Ben & Me: From Temperance to Humility - Stumbling Through Ben Franklin's Thirteen Virtues, One Unvirtuous Day at a Time

(Paperback)

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Thirteen weeks. Thirteen virtues. Cameron Gunn considered himself a regular guy-a pretty good husband, father, attorney, and friend. But was there room for improvement A reader of history and a fan of Ben Franklin (and weary of self-help advice that never seems to offer much help), Gunn decided to try a little experiment. He would attempt to live by Franklin's thirteen virtues, a list of lofty ideals the Founding Father held dear, as enumerated in his famous autobiography. Would Gunn's plan to improve his life, Citizen Ben-style, prove to be a brilliant reinvention of the self-help movement or a boondoggle of revolutionary proportions By turns heartfelt, hilarious, and more than a little humbling, Gunn's adventure takes this ordinary man way outside his comfort zone and into a thicket of not-so-modern values. The result is an engaging mix of humor and history-with perhaps a lightning bolt of inspiration or two along the way. Prepare to get up close and personal with everyone's favorite Founding Father. Temperance * Silence * Order * Resolution * Frugality * Industry * Sincerity * Justice * Moderation * Cleanliness * Tranquility * Chastity * Humility

Reviews

"Cameron Gunn did everything Ben Franklin advised-except marry a much older woman."
-A.J. Jacobs, author of The Year of Living Biblically

"Benjamin Franklin would adore this book! He'd chuckle and nod all the way through. Like Franklin's Autobiography, this is an insightful self-improvement guide wrapped in a delightful tale."
-Walter Isaacson, author of Benjamin Franklin: An American Life and CEO of the Aspen Institute.