Every generation has its own unique heroes, thinkers, and leaders, but few have been as influential as Henry David Thoreau. Laura Dassow Walls' remarkable biography, "Henry David Thoreau: A Life," reveals the complex and storied life of one of America's most celebrated authors, while restoring his unique perspective to the history of human thought.
The book begins with a profile of Thoreau's early life in New England: the austere, religious home in which he was raised, his beloved childhood garden, and his troubled relationship with his first mentor. We learn of the whittling of his idealism as he matures, opting to become a trader instead of an artist or scientist, driven by the need to make a living. This chapter also paints a vivid portrait of the young Thoreau's own creative endeavors, including his first published discoveries in botany and science and his obsession with nature and the natural world.
As the book progresses, Walls fleshes out the details of Thoreau's life at Walden Pond—both the physical and philosophical. Here we learn of his rigorous experiments in self-sufficiency and his refusal to be tied down to the land, as well as his famously defiant stand against slavery. We gain insight into the writings he produced during his stint at Walden, as well as the relationships he forged there.
The most insightful section of the book is the fifth and final chapter, "Global Voices of Transcendentalism." Walls insightfully explores the evolution of Thoreau's ideas and his contributions to American philosophy and beyond. She illuminates his deep and abiding concern for the environment and how he made other thinkers and writers aware of their responsibilities to the natural world. She highlights Thoreau's conversations with other Transcendentalists, such as Waldo Emerson and even Karl Marx, and the connections they forged which changed the course of Western philosophy.
Walls' biography is crafted with national insight and respect for her subject, shedding light on Thoreau's life and works while preserving the dignity of his genius. We learn of Thoreau’s storied connections to Transcendentalism and of his unique blend of activism, writing, and experimentation. "Henry David Thoreau: A Life" provides an invaluable account of America’s greatest naturalist, environmentalist, and philosopher.
