Henry Thoreau Popular Books
Henry Thoreau Biography & Facts
Henry David Thoreau (July 12, 1817 – May 6, 1862) was an American naturalist, essayist, poet, and philosopher. A leading transcendentalist, he is best known for his book Walden, a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and his essay "Civil Disobedience" (originally published as "Resistance to Civil Government"), an argument in favor of citizen disobedience against an unjust state. Thoreau's books, articles, essays, journals, and poetry amount to more than 20 volumes. Among his lasting contributions are his writings on natural history and philosophy, in which he anticipated the methods and findings of ecology and environmental history, two sources of modern-day environmentalism. His literary style interweaves close observation of nature, personal experience, pointed rhetoric, symbolic meanings, and historical lore, while displaying a poetic sensibility, philosophical austerity, and attention to practical detail. He was also deeply interested in the idea of survival in the face of hostile elements, historical change, and natural decay; at the same time he advocated abandoning waste and illusion in order to discover life's true essential needs. Thoreau was a lifelong abolitionist, delivering lectures that attacked the fugitive slave law while praising the writings of Wendell Phillips and defending the abolitionist John Brown. Thoreau's philosophy of civil disobedience later influenced the political thoughts and actions of notable figures such as Leo Tolstoy, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr. Thoreau is sometimes referred to as an anarchist. In "Civil Disobedience", Thoreau wrote: "I heartily accept the motto,—'That government is best which governs least;' and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically. Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which also I believe,—'That government is best which governs not at all;' and when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which they will have.... But, to speak practically and as a citizen, unlike those who call themselves no-government men, I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government." Pronunciation of his name Amos Bronson Alcott and Thoreau's aunt each wrote that "Thoreau" is pronounced like the word thorough ( THURR-oh—in General American, but more precisely THOR-oh—in 19th-century New England). Edward Waldo Emerson wrote that the name should be pronounced "Thó-row", with the h sounded and stress on the first syllable. Among modern-day American English speakers, it is perhaps more commonly pronounced thə-ROH—with stress on the second syllable. Physical appearance Thoreau had a distinctive appearance, with a nose that he called his "most prominent feature". Of his appearance and disposition, Ellery Channing wrote: His face, once seen, could not be forgotten. The features were quite marked: the nose aquiline or very Roman, like one of the portraits of Caesar (more like a beak, as was said); large overhanging brows above the deepest set blue eyes that could be seen, in certain lights, and in others gray,—eyes expressive of all shades of feeling, but never weak or near-sighted; the forehead not unusually broad or high, full of concentrated energy and purpose; the mouth with prominent lips, pursed up with meaning and thought when silent, and giving out when open with the most varied and unusual instructive sayings. Life Early life and education, 1817–1837 Henry David Thoreau was born David Henry Thoreau in Concord, Massachusetts, into the "modest New England family" of John Thoreau, a pencil maker, and Cynthia Dunbar. His father was of French Protestant descent. His paternal grandfather had been born on the UK crown dependency island of Jersey. His maternal grandfather, Asa Dunbar, led Harvard's 1766 student "Butter Rebellion", the first recorded student protest in the American colonies. David Henry was named after his recently deceased paternal uncle, David Thoreau. He began to call himself Henry David after he finished college; he never petitioned to make a legal name change. He had two older siblings, Helen and John Jr., and a younger sister, Sophia Thoreau. None of the children married. Helen (1812–1849) died at age 37, from tuberculosis. John Jr. (1814–1842) died at age 27, of tetanus after cutting himself while shaving. Henry David (1817–1862) died at age 44, of tuberculosis. Sophia (1819–1876) survived him by 14 years, dying at age 56, of tuberculosis. He studied at Harvard College between 1833 and 1837. He lived in Hollis Hall and took courses in rhetoric, classics, philosophy, mathematics, and science. He was a member of the Institute of 1770 (now the Hasty Pudding Club). According to legend, Thoreau refused to pay the five-dollar fee (approximately equivalent to $153 in 2023) for a Harvard master's diploma, which he described thus: Harvard College offered it to graduates "who proved their physical worth by being alive three years after graduating, and their saving, earning, or inheriting quality or condition by having Five Dollars to give the college". He commented, "Let every sheep keep its own skin", a reference to the tradition of using sheepskin vellum for diplomas. Thoreau's birthplace still exists on Virginia Road in Concord. The house has been restored by the Thoreau Farm Trust, a nonprofit organization, and is now open to the public. Return to Concord, 1837–1844 The traditional professions open to college graduates—law, the church, business, medicine—did not interest Thoreau,: 25 so in 1835 he took a leave of absence from Harvard, during which he taught at a school in Canton, Massachusetts, living for two years at an earlier version of today's Colonial Inn in Concord. His grandfather owned the earliest of the three buildings that were later combined. After he graduated in 1837, Thoreau joined the faculty of the Concord public school, but he resigned after a few weeks rather than administer corporal punishment.: 25 He and his brother John then opened the Concord Academy, a grammar school in Concord, in 1838.: 25 They introduced several progressive concepts, including nature walks and visits to local shops and businesses. The school closed when John became fatally ill from tetanus in 1842 after cutting himself while shaving. He died in Henry's arms. Upon graduation Thoreau returned home to Concord, where he met Ralph Waldo Emerson through a mutual friend. Emerson, who was 14 years his senior, took a paternal and at times patron-like interest in Thoreau, advising the young man and introducing him to a circle of local writers and thinkers, including Ellery Channing, Margaret Fuller, Bronson Alcott, and Nathaniel Hawthorne and his son Julian Hawthorne, who was a boy at the time. Emerson urged Thoreau to contribute essays and poems to a quarterly periodical, The Dial, and lobbied the editor, Margaret Fuller, to publish those writings. Thoreau's first essay published in The Dial was "Aulus Persius Flaccus", .... Discover the Henry Thoreau popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Henry Thoreau books.
Best Seller Henry Thoreau Books of 2024
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Boston Made
Dr. Robert M. Krim & Alan R. EarlsA fascinating look at how Boston became and remains a global center for innovationtold through 50 worldchanging inventions. “Robert Krim is a longtime champion of the Boston area’...
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50 Classic Autobiographies
Mark Twain & Charles DarwinAn anthology of 50 classic autobiographies with an active table of contents to make it easy to quickly find the book you are looking for.The Americanization of Edward Bok by Edward...
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American Canopy
Eric RutkowThis fascinating and groundbreaking work tells the remarkable story of the relationship between Americans and their trees across the entire span of our nation’s history. Like many ...
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Walden by henry david thoreau
Henry David Thoreau & AtoZ ClassicsWalden (also known as Life in the Woods) by Henry David Thoreau is one of the bestknown nonfiction books written by an American. Published in 1854, it details Thoreau's life fo...
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On the Wild Edge
David Petersen"Opinionated and iconoclastic, Petersen writes with humor and a wellhoned craft that will delight fans of Edward Abbey." Library Journal (starred review) Twentyfive years ago Da...
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Stark Mad Abolitionists
Robert K. Sutton & Bob DoleA town at the center of the United States becomes the site of an ongoing struggle for freedom and equality.In May, 1854, Massachusetts was in an uproar. A judge, bound by the Fugit...
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The Great Work of Your Life
Stephen CopeAn inspiring guide to finding your life’s purposewhat spiritual teachers call dharmathrough mindfulness and selfexploration. Stephen Cope says that in order to have a ...
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Collection of American Poetry
Various AuthorsTable of ContentsWilliam Cullen Bryant 17941878Stephen Crane 18711900Emily Dickinson 18301886T. S. Eliot 18881965Ralph Waldo Emerson 18031882Robert Frost 18741963Oliver Wendell Hol...
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The Selected Essays of Henry David Thoreau
Henry David ThoreauCollected here are nineteen essays by Henry David Thoreau. Thoreau was on of America's best known and most influential writers. His work has helped shape the American Discourse and...
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A Philosophy of Walking
Frédéric Gros, John Howe & Clifford HarperThis “passionate affirmation of the simple life” explores how walking has influenced history’s greatest thinkersfrom Henry David Thoreau and John Muir to Gandhi and Nietzsche (Obse...
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Works of Henry David Thoreau
Henry David ThoreauThis collection was designed for optimal navigation on iPad and other electronic devices. It is indexed alphabetically, chronologically and by category, making it easier to access...
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The Greatest Essays of Henry David Thoreau - 26 Influential Titles in One Edition
Henry David ThoreauHenry David Thoreau's collection of essays, titled 'The Greatest Essays of Henry David Thoreau 26 Influential Titles in One Edition', encapsulates the essence of Trans...
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7 best short stories by D. H. Lawrence
D. H. Lawrence & August NemoD.H. Lawrence is best known for his infamous novel 'Lady Chatterley's Lover,' which was banned in the United States until 1959. At the time of his death, his public rep...
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The Hunt for History
Nathan RaabNathan Raab, America’s preeminent rare documents dealer, delivers a “diverting account of treasure hunting in the fast lane” (The Wall Street Journal) that recounts his years as th...
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Walden
Henry David Thoreau & Bill McKibbenFirst published in 1854, Henry David Thoreau's groundbreaking book has influenced generations of readers and continues to inspire and inform anyone with an open mind and a love of ...
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Henry at Work
John Kaag & Jonathan van BelleWhat Thoreau can teach us about workingwhy we do it, what it does to us, and how we can make it more meaningfulHenry at Work invites readers to rethink how we work today by explori...
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Finding Margaret Fuller
Allison PatakiA “sweeping” (Entertainment Weekly) novel of America’s forgotten leading lady, the central figure of a movement that defined a nationfrom the New York Times bestselling author of T...
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HENRY THOREAU
Henry ThoreauA Coleção Vida e Pensamento apresenta a a vida e o legado de grandes pensadores que, através dos séculos, serão lembrados pela inteligência, sabedoria e alcance de seus ensinamento...
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Henry David Thoreau
Laura Dassow WallsThis acclaimed biography captures the inspiring life and philosophy of an influential American thinker: “a moving portrait of a brilliant, complex man” (The New York Times).Henry D...
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The Transcendentalists and Their World
Robert A. GrossOne of The Wall Street Journal's 10 best books of 2021One of Air Mail's 10 best books of 2021Winner of the Peter J. Gomes Memorial Book PrizeIn the year of the nation’s bicentennia...
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The Daily Henry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau“The sage of Walden Pond is himself in the mix with a quoteaday compendium from Thoreau biographer Laura Dassow Walls of some of his best observations.” Wall Street Journal“Live in...
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American Bloomsbury
Susan CheeverEven the most devoted readers of nineteenthcentury American literature often assume that the men and women behind the masterpieces were as dull and staid as the era's static daguer...
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The Book That Changed America
Randall FullerA compelling portrait of a unique moment in American history when the ideas of Charles Darwin reshaped American notions about nature, religion, science and race“A lively and inform...
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Quotable Thoreau
Henry David ThoreauQUOTABLE THOREAU An A to Z Glossary of Inspiring Quotes from Henry David Thoreau author of Walden and 'Civil Disobedience' covering a wide variety of subjects from Advice to Zan...
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The Complete Henry David Thoreau
Henry David ThoreauTHE COMPLETE WORKS! Essays, Collections, Poetry, Translations, Letters, Journal and Biographical Sketch. The Ultimate Collection of Henry David Thoreau In One Beautifully Formatte...
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Henry Thoreau
Robert D. Richardson, Jr.The two years Thoreau spent at Walden Pond and the night he spent in the Concord jail are among the most familiar features of the American intellectual landscape. In this new biogr...
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Essays of Henry David Thoreau - Walking
Henry David ThoreauThoreau challenges us will understand that man is part of nature, man being one of the most important aspects of its manifestation. Walking was originally submitted in one of h...
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Henry David Thoreau
Lawrence Buell"When I wrote the following pages, or rather the bulk of them, I lived alone, in the woods, a mile from any neighbor, in a house which I had built myself, on the shore of Walden Po...
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The Collected Works of Henry David Thoreau
Henry David ThoreauThe Collected Works of Henry David Thoreau is a collection of classic works by one of the greatest writers in history. The included works of Henry David Thoreau are Walden, Civil D...
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The Journal of Henry David Thoreau, 1837-1861
Henry David Thoreau, Damion Searls & John R. StilgoeThe largest onevolume edition of Thoreau’s 25year journal, with “some of the most vigorous and original prose in English” and insights into the origins of Walden and other works (W...
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The Collected Works of Henry David Thoreau
Henry David ThoreauThis comprehensive eBook presents the complete works or all the significant works the Œuvre of this famous and brilliant writer in one ebook easytoread and easytonavigate: Wald...