Ben Franklin – much ado about reading

I was listening to the weekending show of Paul Harvey and he was talking about Ben Franklin and his many accomplishments with just two years of formal education. I decided to do a little research and here is what I found out.

INVENTOR – Stove, lightning rod, bifocals and many others…
MEDICINE – Founded 1st U.S. Hospital
BANKING – Well known for maxims on thrift
AGRICULTURE – Introduced several crops to U.S. including crop rotation
PRINTING – Noted Colonial printer – “Patron Saint of Printing”
ELECTRICAL – Experiments and theories – Kite & Key – shocking
INSURANCE – Started 1st insurance company
HEATING – Franklin stove – wow, never seen that one coming
COOLING – Had three methods of cooling
EDUCATOR – Involved in founding two colleges
OPTOMETRIC – Bifocal glasses
POSTAL – First postmaster – including the first woman to hold office in the United States
LIBRARIES – Started 1st circulating library
PUBLIC SAFETY – Started 1st police and fire department
RELIGION – Introduced idea of prayer in Congress
MUSIC – Invented musical instrument – glass armonica
GOVERNMENT – Held numerous positions:
* Clerk
* Postmaster
* J.P.
* Alderman
* Governor
* Ambassador
MILITARY – Colonel in Militia
MASONIC – Grand Master of Pennsylvania
DIPLOMAT – Ambassador to England Minister to France
COMMUNITY SERVICE – Street lighting, paving and cleaning
BUSINESSMAN – Owned and operated several businesses
PHILOSOPHER – Started American Philosophical Society
ABOLITIONIST – Started Society to Abolish Slavery
SALESMAN – Expert at marketing and sales
MERCHANT – Operated store as part of printshop
HUMORIST – Considered America’s 1st writer of humor
TRAVELER – Traveled extensively throughout U.S.
FORECASTER – Published Poor Richards “Almanack”
FUND RAISER – Originated matching contributions idea
SAILING – Designed “sea anchors”
CARTOONIST – Drew 1st cartoon in an American newspaper
LINGUIST – Studied several languages and designed a phonetic alphabet
CARTOGRAPHER – Mapped the Gulf Stream and Routes for the post office
PHILANTHROPIST – Organized fund raising and contributed to many worthwhile causes
MENTOR – Acted as a counselor and guide to many of his peers

He did this all without more than two years of formal educations, but he was die hard reader. No, wonder he needed the bifocals. I think I need them now.
Read and you learn – build it and they will come

I recently read a blog post about about being a better writer and I admit that I need help in that area. Perhaps, that is why I like video so much. But, it you want to be a better writer, be a better reader.

D