Walden / Henry David Thoreau

RATINGS

Overall: 2/ 5 stars

Text Level: Hard

Entertainment: Low

Self-Help: Medium

Page Count: 160

Is this book right for me and my inmate?

Inmates who can’t feel satisfied with the amount of material goods they own can learn a different way through this book.

Buy on: Amazon

Nature can teach us everything we need to appreciate being human.

How often do we find ourselves unsatisfied with all that we have? So many of us have more than we can use and more than we truly need, yet we complain like we have nothing. Henry Daid Thoreau questions society and challenges the readers to reflect on our perceptions of what we believe we are lacking in his greatest work.

The book calls for the individual to return to nature so that we might gain a better understanding of how little we really need to find happiness in life. It is a journal where he chronicles his life around the woods of Walden Pond. In the lessons he learns through the nature of the pond, he can gain a deeper connection to God while building a greater appreciation for the limited things a person needs to build a life of more moderation.

He uses the pond as an example for readers to realize that our lives are spent frequently chasing things we don’t need, and that this only takes us further away from God’s will. This book is a complex read that requires you to stop often and reflect on the metaphors shared. However, if you enjoy philosophy books and have the time to spend in deep thought abo his messages, the book has a wisdom to share.

I would suggest purchasing this book from a collection of other transcendental philosophers, such as Ralph Waldo Emerson. This would be a little more worth the value needed to spend. They are all public domain pieces, so there should be abundant availability.

Book Quotes

“To be awake is to be alive.”

“The virtues of a superior man are like the wind; the virtues of a common man are like grass; when the wind passes over, it bends.”