I was poking around the web and found Bartleby’s amazing collection of The Harvard Classics.  The cornerstone of the collection is Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography.  The introductory note linked below outlines Franklin’s many accomplishments from printer to writer to farmer to researcher.  He demonstrated lots of 21st century skills!  But he did it in the 18th century.  (So maybe he demonstrated 19th century skills but because he did it a generation before, that made him visionary?)  What are some of these skills?   The ability to reinvent himself as he moved through his life.  A sense of creativity and whimsy. Perhaps, the most fundamental was his ability to efficiently and effectively utilize the research and communication tools available to him at the time.

Introductory Note. Benjamin Franklin. 1909-14. His Autobiography. The Harvard Classics