Walden Then Now

"I hear a song sparrow singing from the bushes on the shore." --Henry David Thoreau, Walden Henry David Thoreau was an author and naturalist whose book WALDEN still inspires readers today. In it Thoreau documented his experience living in a cabin on Walden Pond, reflecting on the beauty of nature and Mother Earth. Much of his writing, including WALDEN, propelled the environmental movement that exists today. Over one hundred and fifty years later, Michael McCurdy pays tribute to this influential figure and the historic place that inspired Thoreau during his lifetime. In WALDEN THEN & NOW, readers take an alphabetical journey around Walden Pond. McCurdy explores Thoreau’s simple life in his cabin surrounded by nature, and highlights what has changed and what has stayed the same from Thoreau’s time to our own. Readers discover the animals, plants, seasons, and thoughts that Thoreau recorded during his life on the pond as they gain an appreciation for nature and environmentalism. McCurdy’s beautiful wood engravings illustrate this celebration of the joy, solitude, and drama of the natural life of Walden Pond—then and now.

One of the most influential and compelling books in American literature, Walden is a vivid account of the years that Henry D. Thoreau spent alone in a secluded cabin at Walden Pond. This edition--introduced by noted American writer John Updike--celebrates the perennial importance of a classic work, originally published in 1854. Much of Walden's material is derived from Thoreau's journals and contains such engaging pieces from the lively "Where I Lived, and What I Lived For" and "Brute Neighbors" to the serene "Reading" and "The Pond in the Winter." Other famous sections involve Thoreau's visits with a Canadian woodcutter and with an Irish family, a trip to Concord, and a description of his bean field. This is the complete and authoritative text of Walden--as close to Thoreau's original intention as all available evidence allows. This is the authoritative text of Walden and the ideal presentation of Thoreau's great document of social criticism and dissent.

Discover the essential thinking tools you’ve been missing with The Great Mental Models series by Shane Parrish, New York Times bestselling author and the mind behind the acclaimed Farnam Street blog and “The Knowledge Project” podcast. This first book in the series is your guide to learning the crucial thinking tools nobody ever taught you. Time and time again, great thinkers such as Charlie Munger and Warren Buffett have credited their success to mental models–representations of how something works that can scale onto other fields. Mastering a small number of mental models enables you to rapidly grasp new information, identify patterns others miss, and avoid the common mistakes that hold people back. The Great Mental Models: Volume 1, General Thinking Concepts shows you how making a few tiny changes in the way you think can deliver big results. Drawing on examples from history, business, art, and science, this book details nine of the most versatile, all-purpose mental models you can use right away to improve your decision making and productivity. This book will teach you how to: Avoid blind spots when looking at problems. Find non-obvious solutions. Anticipate and achieve desired outcomes. Play to your strengths, avoid your weaknesses, … and more. The Great Mental Models series demystifies once elusive concepts and illuminates rich knowledge that traditional education overlooks. This series is the most comprehensive and accessible guide on using mental models to better understand our world, solve problems, and gain an advantage.

Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves - and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives - and destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization and helped make us who we are. Thoreau's account of his solitary and self-sufficient home in the New England woods remains an inspiration to the environmental movement - a call to his fellow men to abandon their striving, materialistic existences of 'quiet desperation' for a simple life within their means, finding spiritual truth through awareness of the sheer beauty of their surroundings.

Henry David Thoreau's Walden is a philosophical treatise that documents the author's experiences living alone in the woods for two years, two months, and two days. Through his observations of nature, human society, and his own self, Thoreau explores themes of individualism, self-reliance, and the importance of simplicity. In Walden, Thoreau argues that people should simplify their lives and focus on the essentials. He believes that living in harmony with nature and minimizing one's material possessions can lead to a more fulfilling life. Thoreau also critiques societal norms and institutions, such as the government and the education system, which he believes stifle creativity and individual thought. Thoreau's writing style in Walden is poetic and reflective, often blurring the line between fact and fiction. He uses his experiences in the woods as a lens through which to examine deeper philosophical questions, such as the meaning of life and the role of the individual in society. In On the Duty of Civil Disobedience, Henry David Thoreau argues that individuals have a moral obligation to resist unjust laws and government actions through nonviolent means. Thoreau's ideas about civil disobedience were influential in the movements for civil rights and social justice in the 20th century. Thoreau believes that individuals should not blindly obey the law, but instead use their own judgement to determine what is right and wrong. He argues that a person's conscience should take precedence over the law, and that disobedience can be a powerful tool for effecting change. Thoreau's essay is particularly critical of the United States government and its actions, including the Mexican-American War and the institution of slavery. He argues that individuals have a duty to resist these injustices, even if it means breaking the law. Despite his advocacy for civil disobedience, Thoreau emphasizes the importance of nonviolence. He argues that violence only begets more violence, and that peaceful resistance can be more effective in creating lasting change. On the Duty of Civil Disobedience is a powerful statement about the importance of individual conscience and the need to resist injustice. Thoreau's ideas about civil disobedience continue to inspire activists and advocates for social justice today.

Tillie Walden's Eisner Award winning graphic memoir Spinning captures what it’s like to come of age, come out, and come to terms with leaving behind everything you used to know. It was the same every morning. Wake up, grab the ice skates, and head to the rink while the world was still dark. Weekends were spent in glitter and tights at competitions. Perform. Smile. And do it again. She was good. She won. And she hated it. For ten years, figure skating was Tillie Walden’s life. She woke before dawn for morning lessons, went straight to group practice after school, and spent weekends competing at ice rinks across the state. Skating was a central piece of her identity, her safe haven from the stress of school, bullies, and family. But as she switched schools, got into art, and fell in love with her first girlfriend, she began to question how the close-minded world of figure skating fit in with the rest of her life, and whether all the work was worth it given the reality: that she, and her friends on the team, were nowhere close to Olympic hopefuls. The more Tillie thought about it, the more Tillie realized she’d outgrown her passion—and she finally needed to find her own voice. This title has Common Core connections. A New York City Public Library Notable Best Book for Teens A Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2017 A 2018 YALSA Great Graphic Novel A 2017 Booklist Youth Editors' Choice

On the Duty of Civil Disobedience: This is Thoreau's classic protest against government's interference with individual liberty. One of the most famous essays ever written, it came to the attention of Gandhi and formed the basis for his passive resistance movement.