The Autobiography is also a uniquely American book. After a life like
Franklin's had become possible and could be described matter-of-factly,
the Declaration of Independence seems understandable and much less
revolutionary.... There was in America a society which valued the things
Franklin could do well: work hard, write effectively, plan improvements,
conciliate differences, and conduct public affairs with popular needs
and interests in view. His Autobiography records these achievements and
values and habits which made them possible, and tells how a remarkable
human being used his heritage and created a life on a new, revolutionary
model.
Leonard W. Labaree, Ralph L. Ketcham, Helen C. Boatfield, and Helene H.
Fineman
[T]hose who know Franklin only in his Autobiography, charming as that
classic production is, have made but an imperfect acquaintance with the
range, the vitality, the vigor of this admirable craftsman who chose a
style "smooth, clear, and short," and made it serve every purpose of his
versatile and beneficent mind.