The Illustrated Walden: Thoreau Bicentennial Edition

In 2017, it will be the bicentennial of Thoreau’s birth. This book is a special edition to commemorate that occasion. It has original illustrations like the first edition of this classic book.

Most of us were required to read Walden in high school, and I can only imagine that it is due to the limited imagination of school teachers who do not understand what an anti-capitalistic, anti-materialistic book that it is. Thoreau spent two years living simply at Walden Pond on land owned by his friend, Emerson. He relied on others for borrowed plows and other necessary things while he prided himself on living on around $60 per year. Much of this book seems like a rant against all of us in our day-to-day endeavors. Upon re-reading, a reader might feel that Thoreau did not like people all that much, particularly older people whose useless lives made their advice meaningless. That being said, economy, thrift, and sustainable living are now becoming fashionable once again. If Thoreau had only instructed us in these principles, this book would still be a classic.