Even as a boy, Benjamin Franklin did wonderful things. Most people know about his adventure with a kite, but they may not know he invented a swimming machine, thought up a money-saving scheme for his brother's newspaper and wrote stories using the name "Silence Dogood." As a man, Ben's many ideas gave him countless careers—author, printer, businessman, inventor, scientist, ambassador and statesman. His leadership helped his country during the Revolutionary War. He was proud of the new America he helped to build. Ben always kept his boyish curiosity and shared it with his son and grandsons, who often accompanied him in his fascinating travels.

From the back of the 1968 Dell paperback edition