i read a portion of benjamin franklin's autobiography about ten years ago when i was researching time management as he is considered the father of the art of self-improvement. back then i only read part two (of four) as that was the section that dealt with his notions on self-improvement and i was at the time trying to be thrifty about my time. something stirred me recently making me think not reading all of franklin's text may have been a mistake.

curiously, what sent me back to the work was a promise i made to myself during the last semester to not watch any television as i was teaching and i didn't want it to distract from or reduce the quality of my classes. aside from the super bowl and two recommended episodes (by my students) of south park i held to my commitment. towards the end of class i started whimsically thinking of what i would watch first once the self-imposed ban was lifted. i tried a few shows like west wing, deadwood, weeds but found myself totally unable to sit through even ten minutes of anything. listless, i went to my bookshelf and the franklin spine caught my eye. i began with part one and consumed it with a ravenous fervor usually reserved for hbo series finales and sporting playoffs.

after finishing the book i did some research and discovered two interesting things about this book. first, it is one of the most popular and controversial autobiographies ever written. it is said to be the case because it is not entirely accurate and sloppily written. this is simply another way of saying not all people feel franklin was the first true american many deem him to be. the second curiosity about the book is the manner in which it was constructed. as mentioned, the work is divided into four parts. the first part, which was around 80 pages long, was written by franklin while on a weeklong solitary, holiday from his work. the purpose behind the effort was to record his life to pass onto his son at some later date. the second part talks about his methods of time management and self improvement. it is short but has to be one of the most compelling pieces of thought penned in early america. the third part was drafted in response to people who had seen the first part through various and curious means and urged franklin to continue documenting his life for future minds to learn from. it is said that the work less compelling here because the first few sections were personal and innocent in nature and starting in the third section, his writing became pedantic and boastful. if this was the case, and i didn't greatly sense it, the writing is still charged and of interest. and lastly the final part of his work which was his last effort to complete the story was just a few pages in length as he died before his thoughts could be completed.

regardless of people's thoughts and criticisms of this work, benjamin franklin's autobiography is an inspired piece of literature penned by an inspired individual which should leave you feeling ten kinds of inspired to do more with your days.