opens doors to more.
Franklin held that a habit of contradicting others for sport sours conversation and can create enmities where you later need friendship. Winning every argument is rarely worth the cost to relationships.
Franklin learned that his father's quiet feedback on his writing, about elegance, method and clarity, mattered more than simply winning the point. Ask for honest critique of how you say things, not only whether you were right.
Franklin improved his writing by reading a good essay, noting its main ideas, and rebuilding it from those notes before comparing it with the original. Deliberate practice with a model beats reading alone.
He also rewrote his notes after a few weeks had passed so he could practise arranging thoughts in a clear order. Clear structure is a skill you can train on purpose.
Benjamin Franklin found that a light, simple diet kept his mind clear and quick, so he had more energy left for study. He also saved money from his board to buy books.
Benjamin Franklin tackled a subject he had failed at as a schoolboy by working through a textbook alone and at his own pace. Being ashamed of a gap in his knowledge was enough to make him act.
Benjamin Franklin held that a modest, tentative way of speaking, such as saying 'I conceive it to be so', persuades better than a positive, assuming manner that provokes opposition. He learned this after giving up winning arguments by trapping people with questions.
Benjamin Franklin submitted an anonymous piece to his brother's paper so that his work would be judged on its merits rather than on his name. The praise he heard from its readers gave him confidence to keep writing.
Franklin noticed that a brother who was also his boss expected more from him than a stranger would, and he felt that a family relationship should bring more patience, not less. Clear expectations between people who work together matter.
Franklin admitted that taking advantage of a loophole to win an argument was unfair, and he counted it among the first mistakes of his life. Being honest about our own wrongs, even when the other side was also at fault, is worth doing.
Franklin found that his older brother had quietly blocked him from work with every other printer in town. A person who leaves a business or a job can be hurt by a former employer who turns others against them.
Benjamin Franklin noticed that Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress had spread across most of Europe's languages, and that Bunyan was among the first to mix narration with dialogue so the reader feels present in the scene.
Franklin's story of Dr. Brown shows that a chance conversation with a stranger can become a lasting friendship. Being willing to talk with people you meet on the road often pays off.
Benjamin Franklin observed that a man is sometimes more generous when he has little money than when he has plenty, perhaps from fear of being thought poor. Small gifts given freely can matter more than large ones.
Franklin noticed that he had not known the local names and prices of bread, so he paid for something he did not expect. Learn the local terms and prices before you buy or sell in a new place.
Franklin found that a plain, honest stranger could still be helped by a kind word from a stranger. Being open and courteous with people you do not know can open doors that money alone cannot.
Franklin saw that Bradford, by asking artful questions and raising little doubts, drew Keimer into explaining all his plans. Listening quietly while others talk can reveal far more than talking yourself.
Franklin fixed the broken press and got the shop ready before doing the job asked of him. Taking care of the basic tools of your trade first makes everything you do afterwards possible.
Franklin judged the two printers by their real skills, noting that one was untrained and the other knew composing but not presswork. Be honest about where your own skills stop, and find people who fill those gaps.
Franklin kept his own counsel while building a new life, sharing his whereabouts only with a trusted friend. Discretion about your plans can protect them until they are ready.
Franklin's reasoning, as he tells it, shows that a clear, fair letter can change how others see you. Explaining your reasons calmly and fully can win over someone who first thought you were mistaken.
Franklin's account suggests that people with influence often open doors for capable young workers who show promise. Being willing to be seen and to accept an invitation can turn a quiet skill into real opportunity.
Franklin met a rough return with composure, arriving well presented and with savings in hand, which spoke for him more than words could. Steady progress often answers doubters better than argument.
Franklin's father judged that a youth should not be set up in business before he is mature enough to manage it, since a business needs careful handling and preparation. Showing off one's possessions to others can also build resentment, as his brother's anger shows.
Franklin's father advised that steady industry and prudent saving, rather than borrowing or help from others, would build a young man's start in business. He also urged him to earn general esteem and avoid mocking or slandering others.
Franklin took the advice of an older, experienced stranger who warned him about company that seemed pleasant but was dangerous. Heeding a sensible warning about people, even when they seem friendly, saved him from theft and worse.
Benjamin Franklin saw that a friend who was gifted and promising could still be undone by one habit, drink, which turned his talents to waste. Watch for the slow decline in people you care about.
Franklin learned that lending money to a friend who keeps promising to repay, while having no income to show for it, can leave you exposed. Be careful about how much you let someone borrow from you when their prospects are unclear.
Franklin held that anger and a sour mood cloud judgment, so a small quarrel can grow into a bigger one than it needs to be. Notice when your own feelings are steering your decisions.
Franklin found that an offer of help can look generous and sincere while hiding a habit of making promises that are never kept. Check a person's reputation with others before you rely on their word, especially when you are depending on it.
Benjamin Franklin saw that going to the source in person, choosing your own stock and meeting the people in your trade, can pay off in useful contacts and better goods. Being on the spot often beats ordering from afar.
Benjamin Franklin noticed how easily a reasonable mind can find a reason for whatever it already wants to do. Be wary of building arguments to suit your appetite.
Benjamin Franklin used a Socratic method of patient questions that led an opponent step by step into contradictions. It works best when you ask, not when you lecture, and it wins people over.
Benjamin Franklin observed that a sudden change of habit often sits easier than a slow, gradual one. He also warned that a plan you have lost interest in is easily abandoned when temptation arrives.
Benjamin Franklin noticed that Osborne's advice to Ralph was sound: steady diligence and punctuality can earn a start in business, even without capital. Ralph, by contrast, was chasing a dream that was unlikely to pay.
Franklin passed off Ralph's poem as his own and let his friends judge it on its merits. Praise for work that is unsigned or unclaimed shows what people really think of it, and it humbled Osborne's habit of criticising too freely.
Franklin's tale of the governor shows how a promise of help that keeps being postponed can leave a person stranded. Ask for a firm date and written commitments before you plan around someone else's word.
Benjamin Franklin learned to check claims before relying on them: he compared the letters he was given with what he knew of the sender. Trust should follow evidence about a person's character, not just a polite manner.
Benjamin Franklin took his setback to a trusted, experienced friend, who advised him to improve his skills in his own trade while in London. A setback can become a chance to build the skills you will need later.
Benjamin Franklin observed that a man who wishes to please everybody, and has little to give, ends up giving only expectations. Promises that cannot be kept do lasting damage to trust.
Benjamin Franklin passed on information to Hamilton, who was in a position to use it, even though it was not in his own interest to make a fuss. Telling a person what affects them is a fair and useful thing to do.
Franklin saw that his friend Ralph kept chasing jobs that were beneath his pride, and so kept failing. Being willing to take honest, modest work while looking for something better is a sound way to get by.
Franklin called his own choices like neglecting a far-off obligation and printing a provocative pamphlet his 'errata', and wished he could correct them. Owning past mistakes plainly, without excuse, is a useful habit.
Franklin got ahead by making himself useful to people and by showing a curious, willing mind, so new acquaintances opened doors. Good work and an open manner tend to bring useful contacts.
