Author(s): Henry David Thoreau

Culture & Ideas

Henry David Thoreau s account of his adventure in self-reliance on the shores of a pond in Massachusetts part social experiment, part spiritual quest is an enduringly influential American classic. In 1845, Thoreau began building a cabin at Walden Pond near Concord, Massachusetts. The inspiring and lyrical book that resulted is both a record of the two years Thoreau spent in withdrawal from society and a declaration of personal independence. By virtue of its casual, offhandedly brilliant wisdom and the easy splendor of its nature writing, Thoreau s account of his immersion in solitude has become a signpost for the modern mind in an increasingly bewildering world. Also included in this edition is Thoreau s famous essay, Civil Disobedience, inspired by his anti-war and anti-slavery sentiments, which has influenced nonviolent resistance movements around the world ever since."