The Self-Taught Visionary Who Helped Shape a Nation (https://smartguy.com/) He was a runaway teenager. He had only two years of formal education. He was never president, never a general—and yet, Benjamin Franklin helped build the United States of America. He was a printer, a scientist, a diplomat, an inventor, a writer, and a statesman. But more than that, he was a man who believed in the power of self-improvement and service. If you’re a young person wondering how to live a life of purpose, success, and impact, Franklin’s life is the ultimate blueprint.