Wit and Wisdom from Poor Richard's Almanack (Modern Library Humor and Wit) [Paperback]

Benjamin Franklin (Author), Steve Martin (Editor), Dave Barry (Introduction)

Book Description

Series: Modern Library Humor and Wit | Publication Date: May 30, 2000

Franklin’s Autobiography is one of the most famous works in American literature. He started it as a private collection of anecdotes for his son, but soon it was transformed into a work of history, both personal and national, revealing Franklin as the man who, as Herman Melville said, possessed “deep worldly wisdom and polished Italian tact, gleaming under an air of Arcadian unaffectedness.


From the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"If you want the brutal truth, I did not expect to get much useful information out of Poor Richard's Almanack. I wondered, what could Benjamin Franklin--a guy who has been, no offense, dead for more than two hundred years--possibly have to say that would be relevant to a resident of today's dot-com world? Plenty, as it turns out."--from the Introduction by Dave Barry

From the Inside Flap

Franklin's Autobiography is one of the most famous works in American literature. He started it as a private collection of anecdotes for his son, but soon it was transformed into a work of history, both personal and national, revealing Franklin as the man who, as Herman Melville said, possessed "deep worldly wisdom and polished Italian tact, gleaming under an air of Arcadian unaffectedness.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 106 pages
• Publisher: Modern Library (May 30, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 067964038X
• ISBN-13: 978-0679640387
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.2 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,436,875 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars There are better versions than this one, January 18, 2008

By 

C. Chester "DeltaCross" (Colo Spgs, CO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Poor Richard's Almanack (new edition) (Paperback)

So to start, there is a huge problem with this page. If you utilize Amazon's Search Inside feature for this version of the book it is actually showing you the inside of a different copy of Poor Richards Almanack. What you see is definitely not the inside of this book and I'll tell you why later.

Another problem with this page is the fact that people are reviewing the content of Poor Richards Almanack and giving you, the consumer, a history lesson on the book. But come on... the content of the book is pretty much a given. If you're not familiar with the Poor Richards Alamanack, then it's probably a good idea to check it out from a library before you buy it. You would want to own a copy simply for novelty's sake.

So onto the review of the actual product... This is a very poor copy in terms of quality (just like this review). This is just speculation, but it literally appears as if someone from the publisher went to the copy machine with an original copy of the book, pressed the "Enlarge 150%" button, photocopied the entire original book onto larger paper, bound it, put a cover on it, and sold it as the copy you see here. The black space you see on the cover is about the size of the margins within the book. This creates an obnoxious amount of white space around the paragraphs which in turn makes the book difficult to read. On top of this, some of the pages are slightly crooked.

So as I've stated, the content is exactly like the original, but you can easily find a better version than this one. Unless the book was intended for people with impaired vision, there is no reason the original book should have been blown up and placed on 2 inch margins. I would steer clear of this version and find a better one.

As a side note, there are several versions of Poor Richards Almanack. Some have his quotes reorganized into categories and some versions have his quotes re-written into more modern language. And there is, of course, the original. For Christmas, I got my Mom the original as well as the one with the organized quotes. So I guess it's whatever your preference is.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, Enlightening, and Educational, August 22, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Poor Richard's Almanack (Hardcover)

A wonderful book of sayings that espouse Ben Franklin's views on life. In general, he was an advocate of honesty, hard work, moderation in all indulgences, and being a good person. While these may sound like simple principles, the wittiness and cleverness with which they are presented make them memorable and therefore useful.

Buy two copies of this book -- one for yourself and one for your child when they reach their teenage years. You'll both be better off. My copy is marked up so I can easily find my favorite sayings, and I find myself flipping through it often.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Choice Morsels Of Wisdom, January 28, 2006

By 

Jon Linden (Warren, N.J. United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Poor Richard's Almanack (Hardcover)

Franklin's timeless compilation of whit and wisdom is truly a classic. The book contains some of the most interesting and impressive collection of comments that Franklin was able to put in this compendium. While many are ascribed to Franklin, he specifically does not take credit for the adages himself. Rather, he indicates that they are commonly utilized comments and expressions of the vernacular.

The individual enticements cover all areas of thought and society. He was able to capture these moments of brilliance and publish them so that they are available for all time. Such common phrases and expressions are recognizable to most readers. When Franklin says, "You can bear your own Faults, and why not a Fault in your Wife?" the reader sees these as aphorisms that are applicable as well in 2006 as they were when he published them back in the 18th Century.

While Franklin may not have penned all these witticisms personally, he surely did massage them through his brilliant mind. Such comments as "Time is an herb that cures all diseases" and "Better slip with Foot than Tongue" are metaphors that all could have come up with, but Franklin was the one who wrote them down for all time. In fact, the reader can open virtually any page in the book and find something that is applicable to whatever situation is at hand.

The book is an essential part of all reader's libraries. It is recommended for every and all serious readers.