Product Description
Thoreau's political writing is intensely personal and direct. Both his life and work focus uncompromisingly on the question "how should I live?". This edition of Thoreau's political essays includes "Civil Disobedience", selections from Walden, and the anti-slavery addresses. In her introduction, Nancy L. Rosenblum places the essays in the context of Thoreau's life of self-examination, and analyzes the themes of citizenship and resistance that have made Thoreau an enduring influence in political philosophy and practice. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Best collection of Thoreau's political writings
I bought three collections of Thoreau's works in addition to this one when I was writing a term paper for my English class. I consider _Political_Writings_ the best one of the four. It contains selections from _Walden_, "Resistance to Civil Government" (better known as "Civil Disobedience"), "Slavery in Massachusetts," "Life without Principle," and a series of speeches in defense of an abolitionist by the name of John Brown. Thoreau's writings are preceded by a well-written and informative introduction that discusses Thoreau's life and political thought.

I consider Thoreau to be one of the best writers of his time. Reading this collection of his works made me question some aspects of my life. It reassured me that society will become more cooperative rather than coercive if individuals such as myself fight for what they believe in.

This edition is excellent - the paper is white, smooth, and well bound. I am planning on buying more books in this series (Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Works).

Best collection of Thoreau's political writings
I bought three collections of Thoreau's works in addition to this one when I was writing a term paper for my English class. I consider _Political_Writings_ the best one of the four. It contains selections from _Walden_, "Resistance to Civil Government" (better known as "Civil Disobedience"), "Slavery in Massachusetts," "Life without Principle," and a series of speeches in defense of an abolitionist by the name of John Brown. Thoreau's writings are preceded by a well-written and informative introduction that discusses Thoreau's life and political thought.

I consider Thoreau to be one of the best writers of his time. Reading this collection of his works made me question some aspects of my life. It reassured me that society will become more cooperative rather than coercive if individuals such as myself fight for what they believe in.

This edition is excellent - the paper is white, smooth, and well bound. I am planning on buying more books in this series (Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Works). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Walden best book ever written
Not only is this an excellent read, it is a way of life. If you truly read this book more than once you will learn things about life and your place on this planet will be enriched. You will undergo changes, you must understand. Thoreau was a master at creating an alternative to living life in the fast lane. "Living Deliberatly" simply and with a purpose is so important, in this book you will learn how to do all of it. Your life will be better if you really try to understand. Even the slow parts have messages so be sure to pay attention. You will become awakened.

Love Thoreau!
Henry David Thoreau's writings have always been a favorite of mine. His life in the woods shows us busy folks to slow down and take life easier. His philosophy lives on. I ordered the hard back version to keep. Great book!

A Book Worth Keeping
I buy books in hardcover when I want them to last, when I know we will be life-long friends."Walden" is one of those books, and this edition published by Castle Books is truly lovely.

Henry David Thoreau is, of course, quite famous for his Walden experiment and his name immediately invokes that of a lonely hermit living in a hut on the outskirts of society. This myth, however, is far from accurate. For one thing, Thoreau never intended to become a recluse, but he did desire to put into action--to literally prove--how living in nature could bring us closer to our higher selves.

Philosopher Erick Erickson, in saying that "Every person should have a Walden," testifies to the metaphorical nature of Thoreau's experiment. For Thoreau, the two years spent living at Walden Pond represented an inner journey in which he spiritually connected with nature and created a place--a personal Walden--inside of his soul.

Thoreau's metaphysical journey began with his recognition of the interrelatedness of all life. It was not enough that he engross himself in nature; he had to see himself as a vital part of it.Thus, in "Walden" he writes, "Shall I not have intelligence with the earth? Am I not partly leaves and vegetable mold myself?"

Even more importantly, internalizing a place like Walden Pond meant seeing the connectedness of even the "negative" aspects of nature. For example, when he imagines the seeds he planted in the ground rotting because of too much rain he says, "it would still be good for the grass on the uplands, and, being good for the grass, it would be good for me." In this way, Thoreau is able to recreate any negativity he finds at Walden and turn it into something positive by focusing on the unity of all nature and seeing everything as a symbol of the self.

This is easier said then done and Thoreau willingly recognizes the difficulty of finding connections in the natural world, even at a site of pastoral beauty such as Walden Pond. But in spite of the difficulties, he stresses solitude and self-discovery because he believes that only by actively exploring our inner lives can we become aware enough to see the bonds which link all things.

In his conclusion to "Walden" he asks us, "What does Africa--what does the West stand for? Is not our own interior white on the chart?" How, he implores us, can we ever hope to see the connections between things if we have yet to investigate our own souls?

"Nay," he commands, "be a Columbus to whole new worlds within you, opening new channels, not of trade, but of thought." Thus, Thoreau urges us to embark on a voyage of self-discovery that will help us truly participate in nature by seeing ourselves as "part and parcel" of it. "Explore [yourselves]" he urges us, and uncover "the perennial source of life" through nature.

It is not an easy path to follow, but luckily Thoreau does not recommend that we follow his path exactly. We don't need to purchase a secluded cabin and turn our backs on civilization (although that sounds nice at times!); we just need to get off the "beaten track" and to immerse ourselves in our own special, wild places.

Re-reading "Walden" this last week I was reminded of the need to do so every couple of years.I'm looking forward to having this forest green volume around for a long time.
... Read more

Product Description
The works of Henry David Thoreau contain some of the most beautifully written and inspiring observations of nature, yet most of his readers are familiar with only one of his books,Walden.Two other gems,The Maine Woods andCape Cod, are travelogues containing some of his finest writing.Presented here are selections from the best of these two works, including Thoreau's record of his climb up Mount Katahdin, his arduous river journey by canoe down the Allegash River, the deadly shipwreck he encountered on his first trip to Cape Cod, as well as his wonderfully colorful and humorous portrait of the Wellfleet oysterman. These writings offer a vision of Thoreau struggling with the harsh realities of wild nature and how people might live in harmony with the natural world. ... Read more

Product Description
C and C Web Press brings you: The Complete Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson & Henry David Thoreau. Selection includes the following:RALPH WALDO EMERSON:Art,Character,Circles,Compensation,Divinity School Address,Experience,Friendship,Gifts,Heroism,History,Intellect,Literary Ethics,Love,Man the Reformer,Nature,New England Reformers,Nominalist and Realist,Politics,Prudence,Representative Men,Self-Reliance,The American Scholar,The Conservative,The Method of Nature,The Over-Soul,The Poet,The Transcendentalist,The Young American,HENRY DAVID THOREAU:An Excursion to Canada,A Plea for Captain John Brown,A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers,Autumnal Tints,Civil Disobedience,Life Without Principle,Night and Moonlight,Slavery in Massachusetts,The Landlord,Walden,Walking ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Good Collection
Don't know what all the hubbub is about regarding the title. The selections are in the description, so read before you buy. That said, the ones in this collection are wonderful. I remember reading both Self-Reliance and Waldo in my American Lit. class in college, both selections turned me on to Thoreau and Emerson. The table of contents works great and, I am a believer in this edition. Order with confidence. Happy reading.

Not complete!
This is absolutely NOT the complete works of Emerson.Amazon should disclose that the title is a cheap marketing ploy.

Fantastic Anthology
Two of the most formidable American writers, all-in-one. You couldn't ask for more. From Self-Reliance to Walden, this collection gives you the best of, in my opinion, the two most important writers of the Reform Era. "Be yourself; no base imitator of another, but your best self. There is something which you can do better than another. Listen to the inward voice and bravely obey that. Do the things at which you are great, not what you were never made for" (Emerson, Self-Reliance). Love it and recommend it.

NOT COMPLETE
As other people have said, this is definitely nowhere near a complete set of works.I bought the kindle edition without seeing the table of contents, and was rather disappointed.I think the title is false advertising.

Emerson Reviewed
When I was a freshman in my second semester in college, my English professor said to me, "Your writing is so very Emersonian. Do you mean to write like him?" I hadn't read a word of Emerson, but then again, I hadn't read anything. I later checked out Emerson's collected works from the library, began reading, and have loved him ever since. The more I read, the more I discovered that I was unworthy of the comparison my teacher had drawn. Emerson is nobody's peer.

"If God appeared in 19th Century America," said Harold Bloom, "It was as Ralph Waldo Emerson." My personal favorites: The American Scholar, Divinity School Address, Circles, Nature, Self Reliance, Friendship, Representative Men.

Emerson:
"Beware when the great God lets loose a thinker on this planet. Then all things are at risk. It is as when a conflagration has broken out in a great city, and no man knows what is safe, or where it will end. There is not a piece of science but its flank may be turned tomorrow; there is not any literary reputation, not the so-called eternal names of fame, that may not be revised and condemned. The very hopes of man, the thoughts of his heart, the religion of nations, the manners and morals of mankind are all at the mercy of a new generalization."

The following passage from Emerson's Essay Montaigne; or The Skeptic:
"Although knaves win in every political struggle, although society seems to be delivered over from the hands of one set of criminals into the hands of another set of criminals, as fast as the government changes--yet, general ends are somehow answered. We see now events which seem to retard or retrograde the civility of ages, but the world spirit is a good swimmer, and storms and waves cannot drown him. He snaps his finger at laws: and so through the years and the centuries, through evil agents, through toys and atoms, a great and beneficent tendency irresistibly streams."
... Read more

Product Description

Indulge Yourself with the best classic literature on Your PDA. Navigate easily to any novel from Table of Contents or search for the words or phrases. Author's biography and essays in the trial version.

Customer Reviews (2)

The fight for justice
Works of Henry David Thoreau. Walden, On the Duty of Civil Disobedience, Excursions, poems & more. Published by MobileReference (mobi)

Thoreau perceives citizens, who give blind loyalty to their government's decisions without questioning them, as participants in every injustice committed by that government. Whether this point of view is correct or not, it is worth debating, especially in view of the horrific injustices that are extant in today's world and the way the masses so easily accept them without considering the negative impact on others. If you are looking for a marvelous primer on individuality and the fight for justice, start with this book.

a true literary treasure
Works of Henry David Thoreau. Walden, On the Duty of Civil Disobedience, Excursions, poems & more. FREE Author's biography and essays in the trial version.

Thoreau was a great intellectual and possessed an uncommon sensitivity to the natural world. This is a very fine collection of his works. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Great edition, Thoreau is timeless and important as ever
Often times a book you *should* read is one that isn't that enjoyable to read. At best, you have to work at it. The writing although informative, educational, and thought provoking is often complex, unapproachable, and drowned in archaic syntax. While not as easy reading as adult teen fiction, I'm about 1/3 of the way through and so far have been able to follow about 80% of it without needing to go back over anything or bust out my dictionary.

The Kindle format itself is great and well adapted. No strange formats, no font oddities.

As for the text, it should be pointed out that there is more to Thoreau than "simplify, simplify". His observations on the motivations and trappings of society are accurate and telling, proven even more by the fact that one hundred and fifty years have passed since its creation and little has changed.

An outstanding text for anyone wishing to get more out of life and to distill out the things that are most excellent.

Must read
A "must read" in high school and a "must re-read" many years later. A brilliant reflection on economy, freedom and the role of the government. And an interesting description of an experiment to get back to basics.

I Love This Book
This book should be required reading for every high school and college student in every school in the country.It is one of the most important literary contributions of our age.If you have not read it, I highly recommend it.This version is formatted very well and includes a linked Table of Contents which is especially helpful when you reread this book.regardless of whether you purchase this version for the Kindle or a print version, you won't be disappointed.

Everyone Should Read This
I had to read this for a Political Science class that I am taking.This book is about getting back to basics.I recommend it to everyone. ... Read more

Product Description
Part philosophical treatise, part autobiography, and part revelation, Walden is theproduct of Thoreau's solitary stay at Walden Pond, in which he attempted "to live deep and suck out all of the marrow of life." Through rich, vivid description and philoso ... Read more

Product Description
In 1845 Henry David Thoreau left his pencil-manufacturing business and began building a cabin on the shore of Walden Pond near Concord, Massachusetts. This lyrical yet practical-minded book is at once a record of the 26 months Thoreau spent in withdrawal from society -- an account of the daily minutiae of building, planting, hunting, cooking, and, always, observing nature -- and a declaration of independence from the oppressive mores of the world he left behind. Elegant, witty, and quietly searching, Walden remains the most persuasive American argument for simplicity of life clarity of conscience.

For the first time, the authoritative editions of works by major American novelists, poets, scholars, and essayists collected in the hardcover volumes of The Library of America are being published singly in a series of handsome paperback books. A distinguished writer has contributed an introduction for each volume, which also includes a chronology of the author's life and career, an essay on the text, and notes.


From the Trade Paperback edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

walden
the book came quickly, well packed with no damage. It was in excellent condition as described online by seller. Was priced well annd I would buy from seller again. Enjoyed my experience with Amazon.

Walden
If you really want to understand the times then, I would go with the annotated version.

Stunning edition!
I will not comment on Walden itself, because that is a matter whether you accept it to be a classic or not. My review is on the quality of this edition, which is superb. The book is a pleasure to hold--the paper is heavy and smooth, the print is sharp, and the award-winning illustrations are an added bonus. Unlike the other hardcover bindings out there, this is not an annotated version, so you get a pure uncluttered copy of the masterwork itself.

Adding art to philosophy
I doubt I can say much about this book that hasn't been said already.It's a classic of American literature, and as thought-provoking as just about any work of philosophy.It's a bit of a dry read at times, but we must remember it's not a work of fiction.Forget about characters, and forget about the rest of Thoreau's life, and focus on what he's trying to say.

That being said, this book is a beautiful edition of a classic work.Bound in hardcover, with a sturdy dust jacket, the pages feature beautiful woodcuts that greatly enhance the substance of the book.If you're willing to spend a little extra, a highly recommend this edition. ... Read more

Product Description
Encompassing aspects of autobiography, spiritual treatise, political declaration, and historical commentary, Henry David Thoreau's Walden is one of the classic greats to be revisited by all audiences as an example of achievement in both breadth and beauty. Thoreau masterfully blends his personal opinions on topics from economy and education with elegant prose describing his peaceful paradise at Walden. Walden makes the rare presentation of an idealist viewpoint in a far from ideal world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Excellent book ever!
I have to say that I always wanted to read "Walden". When I was in high school I had the opportunity to be in the New England area and wanted to learn about Thoreau.
Unfortunately being English my second language, it was almost impossible for me to fully understand what Thoreau really meant.

I finally I had the chance to read it and fully understand it. Believe me all these years have been worth to wait.

It Moved Me
This book was on my summer reading list for school, and I will admit that I wasn't thrilled at first to read it. I rarely read anything, much less a convoluted and long complex kind of book. But as I got deeper into the chapters, I was fascinated. Henry went to live in solitude and to lead a simple life. I thought that was pretty awesome. I'm kind of a loner, after all. And after he spoke of his garden, I was hooked. I, too, have a garden that I care for and appreciate. The book goes so much deeper than that, though. The intricacies of nature are observed (the epic ant battle and the curiosities of animals), we get to meet some fascinating people (the Canadian woodcutter and John Field), and the beauty and complexity of Walden pond through the seasons is beautifully illustrated. And that still isn't all there is to it! This is the kind of book I'd like to read again to capture more. Thoreau is certainly an entertaining and prodigiously talented writer. I even had a good laugh here and there! His concepts of simplicity, the self-fulfillment of solitude, and the eradication of loneliness despite being alone seem revolutionary to me. You'll see what I mean! Reading his perspective on life, morals, and habits of people is refreshing and very intelligent. The apex for me was in the end (***POSSIBLY SPOILER ALERT***) when he looked back on his experiment and observed that following your dreams confidently and with determination will lead to results greater than you'd expect. But he isn't all sappy about it like me. He's much more intelligent about explaining it (***END OF SPOILER***). I never thought I'd be so moved by a book I had to read for school. It's even inspired me to lead a life that's much less complex. Proof? I got rid of just about all the little knick knacks I had lying around a while ago, and I don't miss them! I'm relieved! I sleep without a blanket, plan on throwing all my useless non-necessities away, and am trying to live on a simple diet of water, bread, and rice. Okay, so I'm kind of a nutcase. But the guy who wrote this book ain't! Read it for leisure and insight! It'll affect you more than any silly little book about a magic dragon quest or wizard school.

Timeless
To be fair: I've only read the first twenty pages as of now. While the English was a bit difficult to grasp (English is not my mother tongue) you get used to it very quickly.

This book is fantastic, I'm completely blown away. I don't read books much, but this one is indeed special. The ideas presented are timeless, yet you can reach them with examples from your own life. The book itself is not about money or about housing, its about a lifestyle.

a book that should be read by everyone
Walden is one of those books that should be read by everyone. It's one of the only books taught in school that really hit home with me. It should be renamed The Nonconformists' Handbook.

Walden
My daughter has to read this for her summer evaluation for her upcoming AP classes. I was very impressed that we not only found the book,at a very good price,and it was delivered in a speedy amount of time.Thank you. ... Read more

Product Description
Henry D. Thoreau's classic A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers is published now as a new paperback edition and includes an introduction by noted writer John McPhee. This work--unusual for its symbolism and structure, its criticism of Christian institutions, and its many-layered storytelling--was Thoreau's first published book.

In the late summer of 1839, Thoreau and his older brother John made a two-week boat-and-hiking trip from Concord, Massachusetts, to the White Mountains of New Hampshire. After John's sudden death in 1842, Thoreau began to prepare a memorial account of their excursion. He wrote two drafts of this story at Walden Pond, which he continued to revise and expand until 1849, when he arranged for its publication at his own expense. The book's heterodoxy and apparent formlessness troubled its contemporary audience. Modern readers, however, have come to see it as an appropriate predecessor to Walden, with Thoreau's story of a river journey depicting the early years of his spiritual and artistic growth. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

We're Talking Major Greatness Here
It is obscene that abridged versions of this book are for sale."A Week..." is an artistic masterpiece.If it seems a bit dense right now, then put the book on your shelf for a few decades and hope that you, not the book, will improve over time.

A Week with Thoreau
In late August, 1839, Henery David Thoreau and his brother John took a two-week trip on the Concord and Merrimack rivers in a boat called the Musketaquid that they had built themselves.John Thoreau subsequently died of lockjaw in 1842, a death which greatly affected his brother.While living at Walden Pond from 1845-1847, Thoreau worked on the manuscript of what became "A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers", and the book was first published, with little commercial success in 1849. A revised edition was published after Thoreau's death.

The book describes the Thoreau brothers' river journey on the Concord River from Concord west to Lowell, Massachusetts where it connects with the Merrimack River from Lowell north to Concord, New Hampshire. (The brothers spent one week on land exploring Concord, New Hampshire and its environs, and this is not described in the book.) At the time of the journey Lowell was already a manufacturing center where girls from New England farms lived in large barracks and worked long hours spinning cotton in factories powered by the Merrimack River.

I was familiar with Walden, but I didn't know this earlier book of Thoreau's. It is a wonderful read. The book is arranged in seven chapters, one for each day of the river journey, and Thoreau describes extensively the rivers and inlets, the land, the plants and animals, the weather, the locks and the people that they encountered on their journey. Thoreau here and elsewhere has a clear and detailed eye for nature.

But the more fascinating part of this book consists of its extended disgressions and discussions that are only suggested by the description of the brothers' journey.Thoreau uses the river trip as a jumping-off point for meditations on history, science, literature, education, philosophy, religion, and much else. There is information on the early settlements of Concord and Lowell and of New England, especially involving contact with the Indian tribes.Even with this, most of the book is internalized.On almost every page, Thoreau's text is interspersed with poetry, some of it his own, some by other writers.Thoreau discusses the ancient Greek writers, including Homer and the Greek lyricists, as well as writers including Shakespeare and Goethe.There are long meditations on subjects such as the nature of friendship.Thoreau discusses comparative religion and turns a critical eye on the Puritanical religion of New England.The book shows a great fascination with and knowledge of Eastern thought, which is striking for this time in America's history, particularly with the Bhagavad-Gita.

Near the end of the book, capturing the end of his trip, Thoreau assumes an oratorical tone and his work takes on aphilosophical theme.Although the American philosophy of Transcendentalism is notoriously difficult to define, Thoreau here discusses a world beyond the world of our senses and of nature.He alludes to a world of the timeless and of mysticism, which encompasses all religion, and which the evidence of the senses only suggests to us.It is a difficult and inspiring vision, informed greatly by Eastern thought and by Thoreau's friendship with Emerson.The discussion forms a moving conclusion to the book.

With its learning, its love of poetry, its picture of early New England, and its spirituality, "A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers" is one of the great American books. For readers who know Thoreau only, as I did, through "Walden" and "Civil Disobedience,", this book will be a revelation.

Robin Friedman ... Read more

Product Description
The texts of these two works have been revised to bring them to the forefront of current Thoreau scholarship. Changes to this edition include an expanded background section, with selections from Thoreau's journal, and reviews and essays added to a section on criticism. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Two Masterpieces in One Volume
This collection has Henry David Thoreau's two most famous works: Walden and "Civil Disobedience." Both are immortal literary works that should be read by all; anyone who does not have them would do well to get them here. This edition is particularly valuable for those wanting supplemental material; it has a wealth and is up to the standards of other Norton Critical Editions.

Walden is one of the great classics of American letters. It has been somewhat unfortunately tainted by its reputation as the "treehugger's Bible," but this misses the point. Thoreau obviously loved nature and was one of the nation's first environmentalists - indeed, modern day environmentalism can be traced directly to him -, but the core of the book is not a simple stating of nature's virtues. Thoreau lays down nothing less than a philosophy of life. Like "Civil Disobedience," Walden preaches the virtues of individual liberty and the importance of Man over State. Thoreau raises some staggeringly deep existential questions: If a man does not depend on the State but still resides within its boundaries, need he pledge allegiance? Need he pay taxes? Thoreau tells us how to get the most out of life by living simply. Indeed, much like Rousseau, he seemed to basically believe that the true essence and spirit of man resides in the state of nature. He assures us that, if all lived as simply as he did at Walden, there would be very little theft, crime, violence, envy, or jealousy. He urges us all to live our own lives as we see fit, neither depending on or heeding others, and to avoid merely becoming another mindless drone in conformist society.

"Resistance to Civil Government" - or "Civil Disobedience," as it became known - is an essential part of American literature, culture, and history. Even more remarkably, it is undeniable proof that great literature can have a real effect on the world even long after it is written and ignored. The essay is world famous as the founding text of civil disobedience, i.e., non-violent protest, and its effect on such luminaries as Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King was profound, thus sealing its immortality. This alone makes it essential for all.

However, it is easy to forget that the essay is a masterpiece in itself. Essentially Thoreau's highly individual expression of his mentor Emerson's self-reliance doctrine applied to government, it has a wealth of depth and nuance despite its brevity. The words are few but the implications endless; it has enough food for proverbial thought to last a lifetime. The gist is very clear, but the implications have spoken very differently to many different people. The work's nature - and Thoreau's generally - is such that it and he are championed by everyone from neocons to libertarians to liberals, and the truly notable thing is that all are justified. This underscores the importance of reading the essay for ourselves.

Its main query is "What does the individual owe the state?," the answer being a resounding "Nothing." Thoreau takes the maxim that the government that governs least governs best to its logical conclusion by wishing for one that governs not at all - a brave wish very few have seriously dared to make or even conceive. He makes a highly principled stand for individual rights and autonomy, arguing very persuasively that people should be able to go about their business without interference. This of course sounds very much like current libertarians, and their position has indeed hardly ever been better argued. Many related and implied issues - protests against taxation, conscription, etc. - also seem to support them. However, it is important to remember that the essay's crux and most famous section - Thoreau's account of a night spent in jail for refusing to pay a poll tax because he did not want to support war or slavery - was and is immensely liberal. Few issues can be more central to current liberalism than an anti-war stance, and slavery was the era's great liberal cause. All this must be kept firmly in mind amid the many attempts to reduce Thoreau to a current party platform. He was at once too simple and too complex for this and would not have suffered himself to be thus reduced; nor does the essay justify it.

Integral as all this is, the work's core point is arguably a new self-reliance argument above and beyond immediate practical considerations. Thoreau certainly had a practical, political streak, especially compared to relative idealists like Emerson, but he thought individuality more sacred than anything. He articulated this more fully elsewhere, but it is very present here. His work is thus in many ways the best kind of self-help material - and, unlike the mass of current self-help tripe littering bookshelves, is intellectually and even aesthetically pleasing. Thoreau was the most thoroughly local writer that can be imagined, but his willingness to look deep inside himself for the eternal truths present in all people has made him an inspiration to millions and millions of people from across the political spectrum and indeed the world. This essay is a major part of his legacy and thus one of the very few works that literally everyone should read. Few can be the same afterward, and it will change many lives; it is nothing less than one of the most important documents ever written, and its value simply cannot be exaggerated.

This collection is an excellent primer for those new to Thoreau, and those who have not already done so should open their minds to him immediately - and once done, they will never be closed again.

One of the greatest American prose stylists.
Mind you, this isn't idle worship - this book is a masterpiece of American Literature, and along with 'Civil Disobedience', represents one of the greatest literary minds America has ever known.Thoreau stands with Dickinson, Emerson, Hawthorne, Melville, and Whitman as one of the greats of his era.Indeed, in the 1850's when 'Walden' was originally published, it occasionally sat beside 'Moby-Dick' and 'Song of Myself' on book shop shelves.In reading Thoreau, one comes to understand the scholar and the naturalist that have so profoundly come together next to Walden Pond; their combination seems to express some of the most basic underpinnings of American life.More than that however, their intertwining through insight and spiritualism evokes a thoughtful reverence for life in its entirety.Thoreau's ruminations are striking, not merely for their deep beauty and sentiment, but for their delving examination of the human soul.The way in which he blends the substantive and the sublime, bringing the reader to Walden Pond in mind, body, and soul, deserves praise as one of the highest forms of art.One cannot help but wonder at the depth - of Thoreau, of the spirit, and of Walden Pond.

scholarly oversight of Thoreau
I really enjoyed Walden, it's a very deep philosophical book. Thoreau isvery insightful, and he is also very intelligent. I admire his capabilityto digress on different subjects and expand on the topics. His profoundstatments make an individual contemplate and search his inner soul for histrue identity. This book, if read carefully and with much thought, canreally impact one's life. It can help one search themselves and thinkdifferently about life in general. I would encourage people to read thisbook if they have a good grasp on their life because it could be confusingand somewhat depressing at times, depending on the maturity level of theindividual. If one has an interest to read this, it can be very enjoyable,and challenging at the same time.

scholarly oversight of Thoreau
I really enjoyed Walden, it's a very deep philosophical book. Thoreau isvery insightful, and he is also very intelligent. I admire his capabilityto digress on different subjects and expand on the topics. His profoundstatments make an individual contemplate and search his inner soul for histrue identity. This book, if read carefully and with much thought, canreally impact one's life. It can help one search themselves and thinkdifferently about life in general. I would encourage people to read thisbook if they have a good grasp on their life because it could be confusingand somewhat depressing at times, depending on the maturity level of theindividual. If one has an interest to read this, it can be very enjoyable,and challenging at the same time. ... Read more

Product Description
The writings of Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) have captivated scholars, activists, and ecologists for more than a century. Less attention has been paid, however, to the author's political philosophy and its influence on American public life. Although Thoreau's doctrine of civil disobedience has long since become a touchstone of world history, the greater part of his political legacy has been overlooked. With a resurgence of interest in recent years, A Political Companion to Henry David Thoreau is the first volume focused exclusively on Thoreau's ethical and political thought.

Jack Turner illuminates the unexamined aspects of Thoreau's political life and writings. Combining both new and classic essays, this book offers a fresh and comprehensive understanding of Thoreau's politics, and discusses subjects ranging from Thoreau's democratic individualism to his views of John Brown and Abraham Lincoln, from his spiritualistic practice of solitude to his influence on American environmentalism. The collection consists of works by sixteen prominent political theorists and includes an extended bibliography on Thoreau's politics. A Political Companion to Henry David Thoreau is a landmark reference for anyone seeking a better understanding of Thoreau's complex political philosophy. ... Read more

Product Description
On July 4, 1845, when Henry David Thoreau moved into his cabin on the shores of Walden Pond, he was probably unaware that his abode in the woods, and the impact and influence of that endeavor, would forever echo through time. Thoreau was an uncompromising idealist; an ardent maverick who criticized his fellow man. He urged that men and women ought to live more simply, and more deliberately. "The mass of men," he famously wrote, "lead lives of quite desperation." Yet the scope of Thoreau's message is much wider than social criticism. He speaks of spiritual transcendence in Nature and the unbounded potential of the individual. Thoreau is a dreamer and he speaks to dreamers. In a word, shun dogmatism and demagoguery; see beyond the immediate conventional religious explanations to reap a higher understanding. In our commodified contemporary American society, with the rise of religious intolerance and fundamentalism, materialism and mass consumerism, Thoreau's message is needed now more than ever. Author Kenny Luck has thumbed through Thoreau's voluminous journals, correspondences and other publications to make this the most comprehensive collection of Thoreau aphorisms available. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

Thumbing Through Thoreau
"...simplify the problem of life, distinguish the necessary and the real. Probe the earth to see where your main roots run." P160

Thoreau is known for his urgings of man to live simply and honestly. So often we get so caught up in our possessions that we miss the everyday miracles that life bestows. Kenny Luck has put together a beautiful rendition of quotes both famous and less known that encourage us to pause and remember our journey and through our recognition of life around us to improve ourselves.

Thumbing Through Thoreau is a collection of quotations taken from Thoreau's journals, writings, and personal letters. Kenny Luck, a journalist, compiled the quotes to address a variety of subjects that include society & government, spirituality & nature, and love. The book is timely and relevant to today. It is beautifully crafted and easily accessible. As a teacher it is a book that I might use in conjunction with studies of Thoreau and Emerson in the classroom. As an admirer of Thoreau I found the book to be fresh and exciting. I have enjoyed reacquainting myself with these concepts. The book will sit nearby on my desk so that I might grab it at any moment and find inspiration for the day.

Excerpt from book's Introduction:

As I stood on the edge of Walden Pond, about to make a symbolic leap into what had become in my mind a scared place, Hawthorne's poetic observation was not present in my thoughts. For a summer day, it was unusually cold; a light mist rose above the surface of the water; and having forgotten my towel and bathing suit at home in Pennsylvania, I was forced to strip down, making do with what I was wearing in that revealing moment. I hung my clothes on a nearby tree branch and began inching my way toward the water. It was a ritual Henry David Thoreau, one of America's first literary giants, had performed countless times during his stay in the woods.

It was June 2007, and this was my second trip to Walden Pond. I had visited the previous summer but resolved only to walk along the shoreline, avoiding the seduction of the water. "This time," I thought to myself, "I am going in." Although I was initially reluctant, once the water rose past by waistline, I felt an extraordinary release. I made one final push off the rock where I was standing and let go. I let the water take me. Feeling free from constraints, I had transformed into one of Hawthorne's angels, baptized by the clear, cool waters of the pond.

My experience at Walden Pond that day was emblematic. It was the culmination of a two-year journey which led me to Concord, Massachusetts, where I hoped to retrace the steps of a man who I had never met, but felt an extraordinary affinity towards. Moreover, I saw a little bit of myself in Thoreau. Here was a man who, despite the conventions of his day, shunned every comfort and convenience. Thoreau once refused to take a doormat, for instance, offered to him by an elderly woman, hoping to avoid what he called the "beginnings of evil." It seemed like something I would have done had I not read about it first. For the first time in my young life, I met my literary and intellectual soul mate.

Annotating Thoreau
Thumbing Through Thoreau is a compilation of quotes put together by Kenny Luck and then illustrated by Jay Luke and Ren Adams. It is beautiful. Not just for the images, which are wonderfully done, or the words, which are well put together, but for its ability to make readers think. Each individual quote is a snippet of thought which inspires readers to agree, disagree, expand upon, and make connections. During my reading, I was continually struck by the evocative ideas presented. While I didn't necessarily agree with every quote, I did find myself interacting with each one.

An Unexpected Delight!
When I was first asked if I was interested in reviewing this book, I wanted to jump at it immediately. I have always been a fan of Thoreau's and thought that this might be a really cool biography of him. Well, it isn't quite like that. This book is a collection of Thoreau's quotes all through his career. The book was compiled by Kenny Luck, with images from Jay Luke and Ren Adams. The book is divided into three sections; Society & government, spirituality & nature, and love.

It may seem trivial, to create three classes and then to cram Thoreau into them, but that isn't it at all. In fact, Thoreau himself created these 'sections' if you will. What Kenny Luck has done, is to take a huge amount of written word from Thoreau and put individual quotes into a meaningful and at times beautiful collection.

The first section on government is revealing in so many ways, about his views on government and how little it should have to do with governing and with the everyday person. It is easy to tell that somewhere, somehow he has experienced such a bad government, that he is absolutely distrustful of any government. However, we have the clarity of many years of hindsight, and we can see how he saw his current time period with such clarity that it almost seems as if he were scripted to think and feel as he did. We are able to see and hear about virtually everything and anything that happens in the world today. Did Thoreau have his own internet, or satellite TV? For he truly seems to have such knowledge and foresight of his own time, that he is and was seen as a prophet.

How then, can a man who is able to see his times and his government so clearly, can then speak so eloquently and with such beauty about the world around him? How can he put such beautifully chosen words together to describe what nature can't? Nature can only be.... Thoreau can see and interpret and describe in words. Truly a gifted man who can see and talk about the depth of mankind and the lengths one can go simply through believing he can. He is full of such passion for nature itself, and you could even argue that he was one of the first "green warriors", and protector of Mother Nature herself. Truly, he saw more than any of his contemporaries were either capable of or just weren't able to convey. It can bring a tear to your eye in the way he is able to grasp what he sees, feels, and believes. Certainly, I was close at times.

I simply could not prepare a review of this fine work without mentioning the simple beauty of the artwork throughout this book. Created by Jay Luke and Ren Adams, the images at once appear to be overly simple, yet as you continue though the book, you start to see the simple intricaciesthat are placed in them. Anyone preparing a book such as this could very easily and most likely would go for photography or for elaborate coloured landscape portraits, but this was not the case. These images truly do the quotations justice, and that is saying a lot.

One could be amazed at what we have seen from one man. All of the seemingly obvious juxtaposition would complete such a complicated man, yet yearning for such simplicity. No, there's more indeed. He goes on in a third section of this book to talk about love. Hardly a simple or consistent area of contemplation.

All I can say is that this book took meon a journey of Thoreau, the man, as much as, or probably more than,discovering the writer and artists. I can only think of this as a compliment, for they neither overpowered or got in the way of who he really was and what his enduring message was. I think that if anyone is going to attempt a book like this, then they should strive for results such as this.

For a person who generally doesn't read books such as this, I found myself absolutely captivated. I couldn't stop flipping the pages and admiring each and every image and quote. There is a real art to how the quotes are ordered and grouped. On top of that, there is a real art to the pairing of the quotes to the images. Truly this book is much more than a tribute to the man, although it does that in an amazing fashion. This is a book that brings Thoreau to the front again. Something that should happen time and again. Right now is one of those times.

~ Todd Hurley

The Hurley Edition - A book blog

*With thanks to Tribute Books for providing an advance copy of this book for review.

For Thoreau Enthusiasts
This is one of those coffee table books that most people will know right away whether it's up their alley or not, and there honestly isn't that much to say about it in a review.If you really enjoy Thoreau, then an illustrated book of his quotes will probably be something you'll like.However, personally, much as I like Thoreau, the illustrations don't particularly strike my fancy, so I feel that this book fails to impress.That may be partly due to the fact that I'm a local and have been to Walden Pond multiple times myself, and I find that black and white line drawings tend to, in general, fail to live up to photography of nature.Art is definitely relative though, so you might quite enjoy the illustrations.You can check out galleries of sample illustrations here and here and decide for yourself.

Overall, I'd recommend a print copy of this book to fans of Thoreau who also enjoy the illustrations.It's not for me, but I'm sure it will strike the fancy of some people quite well.

Thumbing Through Thoreau (Review)

Title: Thumbing Through Thoreau (A Book of Quotations by Henry David Thoreau)
Compiled By: Kenny Luck
Illustrated By: Ren Adams and Jay Luke
Released: Out Now
Published By: Tribute Books
Info From Second Page:

On July 4, 1835, when Henry David Thoreau moved into his cabin on the shores of Walden Pond, he was probably unaware that his abode in the woods, and the impact and influence of that endeavor, would forever echo through time. Thoreau was an uncompromising idealist; "The mass of men," he famously wrote,"lead lives of quite desperation." Yet the scope of thoreau's message is much wider than social criticism. He speaks of spiritual transcendence in Nature ad the unbound potential of the individual. Thoreau is a dreamer and he speaks to dreamers. In a word, shun dogmatism and demagoguery; see beyond the immediate conventional religious explanations to reap a higher understanding. In our commodified contemporary American Society, with the rise of religious intolerance and fundamentalism, materialism and mass consumerism, Thoreau's message is needed more than ever. Author Kenny Luck has thumbed through Thoreau's voluminous journals, correspondences and other publications to make this the most comprehensive collection of Thoreau aphorisms available.

Review: I really enjoyed this book. It is not something I usually read and review for my blog, but this is a wonderful exception and is undoubtedly one of the best poetry compilations i have ever read. If your looking for brilliant quotes look no further than here. This book is thought provoking. The brief passages are parts of the best pieces Thoreau ever wrote and are about things anyone can relate to. Thoreau explores; love, life, loss, society, the importance of nature, and the downfalls of man. The illustrations are beautiful and are a nice touch to the quotes.

Even though Thumbing Through Thoreau is not one of the largest compilations of Thoreau's works it is definitely the most insightful. The quotes selected easily slide into our everyday world and get your brain thinking about the issues surrounding us. Even if your not a die hard fan of Thoreau you will still appreciate and come to love the way Kenny Luck compiled this book.

Some of my Favorite quotes were:

"The heart is blind; but love is not."

"Virtue is the deed of the bravest. It is that art which demands the greatest confidence and fearlessness. Only some hardy soul ventures upon it."

"Be not simply good; be good for something."

"Men have become tools of their tools." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Best book yet on Thoreau's spirituality ...
I am very pleased with Mr. Young's book.As a former Evangelical Christian, now a Thoreauvian universalist, I am fascinated to see how the author finds many roots of Thoreau's journaling in New England's early Christian traditions.

I began a spiritual journal in 1980 to record my Bible Translation work in Asia.Like Thoreau's, my journaling has gone through several phases of emphasis through the years - as a working prayer book, finding self in nature and finally to a dream journal.

I borrowed this book from a library, but now see that I will have to purchase my own copy to reread and studiously mark up with notes.As a member of the Thoreau Society, I have been exposed to most of the books published on Thoreau's spirituality in the past two decades. I sense that Mr. Young's book comes the closest of any in it's ability to open a new perspective on this subject.

Riverdave Owen
Eno River Valley
North Carolina ... Read more

Product Description

This is an electronic edition of the complete book complemented by author biography. This book features the table of contents linked to every chapter. The book was designed for optimal navigation on the Kindle, PDA, Smartphone, and other electronic readers. It is formatted to display on all electronic devices including the Kindle, Smartphones and other Mobile Devices with a small display.

Customer Reviews (15)

Who doesnt' love Thoreau
I have loved Thoreau since I first read him in middle school andwho doesn't love Thoreau. WALDEN is a great book to either revist Thoreau or read him for the first time. I would just say make sure you have the peace and the quiet to study his words for they transcend over time to even and especially to our absorbed lives.Take the time to read WALDEN and you will be able to see things more clearly in your own life.

Walden (mobi version)
While plenty has been said about this book, this review is about the benefits of the Mobi edition of this book for Kindle. There are numerous versions of this book published for Kindle and it might be difficult to decide between them. I tried using the free version of Walden, but without a linked table of contents, referring to specific chapters and sections of the book was nearly impossible. The Mobi version has fantastic formatting and, best of all, a linked table of contents. It is more than worth the dollar for the table of contents alone.

Very Well Written And Still Relevant
Most men live lives of quiet desperation, says Thoreau, because they are living for the things of this world. He doesn't want that to be true of himself. So he decides to live simply for two years, building a small shelter near Walden pond. He plants his own garden and discovers that if he works hard for four or five months out of the year, there is plenty of time left over in the year for reading, contemplation, and observation.

He records his observations of farmers working, bluejays and squirrels eating chestnuts, men ice fishing on the pond, the snow falling, and many other things.

I must say that the book is not always easy to read, but rewards close reading. You'll come away from the book with a greater appreciation for what has been given us in the natural world. Not everyone will agree with Thoreau that you are not a complete man unless you learn to cook your own food and plant your own potatoes, but I found his logic and reasoning compelling. A classic work with timeless relevance.

A breath of fresh air...
I've always gotten satisfaction from the outdoors and it's complexities. I'm glad that someone shares the same sentiments. This book should be required reading for any person whether in their teens or reaching the end of their life. While Thoreau can be a bit drawn out in this book on some of his spiels, most of what he says is right on the money, even if it was 150 years ago. Too many people have given up on the outdoors and prefer to stay inside and spend their life in front of the television. This is definitely on my must read list.

Walden
On my short list of all time favorite books, this one is up there at the top. It doesn't attain the #1 spot, but it's up there, definitely top five.

I think it is very interesting to read the reviews and notice that the vast majority of the bad reviews are coming from the young, mainly teenagers who were made to read this in school. The vast majority of the good reviews are coming from the older and the more wizened.

I think the youth of today are just so totally enamored with technology and what's cool and popular. I know I was when I was 17. But then you grow older and hopefully more wise, you live life a little and you no longer care about what's cool or what's popular, you are no longer so enamored with technology and you begin to see how technology is actually killing us. You have some perspective to temper the youthful idealism.

I just loved everything about this book, but I never read it until my 30's. If I had read it in my teens, I probably would have thought it pretty stupid.

I think Thoreau was a genius, both with words and how he lived his life. He did not live on Walden Pond his entire life, by the way. Walden pond was an experiment, not so much a way of life. His time there was meant to show people how superfluous most of our lives are, that it can be simplified, to our soul's benefit, not to mention the benefit of our fellow human beings and the world at large.

He was not a stupid man, he was educated at Harvard. He knew that his way was not the way everyone could or would live. He was not advocating a new social order. He was merely trying to prove a point, that people's lives are way too complicated.

It has been said that Thoreau was the anti-Benjamin Franklin. Realize that even in his day, Thoreau was ridiculed. It is no surprise that he would be ridiculed today, mainly by those who just simply could not live without their iPods.
I read Walden as an ideal and it made me sad. I would love to live my life in the way he did on Walden Pond, but I'm just not so sure how possible it is to live that way in today's world or even how desirable. There has to be a happy medium. You don't have to run out and live as a hermit in order to be able to appreciate Thoreau. There is beauty in the middle way, one can learn to make small changes in their lives, to try and live more simply, as many today are trying to do, to lighten our footprint on this earth, for the betterment of all.

I do believe that people's lives are too complicated, that they can't see the forest for the trees,that their lives are only about making more money so they can buy more things. They have lost their way in the world, they have forgotten, if they even even knew, what life is about.

But running out to live by yourself is not the solution either. I am reminded of the story of Christopher McCandless, whose story was made into the movie Into the Wild. He learned too late that true happiness is not real unless shared. That without love, life is meaningless. And THAT is the reason that living on Walden Pond by yourself is not the answer. We are here on this earth for each other, to love. Without love, life is meaningless.

To live on Walden Pond by yourself for a period of time, to find yourself, or to prove a point, is all well and good, but as a permanent way of life, it's not utopia.

And Thoreau knew this, after his time in the woods, he went back to civilization, but he never lost his soul and he knew how the soul was refreshed... with love, with learning, and with nature.
... Read more

Product Description

This is an electronic edition of the complete book complemented by author biography. This book features the table of contents linked to every chapter. The book was designed for optimal navigation on the Kindle, PDA, Smartphone, and other electronic readers. It is formatted to display on all electronic devices including the Kindle, Smartphones and other Mobile Devices with a small display.

Customer Reviews (1)

Profound
I have really been enjoying Walden. I haven't read the others in this set yet, but really find Thoreau's insights fascinating and useful. The focus and insight into simple, meaningful living (transcendentalism) is refreshing and extremely relevant given current economic and social conditions.Seems everyone could benefit from a good dose of Thoreau. ... Read more

Product Description
The works of Thoreau in one collection with active table of contents. Works include:

On the Duty of Civil Disobedience
A Plea for Captain John Brown
Walden
Walking
A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers
Wild Apples ... Read more

Product Description
From 1837 to 1861 Henry David Thoreau kept a journal that began as a conventional record of ideas, grew into a writer's notebook, and eventually became the principal imaginative work of his career. The source of much of his published writing, the journal is also a record of both his interior life and his monumental studies of the natural history of his native Concord, Massachusetts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Best way to experience his journals
Henry David Thoreau's journal is his masterpiece, and somewhat different to his more polished works.

This is by far the best way to experience his journal, too. Short excerpted collections are problematic because you cannot get used to the flow of his writing, and the changing nature of it over the lifespan of the journal. This book, which is the full year of 1851, may contain less-than-stellar entries, but it also contains some rippers, and is definitely the best way to experience it. It was about this time in his life that Thoreau decided to stop using his journal just as a source for his other books, and rather to create it for its own sake. And it shows - this is not writing to be chopped up and excerpted, but to be enjoyed in its entirety.

The best possible introduction to the masterpiece of his life - 5 stars.

Glorious!
Thoreau's journals are an insight into the man who thrived on simplicity. This book captures the years in which he was making his final revisions on "Waldon." His journal reflects his masterpiece and his book is then reflected back into his journal writings. If you are at all interested in Thoreau's writings, this is a needed companion to understand such a brilliant mind.

The Perfect Introduction to Thoreau's Journals
Many readers exposure to Thoreau's published self-contained books like _Walden_ and _The Maine Woods_ are intrigued enough to look deeper.Inevitably, you end up with the Journals.

The journals are so long andcopious, that it can be hard to decide where to start.I don't knowoff-hand how many pages or words there are, but there are enough ofThoreau's Journals out there to last you 3 to 5 years of reading.

So! You should buy this starter book to introduce you to the flavor of theJournals.If you also read some of the Biographies out there, you learnthat Thoreau's life went through some distinct periods, which will bereflected in the different Journals.Many folks think 1851 was a magic andexpanding year for him, and that's why this book follows this year alone.

My only complaint about the book using this time frame is that it sortof Pornographically selects from all the years of the Journals--andpornographically selects from 1851.As if all T's days were charmed, allrich with experience.

But the Journal selections excerpted here and thisbook as a whole have many good qualities that outway my only complaint. They are:

1.--This book follows a year, and T was very much influenced bythe seasons.Coming full circle in a year with T is goodreading.

2.--The book doesn't try to do too much.If an Introductionbook does its job, it should leave you wanting more deep info on thesubject.This book did that for me.

3.--There are a couple-few coolreplications of drawings T did in his journal.Bonus points forthese.

Overall, the subject material here is awesome.If you only knowThoreau through his published "books" and if you like them(especially the naturalist part of them), the Journals will change yourworld.This book does a solid good job of introducing you to the Journals. ... Read more