The Way to Wealth or Father Abraham's Sermon is an essay written by Benjamin Franklin in 1758. It is a collection of adages and advice presented in Poor Richard's Almanack during its first 25 years of publication, organized into a speech given by "Father Abraham" to a group of people. Many of the phrases Father Abraham quotes continue to be familiar today. The essay's advice is based on the themes of work ethic and frugality.
Author | Benjamin Franklin |
---|---|
Publication date | 1758 |
Some phrases from the almanac quoted in The Way to Wealth include:
- "There are no gains, without pains"
- "One today is worth two tomorrows"
- "A life of leisure and a life of laziness are two things"
- "Get what you can, and what you get hold"
- "Sloth, like rust, consumes faster than labor wears, while the used key is always bright"
- "Have you somewhat to do tomorrow, do it today"
- "The eye of a master will do more work than both his hands"
- "Early to bed, and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise"
- "For want of a nail..."
Further reading
edit- Shipside, Steve (2009). Benjamin Franklin's The Way to Wealth. Oxford: Infinite Ideas. ISBN 978-1-904902-84-3.
- Franklin, Benjamin (1986). The Way to Wealth. Carlisle, Massachusetts: Applewood Books. ISBN 978-0-918222-88-6.