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29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unbelievable, September 24, 2001
This review is from: Walden: Lessons for the New Millennium (Paperback)
Unbelievable! I went to Barnes & Noble the other day to purchase a copy of Walden. They had the Cliff's Notes but not the book. Is that a profound comment on our times, or just the last straw that persuaded me to write this review? I have read Walden from cover to cover many times. I have read excerpts from it many more times. I have never found it boring or tedious, as some reviewers have. In fact, I have found it to be one of the few books worth re-reading on a frequent basis. Why? Our times do not differ significantly from Thoreau's. He saw a society enthralled with "progress," such as the ability to travel from place to place via railroad at the astonishing speed of 35 miles per hour, without any idea of what to do when they arrived. He travelled by foot, and saw the life that others hurried by. Has it ever seemed to you that the acquisition of ever-more-expensive habits and tastes, and the need to work longer and harder to satisfy them, is ultimately a waste of the precious gift of time and life that each of us is blessed with? Do you wonder how (or if) people who live without televison, video games, and automobiles can be happy or fulfilled? How would you fare if you were stripped of your possessions but still retained the ability to obtain the necessaries of life? Could you treat that as an opportunity to discover more about what it means to live? If any of these are questions that have nibbled at your psyche, read Walden. If you love nature and its intricacies, read Walden. If you've ever thought about through-hiking the Appalachian Trail, read Walden. If you think modern-day life can't be improved on, or you want a quick read that will entertain you for a few hours, read something else. And if you read Walden and don't find it meaningful or profound, perhaps you will find another book that will remain as significant an influence in your life as Walden has been in mine.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An American original, September 25, 2002
This review is from: Walden: Lessons for the New Millennium (Paperback)
Henry David Thoreau's Walden is one of the great classics of American letters. Although its reputation has been somewhat unfortunately tainted in our modern day times by its reputation as the "treehugger's Bible", this, indeed, misses the point of the book entirely. Although Thoreau obviously loved nature, and was one of the nation's first enviromentalists - indeed, the modern day enviromentalist awareness outlook can be traced directly back to Thoreau - the core of this book is not a simple stating of the virtues of nature. No, indeed: Thoreau, in this book, lays down nothing less than a life philosophy. Both his essay "On Civil Disobediance" and this book, which preach the virtues of individual liberty and the importance of Man over State have been enormously influential on my own personal philosophy and views. Thoreau raises some staggeringly deep existential questions: If a man lives entirely outside of the State, doesn't depend on them at all, but still resides inside the boundaries of said country, need he pledge them any allegiance? Need he pay their taxes if he does not depend on their support for his welfare? Thoreau, here, tells us how to get the most out of life by living simply: using only what we need in life and doing without luxuries - cutting off the fat, so to speak. Indeed, much like the philosophy of Rosseau, Thoreau seemed to basically believe that the true essence and spirit of man resides in the state of nature: he assures us that, if all men 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 not merely become another mindless drone in the conformist society. For all of this greatness, the book, I must say, however, is not faultless. The book does tend to ramble at times - Thoreau might, indeed, have benifited from some editing. And, on a more personal note, I am far more interested in Thoreau's philosophical outlook on life than his observations on nature, and found many parts of the book focusing on the latter aspect to be a bit slow and trying. Still, if you belong to that camp, then I can only give this book an even higher reccommendation for you. An essential read for those who would have us return to a simpler state of things, as well as those in favor of preserving the natural beauty that is still left to us.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Beacon for Our Times, September 10, 2002
This review is from: Walden: Lessons for the New Millennium (Paperback)
I took only one book (Walden) recently when I packed light for a trip 240 miles down the Haul Road along the Trans Alaska Pipeline to the farthest north truck stop at Coldfoot. We live in Barrow, Alaska and wanted to get away to a simpler life for a bit. The tundra colors were spectacular and when we finally got to trees they were all gold and red. And there were caribou, dall sheep and musk ox. Our room at Coldfoot was very basic --two small beds, a chair and small closet ---that was it. No data ports, no TV, radio or phone. So we read a lot and I felt fortunate to have Thoreau with us. Even when it rained heavily and we had to shorten our daily hike, Walden Pond was there to recharge me, hopefully help me get out from under in this heavily consumer society. I love this man's insights, and am sorry he died at the early age of 45. This book is so current today. Please read it and share the ideas. Oops, now I am communicating about "Walden" over the Internet on a fairly new computer. Well, maybe will have to read the book again. Enjoy friends!! Earl
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