Top tags: philosophy, nature, classic, memoir, non-fiction (all tags)
“What a great classic. Loved his explorations into the extreme of debt-free self-reliant living. Beautiful text to read; some great one-liners in there. Some of it reads slow, but worth the time investment.”
“This was a book I studied when I first went back to school as an adult. There was just too much that I didn't agree with Thoreau about. It is easy to live in the woods when you borrow the right to live on someone else's land (I think it was Hawthorne's) and then you borrow your tools from your neighbors! I don't think I would have liked Mr. Thoreau.”
“Have you been bombarded by complete strangers who wanted to know, after you have written a review, and/or made comments expressing your opinion of a book, whether they should read this book? And it isn't that they took the time to see who you are, then ask in a note, no, they just spammed you and everyone else on Shelfari who has said book on shelf. Does this irriate you? If so, you can do something about it: you can contact either of the two Shelfari reps below, or better yet, you can contact both of them and ask them to please remove the new and annoying feature that allows this spamming!http://www.shelfari.com/amandahttp://www.shelfari.com/timothygray”
“If I could only own and only be allowed to read one book for the rest of my life, this one would be it. Line after line speaks to my soul. I think of Thoreau's spirit and his words when I feel my life going off track, or feel that I'm losing connection with the thngs that matter in life. Every edition I own of this book has scribbled marginal notations throughout such as "so true," and "so important." I'll just share one such passage, from the first chapter, "Economy": "The greater part of what my neighbors call good, I believe in my soul to be bad, and if I repent of anything, it is very likely to be my good behavior. What demon possessed me that I behaved so well? You may say the wisest thing you can, old man--you who have lived seventy years, not without honor of a kind--I hear an irresistable voice whch invites me away from all that. One generation abandons the enteprises of another like stranded vessels." It's easy to get stuck in the past, to resent the movement forward of ideas, experiences, social accomodations. But it's wrong. ”
“dirt as home, not dirt at home:) i mean a common man philosopher. i guess the common man is too busy with his hands in the dirt, or what ever it is he does to keep body and soul together...”
“:) who wants to look at dirt at home? All we have to do is look in the mirror or over the fence. Sometimes it's just nice to see it from a vacation point of view maybe that's why they call it "literature"? Oh forgot to add that I'm still wandering around in those woods just like everyone else---I'may have taken to many of those "roads less traveled". :) But on a serious note I think later in life Thoreau did take an extended wilderness trip and it scared him so bad he came back to really appreciate us normal everyday lost folks. :)”
“should have read philosopher who looks at dirt...”