The account of Benjamin Franklin's rise from poverty and uncertainty to prosperity and fame is a self-portrait of a quintessential American that has captivated every generation of readers since its first appearance in 1791. Originally intended as a collection of unpublished writings for his son, the memoir evolved into a narrative of his remarkable achievements in the literary, scientific, and political fields. A publisher, inventor, scientist, diplomat, and politician, Franklin was also a brilliant writer whose wit and wisdom shine through on every page. He was an extraordinarily prolific writer, known during his lifetime for his humorous, philosophical, parodic, and satirical writings, as well as for the fables and maxims he published under a surprising number of pseudonyms, including Poor Richard, Busy-Body, and Silence Dogood. This Everyman edition contains a variety of these, including ‘The Kite Experiment’, ‘A Parable Against Persecution’, ‘Observations Concerning the Increase of Mankind’, ‘Rules for Making Oneself a Disagreeable Companion’, and ‘The Way to Wealth’.