Publisher's Synopsis
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) was an author,
printer, political theorist, politician, freemason, scientist,
inventor, statesman, diplomat and one of the Founding
Fathers of the United States. Franklin and George
Washington stand together as the greatest heroes of the
American Revolution. When he was 17 he was very poor.
Married to a servant, Franklin became very wealthy later in
his life and then he wrote The Way to Wealth, which is a
collection of adages and advice from many nations
originally presented in his almanac called Richard Saunders,
better known as Poor Richard's Almanac. Many of these
adages found in his book are still familiar nowadays.
Franklin also played a very important role in the
establishment of the University of Pennsylvania.
Russell Herman Conwell (1843 -1925) was an
American Baptist minister, educator, lawyer, writer, and
orator. He founded the Temple University, in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, and he wrote Acres of Diamonds, which
originated as a speech he delivered over 6,000 times
worldwide. During the American Civil War, he served in
the Union Army from 1862 to 1864. According to his
message, success in the United States not only was possible,
it was a moral obligation. He said "you have no right to be
poor. It is your duty to be rich."
