Ben Franklin’s Lessons in Life

By: Mark Canada, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Mark Canada

Length: 4 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

How did a young tradesman in early 18th-century Philadelphia with no money, no connections, and no formal education end up as a leading scientist, an inventor, a master diplomat - and even a Founding Father of the United States of America?

He used the same resource we have inside ourselves: a capacity for self-improvement.

Building a better life through conscious, strategic effort was the essence of who Benjamin Franklin was. An embodiment of the Enlightenment ethos, he had an astonishing ability to set and achieve goals that led not only to personal success, but also to everything that helped to transform America - and the world.

With bona fides like those, who wouldn’t want to follow Franklin’s advice?

In Ben Franklin’s Lessons in Life, you’ll learn how to use Franklin’s strategies to achieve success in your own life and to serve your fellow human beings. Using his own reflections and experiences, Mark Canada discusses many of Franklin’s lessons, which include living with purpose, educating oneself, communicating effectively, maintaining a positive outlook, leveraging others’ strengths, and crafting an image to meet your ends. Even if you don’t have any aspirations of taming lightning or founding a new nation, this Audible Original will help empower you to improve your life, achieve your full potential, and make lasting contributions to society.

We think Franklin would approve.

©2021 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2021 Audible Originals, LLC.

Brilliant Synopsis of Franklin!

Going to relisten to this again starting now! 😀 A wonderful summary of Frankin's autobiography and then practical applications of the points!

Fabulous informative inspirational

He is a fantastic presenter he’s very inspirational he’s very informative giving you all different references he makes it very interesting and magnetic you can’t wait to listen to each of the lessons and I’d like to start all over again really enjoyed it bring on more like this

More self help than history.

And not great at either. Very repetitive. Uses the same experiences from Franklin’s life for multiple topics. Could have been better organized.

Self-Help? I guess ...

There was nothing wrong with this lecture series. It was interesting for its historical facts and despite the fact that the author/narrator used voices for the people he was quoting, I thought he was excellent. The material was well thought out and I liked the dry wit. On my last day of listening (today), something the author said rubbed me the wrong way. I could be alone in this but talking about the pandemic is kind of divisive in my mind, especially when talking about how you personally handled it. For me, I didn't want to leave my house; I have two elderly parents who are not in good health living with me. I still wear a mask in public. When the author boasted (my opinion) that he was on campus every day and how he didn't want his colleagues to see him working from home, that bothered me. Working from home was the responsible thing to do; I don't think it made him a better person for going to campus. That aside, I think he did an excellent job laying out the virtues Franklin had and the steps he took to better himself. I know I could personally benefit from practicing free will/will power, and I am going to try to do that with my life. Overall, if you're looking for ways to improve, I recommend it. Also if you're interested in the mind of Benjamin Franklin.

Not enough Benjamin Franklin

For a book that is supposed to be about Benjamin Franklin, it almost felt like Franklin was an afterthought. It kind of felt like the author put together and idea for a self-help/self-improvement book, and then decided to use Benjamin Franklin as the gimmick for it. As a result, the vast majority of the book doesn't really feel like it's that much about Franklin, it feels like it's just the author's self-help guidance. To that, it isn't necessarily poorly done, but it's also not particularly memorable and does little to stand out in a crowded field. The author's style is overly repetitive, and there are many books that do a much better job.

For someone interested in the general self-improvement and habit building side, "Atomic Habits", by James Clear is a much better selection than this one. for someone interested in living a more virtuous life, "How to Think Like a Roman Emperor", by Donald Robertson, is a similarly much better choice.

In the end, I would have trouble recommending this book/great course to most people.

a foot in both worlds

he discusses quite a bit about Franklin, but almost all of it his methodology and approach to life. And the way that led to Franklin success. also frames itself as a self-help book in the style of Franklin's autobiography. but it's neither an autobiography or a self-help book. It boldly straddles the line. interesting and enjoyable in its own right but left me looking for more on either side.

Loved it

This was a fun listen. The little insights into Franklin’s life were interesting. Made me want to go check out his book myself.

One of the best

Do you like American history? Philosophy? Literature? Business? An amazing narrator?

I finished these lectures in two days. You won't be disappointed.

Practical Wisdom

I enjoyed this immensely. Great, simple advice and a history lesson too.

As someone who desires to be a better leader, I have read a lot of books and listened to a lot of podcasts. It's easy to get overwhelmed by theory. I enjoyed the step back to simpler times and guidance.

top notch!

this course us excellent. it is full of actionable advice that listeners can apply to one's life.