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

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

Author: Cameron Gunn
Publisher: Tarcher
Published: 09/07/2010
Pages: 272
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.51lbs
Size: 8.26h x 5.54w x 0.70d
ISBN: 9780399536076

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 07/15/2010
Library Journal 09/15/2010 pg. 88