Ben & Me: In Search of a Founder's Formula for a Long and Useful Life

by Eric Weiner

New York Times bestselling author Eric Weiner follows in the footsteps of Benjamin Franklin, mining his life for inspiring and practical lessons in a book that’s part biography, part travelogue, part personal prescription.Ben Franklin lingers in our lives and in our imaginations. One of only two non-presidents to appear on US currency, Franklin was a founder, statesman, scientist, inventor, diplomat, publisher, humorist, and philosopher. He believed in the American experiment, but Ben Franklin’s greatest experiment was…Ben Franklin. In that spirit of betterment, Eric Weiner embarks on an ambitious quest to live the way Ben lived. Not a conventional biography, Ben & Me is a guide to living and thinking well, as Ben Franklin did. It is also about curiosity, diligence, and, most of all, the elusive goal of self-improvement. As Weiner follows Franklin from Philadelphia to Paris, Boston to London, he attempts to uncover Ben’s life lessons, large and small. We learn how to improve a relationship with someone by inducing them to do a favor for you—a psychological phenomenon now known as The Ben Franklin Effect. We learn about the printing press (the Internet of its day), early medicine, diplomatic intrigue and, of course, electricity. And we learn about ethics, persuasion, humor, regret, appetite, and so much more. At a time when history is either neglected or contested, Weiner argues we have much to learn from the past and that we’d all be better off if we acted and thought a bit more like Ben did, even if he didn’t always live up to his own high ideals. Engaging, smart, moving, quirky, Ben & Me distills the essence of Franklin’s ideas into grounded, practical wisdom for all of us.

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, Politics, Audiobook, Self Help, Memoir

328 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 11, 2024

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wouldn’t typically go out of my way to read a book about Ben Franklin, but when one of your favorite authors publishes a new book, you must read it, especially when you get your hands on an ARC. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint. Weaving together history, travel, and personal experience, it checked all my boxes. His style of writing is *chef’s kiss* so enjoyable. He makes what could be a stuffy subject into an interesting and engaging read. Eric, if you’re reading this and are ever in need of a research assistant on your travels, hit me up, as the kids say.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first book by Eric Weiner and it won't be my last. Ben & Me is a unique telling of the life of Ben Franklin, combined with a search by the author for what Ben can teach us in today's world (well, swimming and nudity are on the list!) It was also refreshing to see the author, who is clearly an admirer of Franklin, acknowledge the faults of the man. From Boston to Philadelphia, and London to Paris, this book took us to the places that shaped the man and left this reader learning a great deal about Franklin.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Eric Weiner explores the life of beloved American founder Benjamin Franklin for wisdom that he can apply to his own life.

I don't know if Weiner took away wisdom from his look at Franklin, but I feel like I did from my look at Weiner's look.

Here are some of my takeaways:

Benjamin Franklin is the best-known president who wasn’t president. He achieved so much it’s hard to know where to begin. He was the most famous American of his time and the only founder who would have been famous even if there had never been a Revolutionary War. Franklin was a printer, publisher, satirist, scientist, philanthropist, humorist, diplomat, inventor, legislator, meteorologist, memoirist, postmaster, editor, traveler, debunker, and enthusiast. He was also an influencer, perhaps the first. He signed all four documents leading to the founding of the new republic, the only person to do so. He invented the lightning rod, bifocals, a new kind of stove, the matching grant, a musical instrument called the glass armonica, and a chair that doubles as a step stool. And that list is only partial. In Philadelphia, he founded many of the civic organizations we now take for granted: public libraries, hospitals, volunteer fire departments, neighborhood watches. He was at once practical and visionary, a rare combination.

Weiner, Eric. Ben & Me: In Search of a Founder's Formula for a Long and Useful Life (p. XVI). Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster. Kindle Edition.

Silence Dogood was Franklin’s first mask but by no means his last. Masking became a lifelong habit....Franklin’s masks came in many forms. They might be rich or poor, common or aristocratic, male or female, young or old. He wrote as a Native American chief, an enslaved African, an Algerian emir. He wrote as a pregnant single woman and as the king of Prussia. He wrote from the perspective of the letter Z, a deformed leg, a mayfly, and his own gout.

Weiner, Eric. Ben & Me: In Search of a Founder's Formula for a Long and Useful Life (p. 40). Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster. Kindle Edition.

Franklin subscribed to an “as if” philosophy. Live your life as if it were good and, before you know it, it is good. Treat your fellow humans as if they were good and, in due course, they are good, or at least better. As Franklin said, speaking through one of his masks, Richard Saunders, “What you would seem to be, be really.”

Weiner, Eric. Ben & Me: In Search of a Founder's Formula for a Long and Useful Life (p. 43). Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster. Kindle Edition.

So, Franklin thought, why not apply this printer’s method to life? We all make mistakes. We all commit errata. His Puritan brethren called these errata “sins,” with all the guilt and hair-shirting that word entails. Not Franklin. For him, errata were simply mistakes. They happen and they are correctable. In the next life, yes, but—and this is crucial—in this life too. Our lives are written in pencil, not pen.

Weiner, Eric. Ben & Me: In Search of a Founder's Formula for a Long and Useful Life (p. 83). Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster. Kindle Edition.

Franklin was a superb conversationalist...conversation still amounts to one person talking to another, hoping to connect...The biggest mistake people make, Franklin thought, was “talking overmuch, and robbing others of their share of the discourse.” A good conversationalist is a good listener...If asked what he thought about a subject, Franklin typically replied by asking a question or raising a doubt, engaging his interlocutor rather than alienating him.

Weiner, Eric. Ben & Me: In Search of a Founder's Formula for a Long and Useful Life (p. 86-87). Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster. Kindle Edition.

The highest priority is helping humanity, then country, then friends and, finally, yourself...In the eighteenth century, happiness was not merely a personal aspiration. It was a communal imperative and thus demanded a group effort. Either everyone was happy or no one was.

Weiner, Eric. Ben & Me: In Search of a Founder's Formula for a Long and Useful Life (p. 90). Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster. Kindle Edition.

Ben bracketed his day with two questions. In the morning, he’d ask, “What good shall I do this day?” and in the evening, “What good have I done today?”

Weiner, Eric. Ben & Me: In Search of a Founder's Formula for a Long and Useful Life (p. 94). Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster. Kindle Edition.

Virtue was not a nicety or a signal (of anything) during Franklin’s day. It was the key to happiness. “Happiness is the aim of life, but virtue is the foundation of happiness,” said Thomas Jefferson.

Weiner, Eric. Ben & Me: In Search of a Founder's Formula for a Long and Useful Life (p. 95). Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster. Kindle Edition.

Franklin drew up his own list of Thirteen Virtues: TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness. Drink not to elevation. SILENCE. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling conversation. ORDER. Let all your things have their places. Let each part of your business have its time. RESOLUTION. Resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve. FRUGALITY. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself: i.e. Waste nothing. INDUSTRY. Lose no time. Be always employ’d in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary actions. SINCERITY. Use no hurtful deceit. Think innocently and justly; and, if you speak, speak accordingly. JUSTICE. Wrong none, by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that are your duty. MODERATION. Avoid extremes. Forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve. CLEANLINESS. Tolerate no uncleanness in body, clothes or habitation. TRANQUILITY. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable. CHASTITY. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring; Never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation. HUMILITY. Imitate Jesus and Socrates....His aim was to internalize these habits, rendering them second nature.

Weiner, Eric. Ben & Me: In Search of a Founder's Formula for a Long and Useful Life (p. 96, 98). Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster. Kindle Edition.

[Svetli A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Напълно непознат за мен автор и напълно нова за мен тема. Ерик Уайнър ни води на пътешествие, следвайки стъпките на един от най-забележителните личности в световната история - Бенджамин Франклин. Той изследва живота му, черпейки вдъхновение от неговите експерименти и философия и върви по стъпките му, опитвайки да разбере как мъдростта на Франклин може да бъде приложена в съвременния свят.

В началото бях абсолютно сигурна, че книгата няма да ми хареса и точно тази нагласа ме измъчва доста време. Колкото повече минаваше от книгата, толкова по-интересно ми ставаше да навляза в дългия и полезен живот на Бен Франклин. Изключително любопитна личност, много развита, много умна и интелигентна, която не може да стои, без да прави нещо. Може би, ако историята му беше представена по друг начин, щеше да ми бъде в пъти по-увлекателно, но като за първа среща с автора явно все още не разбирам точно стила му на писане. Но самият факт, че успях да си представя, че съм част от времето, в което е живял Бенджамин Франклин, е достатъчен. Започнахме от детството му, минахме през бурните му години, през научните му открития, през основаването на САЩ, през любовта му към Франция и Филаделфия и стигнахме до човек, който през целия си живот винаги е бил полезен по някакъв начин. И е оставил много след себе си. А именно в това е целият смисъл. Определено книгата ми помогна да науча повече за този човек в дълбочина и до някаква степен да го разбера. Към края вече наистина не исках да свършва.

4/5 ⭐

"Животът може да бъде разбран само гледайки назад, но трябва да бъде живян, гледайки напред..."

"Той определя основните неща, които са необходими, за да станем по-добри, по-полезни хора. Платете това, което дължите. Казвайте това, което имате предвид. Съсредоточете се върху важните неща. Отнасяйте се любезно с хората."

"Хуморът може и да наранява. Ако с него се злоупотреби, той "нанася рана, която се възпалява в сърцето и никога не може да бъде простена"."

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looking for an all-in-one explainer of how to live a life, updated with modern-day stops at the stations of Ben Franklin’s life? There’s a wiseacre narrator/tour guide/circus leader named Eric Weiner who has you covered, from a gritty printer’s shop in Boston to the now-fancy Rue Franklin in Paris.

Chapters come like “Buddha Ben” (not too much sex, he advises) to Angry Ben or Curious Ben, set off like balls of emotions in Disney’s “Inside Out” franchise. My favorite is “Masked Ben,” in which our 16 yo hero took on the guise of a world-weary but virtuous woman in a series of widely popular pseudonymous accounts that his big brother James printed in his Boston paper, thinking they were true. (Emotionally androgynous Ben?)

Counsel, of course, abounds. A guide to a good life? Life your life as it were good and before you know it, it is good. Treat your fellow humans as if they were good and in due course, they are good, or at least better. What a novel thought in jaded, every-person-for-yourself, fly-that-flag-upside-down 2024.

This book, entertaining as it is on one level, works its charms on you. Want someone (generally) appealing to your better angels? Want a person devoted to community? Hang with Ben. And at the end, the reader becomes the “me” in “Ben & Me.”

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the more unique biographies I've ever red, part biography, part personal development/self-help and part travelogue...Eric Weiner walks in the footsteps of Ben Frankli, providing his life and times as well as seeking out wisdom lessons that can make our modern lives better...A truly unique biographical read!

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice Look at Ben Franklin

A nice look at Ben Franklin as a man and figure while the author takes a look at himself and compares himself with Ben. A sweet book containing information I wasn’t aware of.

[Jim Castine · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting take on a biography, where the author weaves his own life into the story, for better or worse.
I'm a big fan of Eric Weiner's "geography of genius" and have a bias towards his other works due to that book's brilliance.
This book tends to drag at times, but there isn't a chapter you don't learn something we about Franklin or the geography of the areas he lived

[Charles Robison · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hoping to learn about Benjamin Franklin, instead I was met more with the author’s existential crisis. There’s a line between seeking historical applicability and doubting one’s existence and he entertains that line. Especially in certain chapters when he uses Buddhist ideology to call his “self” existence into question

[Jt O'Neill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll preface this review by acknowledging that I am a big fan of Eric Weiner. I have read all his books and dream of the farfetched possibility of attending one of his writing workshops in Bhutan. I appreciate his ability to present information in an informative and engaging style. I especially like the way he brings his own perspective and experiences into his books.

On to Ben and Me: In Search of a Founder's Formula for a Long and Useful Life .... admittedly, I was not well acquainted with Benjamin Franklin before I read this book. Yes, I knew he was a diplomat and a designer and signer of the Declaration of Independence. I knew he was a printer and, yes, I knew he flew that kite and made discoveries around electricity. I also knew that he founded the first library in the colonies. But that's about it. The book brought Franklin into my home for several days and I enjoyed meeting every aspect of him. In fact, the chapter titles give you a clue about the multi dimensional man that Franklin was. Each of the 27 chapters is entitled in the same manner: Bookish Ben, Masked Ben, Wandering Ben, Social Ben, Naked Ben, Angry Ben, Buddha Ben, Decisive Ben, Doubting Ben and so on. The book is essentially offered in chronological order although the chapters are arranged, more or less, by topic. There is overlap among the chapters but the continuing theme is getting to know Benjamin Franklin.

In addition to biographical information, Mr Weiner gives the reader a guide to living well, the Ben Franklin way. Ben was curious, open minded, positive, a “possibilian” (one who imagines what might be done in the future, no matter how improbable). He was a humorist, an inventor, a postmaster, an editor, a quirky fellow and so much more. He believed the point of life was to be useful and he evaluated many of his own behaviors by how useful they ultimately were. As the author is clear to point out, Franklin was not perfect. He chose not to be present for his dying wife, he was not able to reconcile with his adult son, and he enslaved seven people over the course of his life. Granted, his attitudes about slavery changed over time and he became a champion of the abolitionist movement but there is still the matter of using people as possessions for the many years in which he did that. Ben Franklin is an admirable character but surely no saint. I find it both interesting and inspiring that Benjamin Franklin lived to be 82 years old and that his busiest and happiest years were his last ten or twelve years. There’s hope for me yet!

For me, one of the best elements of this book is the unveiling of the author. Clearly Ben Franklin is the featured guest of the book but we also get very human glimpses of Eric Weiner. He delivers himself in bits and pieces, here and there, connecting himself to both Ben and the reader. In reference to Masked Ben, the author acknowledges that perhaps we all wear masks. He cites his own ability to wear a mask, revealing that he is just as masked as Ben. He follows those comments with a short but thought provoking discussion of authenticity: “What if there is no authentic self to find, only a collection of mass in various shapes and sizes? What if the Buddhists are right and there is no authentic self because there is no self?”

In the chapter Homeward Ben, Eric speaks of Franklin’s ability to be reflective, a characteristic that Eric and Ben share. Eric then speaks about his own fears around aging: “It frightens me. Death frightens me too, but old age frightens me more. Death - dying, to be more precise - is a finite experience. Nature ensures that it won’t take long (even if it feels interminable). Old age is another story. It can last a long time and, unlike dying, the rules are less clear. The dying are supposed to die. The old are supposed to … what? Get older? Pretend they are young? I don’t know what the correct answer is. I’m not sure anybody does.” I get exactly what Eric is saying there. I love that he can nail life like that over and over and over again (in all his books).

In short, if you are curious about Benjamin Franklin and how he managed life (especially aging) pick up this book. Eric Weiner is a captivating story teller, adding his own interesting perspective to the narrative. Five stars, for sure.

Some more quotes to pique your interest:

“Life is best understood backward but must be lived forward, observed the Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard. Maybe we would trust providence more if we could watch our lives in reverse, like a home movie played backward. Maybe providence is always working in our favor, but we’re too close to appreciate it. Only time provides the distance needed to admire its handiwork.” p 16

“Throughout his life, Franklin argued for a woman’s right to a proper education, even if he denied such an education to his own daughter. Franklin was many things. Consistent was not one of them.” p 39

“As it has been observed, it is easier to deceive people than to convince them they’ve been deceived.” p 40

“Time and chain stores have blurred the sharp differences that once distinguished American cities.” p 54

“Some journeys change us on a molecular level, We depart one person and arrive another. I’d like to say it is magical, but that is not right. Something else is going on. The act of travel, of movement, doesn’t change us so much as solidify us. On the road, free from expectations, others and our own, pieces of ourselves, previously scattered fragments, click into place, and we are whole. This is what happened to Charles Darwin in the Galapagos, Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa, George Harrison on the banks of the Ganges. They all experienced what author Robert Grunion calls “the beauty of sudden seeing’.” p 70

“Three hundred years is a very long time, and no time at all.” p. 75

“[Franklin] needed a miracle. He knew it would not come from heaven or himself. For Franklin, miracles always arrived in the form of other people.” p. 84

“But if I’ve learned anything thus far, it’s that life lessons are sometimes written in invisible ink. They become legible only when exposed to the light.” p 159

“Reviewing a life that is still in progress means you still have time to make course corrections, large and small. Reviewing life is the first step towards improving it. You can’t know where you’re going unless you know where you’ve been.” p 183

“My demons never sleep.” p 183

“Franklin was an odd fish but not a cold one.” p 190

“Chronometric age tells us nothing about a person. It tells us nothing about Ben Franklin who, at nearly seventy, was just getting started.” p 191

“History is a series of flukes masquerading as inevitabilities. What today looks like a forgone conclusion was only one of many possible outcomes. For every path taken, there are dozens, hundreds, of alternative routes, enticing what-ifs.”
p 198

“I reach the sad conclusion that at my age (older but not old), I will never learn to speak French, not even poorly. I will never climb Mt Everest or star in a Broadway play or en an off-off-Broadway one. I will never spelunk. A stanza from a poem by Donald Justice comes to mind: Men at forty/Learn to close softly/the doors to rooms they will not be/Coming back to. I am well past forty, and the doors are slamming shut so rapidly I am beginning to feel trapped.” p 225

“Dying, I realize, is nothing more or less than the ultimate test of trust. Do you trust in - call it what you like, God, the universe, nature, science - or do you not? It is that simple, though not at all easy.” p 248

“Nowhere does [Benjamin Franklin] disappoint more, though, than when it comes to slavery.” p 262

“Great people - and I do believe Franklin was a great person - teach us by both positive example and negative. Object lessons are still lessons. Sometimes they are the most valuable of all.” p 269

“People who live long, who will drink of the cup of life to the very bottom, must expect to meet with some of the usual dregs,” Ben Franklin said. p 270

[CO · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting facts about Ben Franklin, and it’s nice to get the more “human” angle on him. That being said the author is a bit much….my favorite part is when he wrote himself in as a tough guy refusing a seat….trust me it was extremely cringe👀 If you can focus on the history, and ignore the nerdy writers quips, then you may find this book worth a read.

[Marc K · Rating 3 out of 5]

AUDIOBOOK.
Kind of a co-biography as he followed/traveled Ben's geographic locations and while explaining Ben's events during his life he related them to his life. A lot of first person from the author, which is unheard of in a biography.
The book flowed well and was in chronological order covering his entire life. Given Ben's long and active life involved in so many things it was high-level as the detailed would be 10x or more the length.
It was definitely nice to get updates on the current state of sites of Ben's life in case I am in the area and can visit.
Author was a bit neurotic in his presentation, which was annoying as I cared about Ben's life and not the authors.

[Edmund Roughpuppy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Subject
Benjamin Franklin’s life is an inspiring American story of success. Born and raised in obscurity, he became one of the ultra-cool shapers of colonial America, through his own wit, scheming and perseverance. His life somewhat paralleled that of Pietro Aretino in Renaissance Italy. With little formal education, he made advances in science, represented the new country in foreign courts, romanced women on two continents and remained active past age eighty. This last was nearly unheard of in the eighteenth century. No wonder he inspired hundreds of books, examining every aspect of his rich life.

I seem to have intruded myself into the company of posterity, when I ought to have been a-bed and asleep, yet had I gone at seventy it would have cut off twelve of the most active years of my life, employed too in matters of the greatest importance. – Benjamin Franklin.

The Author
Eric Weiner’s subtitle indicates a desire to emulate Franklin’s “long and useful life.” Searching for clues for how to do this, he examines his subject in a thematic fashion. “Alien Ben, Baby Ben, Bookish Ben,” etc.

In several places, Eric relates Ben’s thoughts and experiences to his own life in the twenty-first century. I liked this, and wished he’d taken it further. I think that connection to the subject is what we look for in all literature, in all art. “How was Benjamin Franklin like me?” is a necessary question. Joni Mitchell said something similar about her music.

The trick is: If you listen to [my] music and you see me, you’re not getting anything out of it. If you listen to that music and you see yourself, it’ll probably make you cry and you’ll learn something about yourself, and now you’re getting something out of it. . . . If you elevate me, you’re not going to meet yourself in my songs.—Joni Mitchell, Canadian Broadcasting Company interview, 2013



You say you want a revolution
Like all American children, I was taught the Revolution was the second greatest event in history, following the Resurrection. I love my country, but I never liked that story. It sounded more like a childish tantrum than a quest for Freedom. “Oh, tax our tea, will you? How dare you! Die, Redcoats, die!”

Eric introduces an interesting idea. Instead of blowing up over ‘taxation without representation’—try it with representation, it still sucks—colonists like Ben felt insulted by the English. When Ben lived in London, he got a belly full of condescension, and it was this burning insult the revolution was meant to avenge.

[Benjamin Franklin] could not love Thomas Penn. It was not the proprietor’s arrogance alone – Ben knew how to handle that type – but how Penn belittled him, meeting out what Aristotle called a “down-ranking.” pen, considered Franklin, a self-made man, beneath him. The upstart electrician had neither the land nor the heritage to qualify as a "proper gentleman." Franklin was a commoner and, worse, a feral colonist. The Penns’ contempt for Franklin was only the most egregious example of treatment he endured time and again at the hands of British officials, a coolness delivered in the form of an unspoken question: Who do you think you are? More than anything else, I think, it was this condescending attitude, a preference for pedigree over ability, that fueled the American revolution.



Then again, maybe not
While I liked Eric’s style and appreciated his attempts to fuse his consciousness with Ben’s, he fell off the bridge more than once.

Ben valued equilibrium. He sought balance in his relationships and in his statesmanship. So he brought that mindset to his makeshift laboratory in Philadelphia, that cluttered collection of Leyden jars, wax cakes, threads, and nervous turkeys. When he saw that nature also valued equilibrium, he recognized it instantly. Electricity, like all other fluids, seeks a state of equilibrium. Any imbalances are temporary."When by any operation of art or nature, there happens to be a greater proportion of this fluid in one body than in another, the body which has most, will communicate to that which has least, till the proportion becomes equal."

He's describing electrical currents, but the face of American capitalism also appears to anticipate the words of Karl Marx: “From each according to his ability to each according to his needs." Natural philosophers of the 18th century explored connections between the laws of nature and the laws of the moral universe in ways we no longer do.

This could be the screwiest non sequitur I ever read. I could write an essay on all the ways it fails.

1. Electricity and socialism have zero intersection.
2. When Ben described electricity as a fluid, he was mistaken. Electricity is not a fluid, and it’s governed by electromagnetic fields and quantum mechanics, not fluid dynamics.
3. While Karl Marx’s name is forever associated with the phrase, “From each according to his ability to each according to his needs,” those were not his words. He copied them from his contemporary, the French socialist Louis Blanc.

Fail, fail, fail. Bad author, no biscuit.

Other than those moments, it was a good book.

[Bookreporter.com Biography & Memoir · Rating 5 out of 5]

In books like THE GEOGRAPHY OF GENIUS and THE SOCRATES EXPRESS, former NPR correspondent Eric Weiner has led readers on sweeping physical and intellectual journeys looking for the secrets of creativity and for philosophical guidance that might point the way to a more meaningful life.

His latest, BEN & ME, is of a piece with these works, but this time he has chosen to focus on the life of one man: Founding Father Benjamin Franklin. In the story of that polymath, he hopes to find the “secret to living a long and useful life.” And in a project that’s a disarming blend of biography, memoir, travelogue and self-help, Weiner has produced a book that's both informative and inspiring.

In the Passover Seder, there’s a popular song that lists, one by one, all of the kindnesses God performed for the Jewish people, following each one with a chorus of a single word that translates to “it would have been enough,” a recognition that any one of these alone would have been sufficient. In contemplating the life of Benjamin Franklin, that’s the feeling one gets when thinking about only a partial list of all the roles he played in his many years: printer, writer, businessman, inventor, scientist, diplomat and political leader.

The person who founded America’s first lending library, volunteer fire company, postal service, hospital and the institution that became the University of Pennsylvania, while signing the Declaration of Independence (a document he played a crucial role in editing) and helping draft the United States Constitution, appropriately would be lauded for any one of those achievements. The fact that Franklin, a man with two years of formal education that ended at age 10, is credited with all of them is nothing short of extraordinary.

Weiner follows Franklin’s singular life from his birth in Boston in 1706 to his death in his beloved adopted city of Philadelphia in 1790 in essentially chronological fashion. He has given his chapters titles like “Empirical Ben,” “Busy Ben” and even “Buddha Ben” (yes, Weiner argues, Ben was a bodhisattva who possessed Buddha nature) to highlight the myriad facets of Franklin’s complicated, and frequently contradictory, personality. Weiner pays homage to Franklin by visiting some of the sites that played important roles in his life, including the home at 7 Craven Street in London where he spent most of his time between 1757 and 1772, and 17 Milk Street, the site of his birth, now sandwiched between a dental office and a marijuana dispensary.

As Weiner notes, one of the young autodidact Franklin’s favorite works was PLUTARCH'S LIVES, a collection of biographies of notable Greeks and Romans from the second century of the Common Era. “No ordinary history,” Weiner writes, “it is less concerned with events than with lessons gleaned from these extraordinary lives.” BEN & ME bears a certain kinship to Plutarch’s work but with an interesting twist. Instead of offering broad teachings from Franklin’s life, Weiner looks for aspects of his subject’s personality he can apply to his own behavior as he approaches the beginning of his seventh decade. Whether it’s struggling to manage his anger, dealing with his fear of aging, or, somewhat more lightheartedly, Franklin’s affinity for nudity (what he called “air bathing”), Weiner reports on the relevance of the thinking and practice of this man he suspects “just might be the mentor, the guide to aging and to living” for his own more humble life.

Despite Weiner’s unabashed affection for a man he considers “at once practical and visionary,” he’s determined not to overlook Franklin’s shortcomings. These include the fact that he enslaved seven people over the course of about four decades (though he became a committed abolitionist late in life and was appointed as the president of the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery), neglected his wife Deborah after she suffered the first of two strokes that ended her life, and refused to reconcile fully with his son William, the former royal governor of New Jersey who remained loyal to the British during the American Revolution.

And yet, Weiner argues passionately, we still need to “remythologize” Franklin in the sense of myths as “animating stories that inspire.” He urges us to “look at Franklin unflinchingly, flaws and all, and rather than ask whether or not he was perfect, we should pose a different question. Is the story of his long life, the good and the bad, useful? If not, move on. If yes, I think we owe it --- not to Ben but to ourselves --- to sit up and pay attention.” If Weiner was asked if we could use someone with Franklin’s talents and personal qualities in American public life at this moment, he would answer with a resounding yes.

Readers looking for a conventional modern biography of Benjamin Franklin can find an excellent one in Walter Isaacson’s 2003 book, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN: An American Life. BEN & ME is a delightfully idiosyncratic companion to that work that will have readers feeling regret when they have to leave Ben’s wise and colorful company. Few of us can hope to come close to living a life as useful and consequential as Benjamin Franklin’s, but Weiner gives us ample encouragement to at least try.

Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg

[DD Burlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one wasn't for me. I loved The Socrates Express but this one was too meandering and drew forced and incongruous parallels between Ben Franklin and the author.

[Marty Mangold · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much: the research, the reflections, and the travel.

The research and presentation of Franklin’s life is insightful and laid out wonderfully. Every biography has its own charms: this one is maybe the friendliest to the subject and to the reader. Mr. Weiner recognizes Franklin’s shortcomings and buoyantly gets back up to the more important and interesting things: the treasures Franklin offers as a brilliant historical figure and as a person navigating his own life.

Mr. Weiner’s reflections ventilate the book throughout. We learn about the author’s personal situation and inner life as he explores. Like Franklin himself, this author doesn’t tell us what to think, but is perfectly honest and clear about his own perceptions of the “harmonious human multitude” of Benjamin Franklin.

The phrase “harmonious human multitude” comes from Carl Van Doren in 1938. This author adds a new distillation: “Franklin is the least dead of the founders.” Dr. Franklin left an endless bounty of personal and public correspondence. Generations of readers have preserved this, and written about him. Our own moment in history offers historical perspective, access to information, and relative ease of travel.

Uniquely, this author visited Franklin’s places, and tells us who and what he found there. This adds profoundly to his perspective, and to ours.

While we can admire Franklin (and rightly so), in many ways Franklin envies us – and rightly so. One of Franklin’s fantasies was to somehow come back in a century or two to see how things turned out. By studying, exploring, and sharing all this with us so companionably, Mr. Weiner carries out Franklin’s wish to look around in the future.

This author does not attempt to illuminate our entire historical time as much as his own inner life, for which I’m grateful, and in no way does he overpower Franklin. The balance promised by the ampersand in the title is delivered, and it miraculously moves along, to use one of our favorite terms, swimmingly.

What a pleasure. What a fine contribution to our Franklin literature.

[Frederick Bingham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this on audio, read by the author himself.

This is a great book. It takes a meandering path through the life of BF, stopping along the way. The author goes to Boston, where Ben was born and lived until the age of 16, to Philadelphia, where Ben spent most of his adult life, to London, where he tried to represent the interests of the colonies, and to Paris, where he also represented the colonies and was the ambassador once the US became independent.

Of course the book is full of pithy sayings from Poor Richard’s Almanac. It’s also full of the author’s observations of how his life and circumstances parallels that of BF. Many of Ben’s major accomplishments came very late in life, after the age of 60 or even 70. This is even more remarkable given that he was plagued by gout and kidney stones for much of that time.

I am going to try to get hold of a paper copy of the book. The author did a great job reading, but, honestly, audio is not the best format for this book. It’s a book one wants to move through slowly, highlight passages, go back and re-read, take notes. All of those great quotes from Poor Richard just flow by in an audio format, but deserve to be contemplated and savored. After all, Ben was a printer at heart, who dedicated his life to the printed word.

[Peter Colclasure · Rating 4 out of 5]

Main takeaways:

1. Benjamin Franklin thought the most important thing in life was to be useful to other people.

2. He liked older ladies.

3. He wanted to invent a nutritional supplement that would make farts smell like perfume. He enjoyed farting.

4. He practiced “air bathing“, his term for spending an hour or two every morning walking around his room, buck naked, convinced that the fresh air on the skin was good for one’s health.

5. He evolved on the question of slavery over the course of his life, from a person who owned several slaves, to an abolitionist.

6. He accomplished many extraordinary things, each one of which would merit a Wikipedia page for any individual that had accomplished only one of those things. Founding the American philosophical society. Founding America’s first library, volunteer fire company, and first public hospital. Discovering electricity. Coining electrical terms, such as battery, charge, positive and negative terminals, etc. Inventing the lightning rod, bifocals, and the Franklin stove. Signing the declaration of independence. Securing French assistance in the revolutionary war. Helping to write the constitution.

7. The author is incredibly anxious and depressive in an endearing and charming way.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun read! I happened upon this book in Barnes and Noble and was tempted enough to buy it given my love of colonial history. The book was so much more of a treat than I was expecting! I had never read an Eric Weiner book before but his book reminded me of of Nathaniel Philbrick's Travels with George but more in the line of writing style of Malcolm Gladwell and Tom Standage in the way his knowledge covered a wide breadth of subjects discussed.

I enjoy reading all kinds of history books, but usually when reading them I'll stick with reading a chapter a day unlike with fiction books. But Weiner's writing was so engaging sprinkled throughout with wry witty jokes and nuggets of interesting facts or biographical background on Franklin that brought him to life so vividly that I found myself devouring this book quickly. I then went online and started looking up his other books and ordering them to read next. It's always fun to find a new writer you love and this book definitely in its own right was highly addictive; it's wonderfully readable for history buffs and general readers alike.

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s been a wonderful ride going on this deep dive into Ben Franklin’s rich life, written with such deference but also with deeply reflective and honest appraisal by one of the best travelogue authors out there. I’ve read all of Eric’s best-selling books, and this one is no less entertaining and illuminating. It reads quickly and hard to put down, a fascinating exploration of Ben’s interpersonal strengths, inventive spirit, and unbelievable fortitude — and so many 18th century transatlantic voyages and long carriage road travel! Some serious schlepping (and you learn his luggage gets left behind ALL the time- even Ben bitched about lost luggage).
Eric reflects — with humor and humility —on what he can derive from one of our country’s most beloved founding fathers, a man of many trades and talents, of course with flaws and foibles, who served as one of our greatest statesman. Above all, he strove to live a useful life— not a bad way to be. Highly recommend this one for your summer reading!

[Siyun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read on Audible, narrated by the author.

This is exactly the kind of book I would enjoy - it blends humor, history, city travel guide, self reflection and wisdom, all packed into a mere 300 some pages. Highly recommend for any wonderlust.

As we following the author meandering through the streets of Boston, Philadelphia, London and Paris, the past and present, the man then and the man as we know, the self and the object are seamless weaved together.

It shows us one of the greatest men in American history, who is wise, humorous, pragmatic yet optimistic, industrious, well-traveled (for his time) and also, flawed. As we all humanly are.

While I have been to/lived in each of these cities that helped shape the man, any foreseeable future visits will ensure the joy of discovering/tracing Franklin's past thanks to the author :)

* I have not read any of Weiner's previous publication as they all too 'new age' sounding to me. I may change my mind :P

[David Mc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this is a very fact-filled and interesting chronology of Benjamin Franklin’s fascinating life. While I was a little hesitant when I heard that the author was narrating the audiobook version….it turned out to be fine, as Weiner truly had the perfect voice for his book. Even though I enjoyed learning how Franklin’s teachings can still enrich our lives today, I felt the book would have been better if Weiner didn’t sidetrack the biography by continually going off the beaten path to explore a remote statue or long ago residence of our Founding Father. In addition, I felt that the author made too much of an issue concerning Franklin’s estranged relationship with his son, as major wars have always had a tendency to split up families….particularly, when family members join opposing sides of a major conflict. Aside from the two points mentioned above, the audiobook provided a number of gems regarding Benjamin Franklin.

[Molebatsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Ben and Me" by Eric Weiner is a charming and imaginative retelling of the life of Benjamin Franklin through the eyes of his loyal pet mouse, Amos. The engaging narrative weaves humor with historical anecdotes, making it both entertaining and educational. Weiner's clever use of a unique perspective offers readers a fresh take on Franklin's contributions to society while highlighting the often-overlooked moments that shaped his character. The whimsical illustrations complement the storytelling beautifully, drawing in children and adults alike. This delightful blend of fiction and history encourages curiosity about the past and the great figures who influenced it, making it a worthwhile read for anyone seeking an enjoyable literary escape.

[Brian N · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eric Weiner's books became comfort food for me during the pandemic. In a time when leaving the house wasn't possible, they offered travel. When conversation with strangers was hard to come by, Weiner was a welcoming and thoughtful companion, a Rick Steves of philosophy.

I think I prefer his earlier books, in part because they (much to the agreement my dwindling 21st century attention span) offer more to see and more to think about. In restricting itself to just Franklin as its subject, the book is more focused but lacks the scope of the delightful dabbling which made Weiner's other books the perfect gateway into so many interesting topics.

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ben and Me was a good book. My expectations going into the book caused me to have to revamp my expectations while reading the book. I did not realize the author would insert himself as much as he did into it, but I should have guessed that by the title. I got slight whiplash moving between history and the author’s personal anecdotes. Just as I was really getting into the story of Ben, I got ripped out of it by the author’s personal story. That said, I loved the message of usefulness, and that we can accomplish so much during the entirety of our lives. We can be useful and good and helpful with every last breath. And that is a message that needs to be shared.

[Cathy Hodge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not your typical "Founding Grandfather" Biography! Eric Weiner infuses tales of Ben Franklin's life with his own to twist a clever and poignant look at a long and complex life. (Ben's as well) My previous knowledge of Ben Franklin was dry, minimal, and incorrect. While Mr. Weiner spun the tale of a man entrenched in the turbulent culture of the 1700's , I could not help but think how current many of the issues are for today. We all have a soft spot for Ben. He is flawed, brilliant, & human. Thank you Eric Weiner. I highly recommend this book. Enjoy!

[Cherie Dellwo · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.8 I really did enjoy this different take on a biography of Ben Franklin. So readable. Ben began his days by asking, "what good shall I do this day". He ended the day by reviewing what good he did do. That alone tells a lot about Franklin, who despite his glaring imperfections aspired to do much that was useful and good. Indeed he accomplished so much that we today benefit from, including getting France to assist us when we were in perilous need. Did he have failures? Of course, including The Great Canadian Fiasco. All in all a very good look at Franklin.

[Dr. Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so much fun. Half biography of Ben Franklin and half memoir of Eric Weiner, I thought it was all entertaining. There is so much to unpack here of new information about Ben Franklin, but I love Weiner’s descriptions and explanations of Franklin’s life, idiosyncrasies, and importance to our U.S. History. I enjoyed Weiner’s memoir additions as well. They added insight to make Franklin seem somewhat normal in today’s standards. I enjoyed the content and learned so much. Highly recommended.
P.S. Yes, Benjamin Rush was mentioned!

[Ivy Kaprow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of the most unique books I’ve read in quite some time. Eric Weiner decided to try living his life the Ben Franklin lived his. In doing so he visited all of the places Ben lived, traveled, and worked during his life and met some very interesting people along the way.
This book ended up being 3 genres in the: biography, travel, and memoir and Mr. Weiner melds the three genres together seamlessly. This is not only informative and interesting, but also funny and Mr. Weiner leaves so much of himself on the page.
This is a must read for anyone who loves history, Ben Franklin, or memoirs of relatable people (not celebrities).

[LeAnne]

I did not finish. You have to really like Ben Franklin to want to read an entire book about him. That being said, I did like the author’s writing style. Ben’s character, passions and life decisions were the topic of each chapter. What I learned in the one-third of the book I read was Ben was curious, kind and had a thirst for knowledge. Those main points built a fascinating life. There’s the lesson Ben left us with … and “There never was a good war or a bad peace.”