Uncommon Learning: Thoreau on Education [Paperback]

Henry David Thoreau (Author), J. Parker Huber (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 31, 1999 | Series: Spirit of Thoreau

"It is only when we forget our learning that we begin to know," Thoreau wrote. Ideas about education permeate Thoreau's writing. Uncommon Learning brings those ideas together in a single volume for the first time.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Sponsored by the Thoreau Society, this trio of conveniently pocket-sized volumes, each with a fresh and authoritative foreword, makes an ideal introduction to the Transcendental naturalist of Concord. The selections in each go beyond predictable snippets from Walden, encompassing nuggets mined from both the familiar and remotest reaches of Thoreau's journalsAall a joy to read and ponder. Among the three topics, readers may be best acquainted with Harvard graduate Thoreau's far-sighted views on real education as an unending, hands-on pursuitAhere illuminated by his views on science and mountains. Long thought, after his death, to be merely a scrupulous collector of facts and measurements, Thoreau was in fact a self-proclaimed mystic who worried that his increasingly frequent brushes with scientific objectivity were threatening his commitment to a life of poetry and principle. These three slim volumes are highly recommended for all nonacademic libraries.ACharles Nash, Cottey Coll., Nevada, MO
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Henry David Thoreau was born in Concord, MA in 1817, and is best know for his influential work, Walden, which was published by Ticknor & Fields in 1854.

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books (May 31, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395947979
• ISBN-13: 978-0395947975
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #204,406 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #3 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > Education > Education Theory > Aims & Objectives
  • #16 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > United States > Collections & Readers
  • #78 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > United States > 19th Century

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This review is from: Uncommon Learning: Thoreau on Education (Paperback)

I have never read any books by Thoreau before. It was because of his philosophies that I have always had an interest. The beginning of the books really drew me in because I agreed with many of his comments regarding teaching ideas in so many parts of the world. Clearly, even during his time he could see how inappropriate it was.

After the introduction, I found it harder to read. The way he writes is very difficult for me to understand, but I continue on because there is value in there beneath all the unusual wording. You need to take your time. This is not a book for speed reading.