Let me share with you the story of one of the most lovable personalities in American history and probably of world history. A dropout in school who loved to read books.

Considered by many as the greatest American who was the first to believe in the American dream. He was in fact that first to call himself an American and not as a Pennsylvanian or a resident of the then colonies of the United States. He was America’s first scientist, postmaster, and diplomat. He was also an inventor, printer, statesman, writer, philanthropist, politician, and songwriter. His adventures and misadventures in life as well as his anecdotes and other activities have been remembered through all these years.

I am referring to Benjamin Franklin – one of America’s most respected historical personalities. A multi-achiever. But many do not know that Benjamin Franklin was unschooled. He had only two years of schooling. Instead of going to school, Benjamin Franklin worked in his father’s candle shop at the age of nine. Later he was an apprentice in a printing shop owned by his brother James. But the wonder of wonders is that the American dropout later in his adult years received doctorate degrees from America’s three oldest universities. Harvard, William and Mary, and Yale. Even Oxford and two other Scottish institutions of learning (the University of Edinburg and the University of St. Andrew) also conferred doctor of laws on Benjamin Franklin. The title Doctor Dropout best describes the dropout who was conferred the doctorate degrees by prestigious educational institutions in America and in Europe. Though Benjamin Franklin had only two years of schooling when he was nine years old – his education continued. Through reading, Benjamin Franklin was a voracious reader. His private library contains no less than four thousand books. Benjamin Franklin once said: “From a child I was fond of reading and all the little money that came in my hands was ever laid out in books.” He also said that “good books of all sorts may employ your leisure and enrich you with treasures more valuable than those which you might have procured in your usual vocations.”

Americans best remember Benjamin Franklin as one of the prime movers who drafted the US Declaration of Independence and framed the US Constitution. But more than that. Benjamin Franklin was the only signer of all the five historical documents that created America; the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, the treaty with France that recognized the United States a sovereign nation, the treaty to conclude the war with England, and the Constitution. What a great legacy from an unschooled boy – the doctor dropout!

One of the stories about Benjamin Franklin was when he resigned in 1777 as the US Minister to France. It was Thomas Jefferson who replaced him. The then French prime minister said to Jefferson: “Monsieur Jefferson have you come to replace Dr. Franklin?” Jefferson’s reply was: “No one could ever replace Benjamin Franklin. I am only succeeding him.”

Many of us well remember Benjamin Franklin as a printer and as the fellow who had his famous experiment using the kite and key to prove that electricity existed in lightning. This finding made Benjamin Franklin famous in Europe.

Can the rare feat of Benjamin Franklin, the doctor dropout be duplicated in our country? Probably not. Simply because the cost of books in our country is very, very prohibitive.

The power of books cannot be understated. Like Benjamin Franklin, many people like myself collect stories, anecdotes, and other interesting trivia. Oh, how I love to share these stories with my friends and relatives! An effective tool to release tension, stress and anxiety.

The information we get from books is awesome. Unless the prices of books are lowered and our population develops the consistent habit of reading – we will lose a lot of opportunities. Not only in business opportunities. But other non-business opportunities as well.

Our honorable legislators can always file bills to expand the exemption from taxes on imported books to enlarge our reading population. Hopefully, this current 15th Congress will succeed to have one such bill approved by its members and to have it signed by our President into law.

Have a joyful day!