Ben Franklin's Almanac of Wit, Wisdom, and Practical Advice: Useful Tips and Fascinating Facts for Every Day of the Year (Paperback)

by The Old Farmer's Almanac Editors (Author) "JANUARY GETS ITS NAME from the Roman god Janus, the two-faced god of beginnings and entrances-a fitting deity to preside over the start of a..." (more)
Key Phrases: cup baking soda, United States, New York, New England (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
This compendium of wisdom, humor and useful household tips has Ben Franklin as its touchstone and takes off from there, with contributions from a range of almanac writers. Each day on this perpetual calendar gets a full page, with important historical events that occurred on the date; a wise saying and/or weather tip ("January fog means a wet spring"); "A Word to the Wise" from old Ben; and anecdotes from his life ("The Inspired Mind"). The authors also throw in gardening advice, recipes and household advice both practical (e.g., how to remove spray starch from the bottom of an iron) and indulgent ("Make your bedroom a personal retreat. Splurge on luxurious sheets... and surround yourself with books or whatever else you most enjoy"). With line drawings and various fonts lending an old-fashioned air, this is a charming, useful volume.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description
Ben Is Back!

Ben Franklin's inventiveness made him the greatest American genius of them all. Now, the spirit of Ben meets the challenges of 21st-century living in Ben Franklin's Almanac of Wit, Wisdom, and Practical Advice. With the 1,538 tips in this amazing book, you'll be able to do everything smarter, better, and cheaper-- just like Ben himself!

Try these for starters.

* Keep eggs fresh twice as long by keeping them in their carton-- not in the refrigerator egg holder-- and stashing them in the lowest part of the fridge.
* Make your panty hose last five times longer with a saltwater soak.
* Grow your best garden ever-- with toilet paper!
* Get your PC screen and keyboard spotless with a used fabric-softener sheet.
* Keep ice cream cones from dripping-- even on the hottest days-- by dropping a marshmallow into the bottom of the cone before adding ice cream.
* Rub off rust spots on your car's chrome with aluminum foil.
* Rid your pets of fleas by adding a tablespoon of vinegar to their food.
* Make your plastic containers smell fresh again with the daily news!

And look inside for more than 1,000 others! You'll get 365 days' worth of ingenious hints, practical solutions, and delicious recipes, along with a generous portion of Ben's witty maxims, historical tidbits, inventions, and advice. Packed with clever cleaning ideas, kitchen wisdom, smart gardening tips, savvy health hints, easy home-repair advice, weather wisdom, and, of course, money-saving strategies, Ben Franklin's Almanac of Wit, Wisdom, and Practical Advice is a book you'll turn to every day of the year.


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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Yankee Books (October 3, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0899093892
• ISBN-13: 978-0899093895
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #247,064 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative, useful, and fun, April 3, 2005

By	NJC (Maine, USA) - See all my reviews

I'm surprised that no one has reviewed this book, since it's very useful and entertaining, easy to read, and inexpensive.

There's one page for each day of the year. On one side of each page are facts about that day (famous birthdays, events). At the top of the page is a quote from Benjamin Franklin on some principle (saving money, etc.) with some illustrative biographical information from Franklin's or somebody else's life. At the bottom is practical advice for the home and garden, from cooling the house to storing cheese (wrap in wax paper, not celophane, because the live cultures need to breath). It usually takes only a couple of minutes to read a page.

I've had the book on my kitchen table or in other place that you regularly visit for a few minutes every day. It's a well-edited and well-designed book and reasonably priced. I'm planning on giving copies as gifts because it's cheap and I can't imagine anybody not enjoying some aspect of it, either from the household hints, the principles, or the daily facts.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book to read every day, February 24, 2006

By	Jonathan B. Maxcy - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This Book is great to read for anyone with an inspired mind, I love the fact that you can read one page, full of facts each day of the year. Highly recomended.

5.0 out of 5 stars FRANKLIN'S INSIGHTFUL WORDS STILL TRUE TODAY, June 29, 2009

By	bradford g wheler "Author SNAPPY SAYINGS & Pr... (Cazenovia, NY USA) - See all my reviews

Ben Franklin is a genius in so many ways. His wit, wisdom, and practical advice is as useful today as it was well over 200 years ago. This almanac is a wonderful book to leave out on a table and read whenever you have a few free minutes.
In Snappy Sayings: wit & wisdom of the world's greatest minds Franklin is one of the most quoted of the great minds. Franklin along with Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, and others give us timeless insight into human nature. I tried to make each quotation richer by including with birth and death date after each name. There is also an appendix with a short biography on each of the over 350 people quoted. That along with larger print and 500 photos and illustration makes Snappy Sayings: wit & wisdom of the world's greatest minds a fun and rewarding read. If you like Franklin you will like Snappy Sayings: wit & wisdom of the world's greatest minds.
Ben Franklin's Almanac will give you many hours of reading pleasure.