《富兰克林自传》是美国迄今为止重要、读者多的自传作品之一，无论从自传的角度还是从美国思想史的角度来看，都具有划时代的意义。本杰明·富兰克林以拉家常的方式，把自己成功的经验和失败的教训娓娓道来，整部自传在通俗易懂的叙述中不时会有睿智和哲理的火花，开创了美国传记文学的优良传统，使自传成为一种新的文学体裁。

《富兰克林自传》记载了本杰明·富兰克林作为一名政治家、科学家、发明家、外交家的一生，并为人们树立了一个献身于公益事业的榜样。全书如实记载了其人生奋斗与成功的真知灼见，特别是种种善与美的道德真谛。他认为给他的最高奖赏莫过于在有生之年，能够看到自己的工作所产生的辉煌成果。

这是一位经历人生沧桑、也拥有非常精彩人生的老人，他以拉家常的方式，把自己成功的经验和失败的教训娓娓道来。

General Introduction

Note on References

Select Bibliography

A Chronology of Benjamin Franklin

AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Silence Dogood, 4

To 'Your Honour': Defense of James Franklin to Samuel Sewall

1 726 Journal

Busy-Body, 3

Epitaph

On Simplicity

The Death of Infants

Letter to Josiah & Abiah Franklin

Apology for the Young Man in Goal

Old Mistresses Apologue

The Speech of Miss Polly Baker

Observations Concerning the Increase of Mankind

The Kite Experiment

The Way to Wealth

Poor Richard 's Maxims

'Homespun's' Further Defense of Indian Corn

An Edict by the King of Prussia

Letter to William Strahan

Letter to Benjamin Vaughan

The Whistle

Letter to George Washington

Letter to Joseph Priestley

Remarks Concerning the Savages of North-America

Information to Those Who Would Remove to America

Letter to Samuel Mather

Letter to William Franklin

The Art of Procuring Pleasant Dreams

The Internal State of America

Speech in the Constitutional Convention at the Conclusion of its Deliberations

Letter to Ezra Stiles

Explanatory Notes