Henry David Thoreau and Michael Meyer - Walden and Civil Disobedience

Walden, by Henry David Thoreau, is Thoreau's philosophy of life and his quest for individuality in the world. The book is really nothing more than common sense written eloquently. Thoreau's rants are sometimes thought provoking, but his opinions are often unfounded and narrow-minded. I, personally, even found him somewhat insulting. The author's meandering writing style is unique, but his philosophy and opinions are not. He even contradicts himself. In his book he stresses individuality, but he is really just a disciple of Emerson's transcendentalist beliefs. His book is comparable to some of Emerson's work, but I found Emerson's work to be much more intellectually stimulating. So, the bottom line is, if you want someone telling you obvious statements about life (for example: "I borrowed an axe, and returned it to the owner sharper than i left it.", or "Simplicity, Simplicity, Simplicity"), then read this book. Otherwise, I would do a more constructive activity with your time, such as working on toenail hygiene.