Where I Lived, and What I Lived For (Penguin Great Ideas) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "When I wrote the following pages, or rather the bulk of them, 1 lived alone, in the woods, a mile from any neighbor, in a..." (more)
Key Phrases: New England, Walden Pond

Editorial Reviews

Review

Great Ideas... is the right name for these slim, elegant paperbacks... They are written with precision, force, and care. -- The Wall Street Journal

Penguin Books hopes to provide an economical remedy for time-pressed readers in search of intellectual sustenance. -- USA Today

Review

Great Ideas... is the right name for these slim, elegant paperbacks... They are written with precision, force, and care. (The Wall Street Journal) Penguin Books hopes to provide an economical remedy for time-pressed readers in search of intellectual sustenance. (USA Today)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (May 30, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0143037587
• ISBN-13: 978-0143037583
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #653,543 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Like Walden Cliff's Notes, February 6, 2009

By	Puff (CHICAGO, ILLINOIS United States) - See all my reviews

The other reviewer is right that this book contains limited material from Walden. But that's precisely what makes it so useful. If you're interested in the full Walden experiment, with lengthy narratives on bird-watching and ditch-digging and any number of other things, by all means read Walden. However, for those who are simply interested in the philosophy of simple living and want to read shorter essays that get at the heart of it, this is an excellent selection. I fully recommend it.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't buy this book!, November 9, 2008

By	Paulo Carreiro (Portugal) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Not because it's not worth it; quite the opposite: this book contains only some chapters of Walden. Penguin has a low-priced volume which includes Walden and Civil Disobedience.
This (Walden) was one of the most important books I've read in all my life. I have re-read it and I will do so again in the future. Thoreau has some of the most interesting ideas I've read; you won't agree with him on many accounts, but he will force you to think.

Don't believe or accept everything you read but do read (or watch or listen to) everything you can and then try to make some sense out of it all.