本书收录了本杰明·富兰克林的自传，是作者的代表作，讲述富兰克林从一位贫困家庭的孩子在经历种种磨难后成为一个令人难以置信的通才的成长经历。同时本书还收录了作者其他的文学作品。

本杰明·富兰克林（1706-1790），有史以来杰出的美国人之一。著名的政治家、科学家，亦是出版商、印刷商、记者、作家、慈善家；更是杰出的外交家及发明家。他是美国革命的重要领导人之一，还曾进行多项关于电的实验，发明了避雷针、双焦点眼镜、蛙鞋等等。他的《穷理查历书》包含了大量关于勤俭致富与为人处世的精彩箴言，被誉为美国文化的基石，对美国人的价值观产生了深远的影响。他的《自传》更是以其所包含的人生奋斗与成功感悟，以及对善与美德的褒扬，而被公认为是改变了无数人命运的美国精神读本。

Introduction by Peter Shaw
A Note on the Text
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY
FRANKLIN'S OUTLINES FOR THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY
SELECTED WRITINGS
Newspaper Writing (1722-1734)
Silence Dogood #7, New England Courant;
Preface to the Pennsylvania Gazette; A
Witch Trial at Mount Holly
Poor Richard's Almanac (1733-1758)
Prefaces to Almanacs for 1733 and 1739;
The Way to Wealth
Projects (1728-1749)
Rules for a Club Established for Mutual Improvement;
A Proposal for Promoting Useful Knowledge among
the British Plantations in America
Observations and Experiments (1744 - 1785)
The Pennsylvania Fireplace (the Franklin Stove);
To Peter Collinson, the Kite Experiment;
To Peter Collinson, Description of a
Whirlwind; Of Lightning (The Lightning Rod)
Essays (1747-1768)
The Speech of Polly Baker; Exporting of Felons
to the Colonies; Observations Concerning the
Increase of Mankind and the Peopling of Countries;
On the Price of Corn, and Management of the Poor
Letters (1771 - 1775)
To Mrs. Jonathan Shipley; To Jonathan
Shipley
Revolutionary Writings (1766-1787)
Rules by which a Great Empire May be
Reduced to a Small One; The Sale of the
Hessians; To the Count de Vergennes, a
Diplomatic Apology; Speech In the
Constitutional Convention
Wise, Practical, and Humorous Writings of the
Aged Sage (1772-1790)
To Joseph Priestly, on Moral Algebra, or
Decision-making; Three Bagatelles and a
Letter: The Ephemera, The Whistle, The
Elysian Fields, To Madame BriUon, a Treaty;
To Samuel Mather, on Cotton Mather; To Ezra
Stiles, a Religious Credo
Poems and Epitaph
My Plain Country Joan; Drinking Song;
Franklin's Epitaph
Bibliography
Index