Ben & Me Audiobook By Eric Weiner cover art

Ben & Me

In Search of a Founder's Formula for a Long and Useful Life

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Ben & Me

By: Eric Weiner
Narrated by: Eric Weiner
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Part biography, part travelogue, part self-help, New York Times bestselling author Eric Weiner follows in the footsteps of Benjamin Franklin, mining his life for inspiration and practical lessons for living a purposeful and virtuous life.

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.

“A warm combination of homage and introspective memoir” (Kirkus Reviews), Ben & Me is a guide to living and thinking well, as Ben Franklin did. It is also about curiosity, respect for virtue, 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, and quirky, Ben & Me distills the essence of Franklin’s ideas into grounded, practical wisdom for all of us. Americas Inspiring Revolution & Founding United States Personal Success Personal Development Biographies & Memoirs Historical Boston Witty

Critic reviews

"This portrait of Founding Father Ben Franklin is part biography, part travelog, and part personal commentary. Because of that, it’s eminently suited to audio. Author Eric Weiner is the narrator, and his presentation exactly fits the material. His pace is easy to follow, and his tone is easy on the ears. As he walks in the footsteps of Franklin in the various places where he lived, Weiner’s narration is like an ongoing conversation with the listener. You see what the author sees and can easily imagine what Franklin saw. The book is filled with small details that spice the narrative. The book is fun to listen to—any audiobook that can make an hour of weeding the garden fly by is a real winner."
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Once again, Eric Weiner takes you beyond learning about Ben to knowing and feeling Ben. Rather than a good read or listen, “Ben and Me” is a great in-person chat they invited me to join. You find yourself nodding, confirming, and adding your analogies and metaphors to Their conversation and travels. Join the table and read/listen and feel “Ben and Me”

Feeling Ben

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I liked the brief moments the author would step in & describe the fact finding trips he took to acquire Ben Franklin facts & his personal evolvement as an adult while on the trips … few comparisons to Franklin personally but interesting nonetheless

Ben Franklin’s family dynamics

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Great book that was very engaging. The author helped you feel like part of his world and that of Ben.

Ben & me

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I really really liked this book primarily for its emphasis on Ben Franklin the human being --- fascinating interesting and deeply deeply flawed. it all came out in this book.

there is a part of me that wishes it were possible to simply worshipfully adore someone like franklin, but that's not who he really was. the author did an excellent job of showing all of the sides of Franklin --- the beautiful the zany but also the ugly and wretched

this is a book with a lot of good life lessons I highly recommend it

a compelling and Earnest look at a very interesting human being

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As a Franklin enthusiast, I am always interested in anything related to Benjamin Franklin, and Ben & Me delivered on its promises.

Eric Weiner does an excellent job of maintaining a narrative flow while juxtaposing anecdotes from Franklin’s life with those of a 21st-century American. He skillfully crafts his language in Franklin’s witty and charming style, creating a parallel narrative that resonates with me and others like me.

While the book could be more concise, as many books could be, it provides a useful and enjoyable journey with Ben Franklin that flows swimmingly.

Ben & Me & Me

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