Most of us are waiting for an “Aladdin’s Lamp” that promises the secret to success. We dive into biographies of successful people to find this magic formula. And most of these biographies fall flat because they miss what truly grips us–the human element. But the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin–one of the most influential figures in American history–hits different. Why? Because it was intended as a letter to his son to simply share the lessons he’d learned the hard way. He’s refreshingly honest about the mistakes he made and the struggles he faced– going through the same everyday challenges we all do. THAT’S the human element which makes this autobiography a masterpiece!

And the story behind this autobiography is one to tell. Franklin began casually writing it back in 1771. Then came the turmoil of the American Revolution and the manuscript was lost–until 1784, when Franklin’s friend Abel James miraculously found a chunk of it and sent it to Franklin. Franklin picked up the pen again, now with a wider audience in mind: young readers who dreamed big like him. But poor health slowed him down, and the story ended abruptly in 1757.

After Franklin’s death, the manuscript went on its own wild journey. His grandson, William Temple Franklin, decided to edit and publish it, but in a true editor fashion, he couldn’t resist tweaking it–making over 1,200 changes to tone down the “vulgarity” of Franklin’s phrasing and making it more “appropriate” for the time. The result? A version that wasn’t quite Franklin anymore. It wasn’t until 1868 that the original version was restored by a certain John Bigelow. He came across the original, unedited manuscript in Paris while serving as the US consul. He was quick to realize its historical significance and undertook the task of publishing a new version–the true voice of Franklin–just the way he intended.

Here’s a sneak peek into Franklin’s life broken down in key phases.