Walden

"Walden" is a book written by Henry David Thoreau, published in 1854. It is a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings. It details Thoreau's experiences over the course of two years, two months, and two days in a cabin he built near Walden Pond, Massachusetts. The book is part personal declaration of independence, social experiment, voyage of spiritual discovery, satire, and—to some degree—a manual for self-reliance. It extols the virtues of solitude, contemplation, and nature as a means to create a more meaningful life.