Introduction by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Commentary by Van Wyck Brooks and E. B. White
 
Naturalist, philosopher, champion of self-reliance and moral independence, Henry David Thoreau remains not only one of our most influential writers but also one of our most contemporary. This unique and comprehensive edition gathers all of Thoreau’s most significant works, including his masterpiece, Walden (reproduced in its entirety); A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers; selections from Cape Cod and The Maine Woods; as well as “Walking,” “Civil Disobedience,” “Slavery in Massachusetts,” “A Plea for Captain John Brown,” and “Life Without Principle.” Taken together, they reveal the astounding range, subtlety, artistry, and depth of thought of this true American original. 
 
Includes a Modern Library Reading Group Guide

With their call for "simplicity, simplicity, simplicity!," for self-honesty, and for harmony with nature, the writings of Henry David Thoreau are perhaps the most influential philosophical works in all American literature.
The selections in this volume represent Thoreau at his best. Included in their entirety are "Walden," his indisputable masterpiece, and his two great arguments for nonconformity, "Civil Disobedience" and "Life Without Principle," A lifetime of brilliant observation of nature--and of himself--is recorded in selections from "A Week On The Concord And Merrimack Rivers, Cape Cod, The Maine Woods" and "The Journal,"

"This book is like an invitation to life's dance."
--E. B. White