In excerpts collected here from his most important works, Henry David
Thoreau documents his experiences in nature and the wisdom he finds in
his explorations of sound, reading, solitude, and other aspects of
leading a simple life at Walden. A fearless individualist, Thoreau
explored not only poetic naturalism but also a number of ideas that were
groundbreaking for his day, including civil disobedience and
environmentalism. This introduction to one of America's great thinkers
shows that as an essayist and poet-philosopher Thoreau remains a
relevant voice in the never-ending quest of man to understand his place
in the natural terrain.