1791

2 books

sort era

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin non-fiction
You get Franklin thinking aloud about self-improvement, from his virtue chart to his sly account of printing, quarrels, and ambition. It’s unfinished and sometimes self-serving, but the plain, practical voice makes his experiments in becoming a better person feel oddly usable rather than preachy.
The Rights of Man Thomas Paine
You get Paine at his clearest here, arguing against Burke that government exists for living people, not inherited privilege, and even sketching public relief for the poor. The pamphlet is blunt, argumentative, and tied to the politics of its moment, but its insistence on ordinary people’s rights still feels bracing.

2 books

sort era

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin non-fiction
You get Franklin thinking aloud about self-improvement, from his virtue chart to his sly account of printing, quarrels, and ambition. It’s unfinished and sometimes self-serving, but the plain, practical voice makes his experiments in becoming a better person feel oddly usable rather than preachy.
The Rights of Man Thomas Paine
You get Paine at his clearest here, arguing against Burke that government exists for living people, not inherited privilege, and even sketching public relief for the poor. The pamphlet is blunt, argumentative, and tied to the politics of its moment, but its insistence on ordinary people’s rights still feels bracing.