WALKING Review
Thoreau is always amazing regardless of which work I read. Walking is a great short read with numerous valuable ideas which aid in one's thinking. Whether you agree or disagree with Thoreau, you will be conditioned to think for yourself and decide what is best for you, making life all that much better. I highly recommend this book to any "Outdoor Philosopher".
Josh
WALKING Overview
"WALKING
by Henry David Thoreau
I wish to speak a word for Nature, for absolute freedom and wildness, as
contrasted with a freedom and culture merely civil--to regard man as
an inhabitant, or a part and parcel of Nature, rather than a member
of society. I wish to make an extreme statement, if so I may make
an emphatic one, for there are enough champions of civilization: the
minister and the school committee and every one of you will take care of
that.
I have met with but one or two persons in the course of my life who
understood the art of Walking, that is, of taking walks--who had a
genius, so to speak, for SAUNTERING, which word is beautifully derived
"from idle people who roved about the country, in the Middle Ages, and
asked charity, under pretense of going a la Sainte Terre," to the Holy
Land, till the children exclaimed, "There goes a Sainte-Terrer," a
Saunterer, a Holy-Lander. They who never go to the Holy Land in their
walks, as they pretend, are indeed mere idlers and vagabonds; but they
who do go there are saunterers in the good sense, such as I mean. Some,
however, would derive the word from sans terre without land or a home,
which, therefore, in the good sense, will mean, having no particular
home, but equally at home everywhere. For this is the secret of
successful sauntering. He who sits still in a house all the time may be
the greatest vagrant of all; but the saunterer, in the good sense, is
no more vagrant than the meandering river, which is all the while
sedulously seeking the shortest course to the sea. But I prefer the
first, which, indeed, is the most probable derivation. For every walk is
a sort of crusade, preached by some Peter the Hermit in us, to go forth
and reconquer this Holy Land from the hands of the Infidels..."
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Customer Reviews
This book is a "must read" classic. - S. M. School - Woodbridge, VA USA
This charming little book catches the essence of Thoreau. This is a new publication of an well-worn and inspiring little book. If you think you just dont't "get" Thoreau, just try this book.
Great essay but... - Robert L. Murphy - Salt Lake City
This is one of Thoreau's best essays. But you can find it free in about fifty places on the internet.
A true classic on your kindle - Gene Bowker - Aiken, SC
I've always loved Walden and Thoreau's other books. The Kindle makes it easy to take it with you. When you are out walking you can have Thoreau's classic words with you.
The book is great, no noticed typos in the book.
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Sep 08, 2010 12:19:05
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