Product Description
It's July 4, 1845. A soft-spoken young man named Henry David Thoreau has carefully constructed a small, simple cabin in the woods overlooking Walden Pond. For the next two years, his closest companions will be the chickadees, the woodchucks, and the quiet pines of the Walden Woods.

Henry is twenty-eight years old, and his life has not been easy. His brother John—his closest friend and companion—has died. The only woman he ever loved has rejected him. On this day he has come to Walden in search of truth—not the truth taught in schools or in church, but the truth he can feel dwelling deep within him.

Henry opens his journal and begins to write:

    I went to the woods because I wished to
    live deliberately, to front only the essential
    facts of life, and see if I could not
    learn what it had to teach, and not,
    when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.

Follow Henry into the woods and out again—through a courageous American life that has changed our world for the better.

For ages 12 and up. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

The Spirit of America
There is no other single person who represents the spirit of America's environmental and creative consciousness movement as does Henry David Thoreau. The Hausma's have done a considerable service of introducing the great man to children and young people and in an accessable manner. Let us all be reminded of the importance of nature.

A reminder to slow down
Reviewed by April Sullivan for Reader Views (08/06)

"A Mind With Wings" is a book for young readers about the life of Henry David Thoreau.It takes us from birth to death and includes all of the major events in between.We learn how Henry grew up in a family of free thinkers.We meet influential people in his life such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and John Brown.We learn of his setbacks and achievements such as getting thrown in jail, but turning it around into a lecture series.Using information from biographies on Henry David Thoreau as well as notes from his journal, the book gives readers an intimate peak into the life of this great American thinker.Henry David Thoreau was a son, a brother, a pencil-maker, a thinker, a writer, a naturalist, and so much more.

Any young reader asked to do a report or research paper on Thoreau should pick up this book.The authors know their audience.A timeline and glossary are included in the back for reference and the book is just long enough for the intended age group.

I was excited to read this book, because I have never been able to dive into "Walden", yet I wanted to get a sense of this man.After reading "A Mind With Wings", I have a better understanding of where he was coming from and feel better prepared to try reading "Walden".However, it goes beyond that.This book teaches lessons that all of us should practice.It reminds me that I need to slow down, take more walks in the woods, and get to know nature better.Henry also teaches us to follow our hearts and personal morals.If something seems wrong to you, don't do it.Stand up for what you believe in.Henry did all of these things, lived a full life, and died a peaceful man.

Reintroducing a Great Man
I read some of A Mind with Wings every night for a week to stretch it out. I enjoyed every minute of it. Thoreau has so much life to him in this book. The Hausmans chose just the right places to meet him and just the right tone for him to speak to us, grown ups and kids alike. And I learned a heck of a lot. I never knew so many of the things that were in the book; things it gave me pleasure to learn. I always loved HDT, but he seemed kind of old and dead in my mind. In this story he was young and lively and friendly. I hope this book introduces this man, who started nonviolent revolution and was a fearless abolitionist, to today's younger students. As a middle school teacher, I will bring this book into my class so my children can meet HDT in a way that they will think of him as a friend.

Lively fiction and thorough research reveals Thoreau's life and personality
The portrait of Henry David Thoreau written in "A Mind With Wings" is so good that I wanted to read Walden Pond again.The authors have done a great job of researching each detail and made this reclusive author turn into a real, warm-bodied human being whose writing is ever more accessible to me. I hope a great many others will also enjoy this new perspective of a great author.

FICTION, not biography
The Hausmans have reincarnated a technique popularized by YA biographies written in the mid-20th century -- that of presenting historical facts in the context of reconstructed conversation.It is hoped that the reader can differentiate between the two.In the old days, that kind of text was pulled off as gospel truth.Here the authors explain their craft in an opening note, maintaining that the dialogue in this book comes from Thoreau's own writings.Sure enough, it does.But even so, one has to wonder how close this presentation comes to reality.Gestures and actions are attached to the words that may not have been there to begin with.No one can provide a genuine transcript of his everyday life.

Otherwise:the chapters are short and follow titles like "The Name," "The Rebellion," "The Woods," and "The Pond."The main events of Thoreau's life unfold during his exchanges with friends and family members.The reading is easy and goes quickly.Appendices include a chronology, a glossary, and a bibliography to help novices better understand Thoreau and the time and place he lived in.I like the cover graphic quite a bit.And the title is based on a few lines from "To W.T. Scott," a poem by John Ciardi that devotes several stanzas to Thoreau.The Hausmans include those lines on an opening page (but not the full poem or even the title, which I had to find on my own).

My concern is that a young person will pick up this book and assume it to be a literal account of Thoreau's life.Busy librarians and bookstore clerks may even classify it as a biography in spite of the cataloging guidelines on the title page verso.Taken in the spirit of being fiction, it's OK, especially if it leads readers to more substantial works, like Harding's or Richardson's biographies or Thoreau's own essays and books. [This review is based on an advance reading copy.] ... Read more

Product Description
"This wonderful book is both a practical and a philosophical field guide to the natural gifts of the American countryside."—AudubonThe final harvest of our great nature writer’s last years, Wild Fruits presents Thoreau’s distinctly American gospel—a sacramental vision of nature in which "the tension between Thoreau the naturalist and Thoreau the missionary for nature’s wonders invigorates nearly every page" (Time). In transcribing the 150-year-old manuscript’s cryptic handwriting and complex notations, Thoreau specialist Bradley Dean has performed a "heroic feat of decipherment" (Booklist) to bring this great work to light. Readers will discover "passages that reach for the transcendentalist ideal of writing new scriptures, yet grounding this Bible in a vision of practical ecology" (Boston). Beautifully illustrated throughout with line drawings of the natural life Thoreau considers on his walks, Wild Fruits is "well worth any nature lover’s attention" (Christian Science Monitor). Illustrated with line drawingsAmazon.com Review
Henry David Thoreau was 44 years old when he died oftuberculosis in the early spring of 1862. He had acquired a measure ofnotoriety in his lifetime largely for his fervent support ofabolitionism and his refusal to pay taxes to support the American warof conquest against Mexico, the subject of his widely circulatedpamphlet CivilDisobedience. Closer to his hometown of Concord,Massachusetts, he was known as something of an eccentric who kept ahome in the woods and took long walks when the citizens of the townwere at work or church.

We scarcely know Thoreau better, writesarchivist and scholar Bradley Dean: we still remember him today forhaving spent time in jail and spinning philosophy out of the NewEngland woods. On the strength of this lost, and now published, finalmanuscript of Thoreau's, Dean would have us think of him as aprotoecologist, and for very good reason. In the last years of hislife, Thoreau resolved to learn better the science behind nature, andin Wild Fruits he collected the lore and facts surrounding theplants around his home, observing such things as the quantity ofchestnuts that local trees were producing, the myriad shapes of pinecones as they unfold, the taste of "fever bush," and the smell ofsweet gale.

The unfinished manuscript, cataloging dozens ofspecies, affords a fascinating glimpse into Thoreau's method as anamateur student of nature--a method worthy of close study andimitation. Dean adds greatly to it with his intelligent commentary,which revisits Thoreau's sources, corrects a few of his errors, andemphasizes the writer's importance to natural history andbelles-lettres alike. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

The unknown Thoreau
Like features on a face or shadows on the moon, what we remember most is the unusual, the unsmooth, the wart or the wrinkle. Thus, for most of us, our picture of Henry David Thoreau consists of parts of two years spent in a hut on Walden Pond, interrupted by a one night stay in jail. If a quote comes to mind it is likely to be the aphorism about those who march to the beat of a different drummer. A two year camp-out is not a life, emblematic or no, and though Thoreau's life was short (snuffed by tuberculosis at 44), there was a great deal more to his career than the shack on Walden pond. He supported himself as a surveyor, teacher and lecturer, and his naturalist writings were widely published throughout his life. He was a knowledgeable taxonomist and was conversant with naturalistic texts in Greek and Latin, as well as with his contemporary, Charles Darwin. WILD FRUITS was his last manuscript, still in the works at the time of his death, together with a sketchier companion volume on the Dispersion of Seeds. Painstakingly transcribed from the author's scribbled notes by Thoreau scholar Bradley Dean, this book is a walk through the fruiting season. We meet each fruit as it ripens, from the elm seed and dandelion fluff forward to the succulent berries of summer and on to the wizened fruits of winter, still clinging to branches long after their season has passed. Thoreau was an acute observer. His careful identification and description of each plant could not be improved upon today, and being closer to the European invasion, he had the benefit of Indian wisdom concerning the habit and uses of native plants. Most surprising to this reader, after many seasons spent hiking and canoeing in Thoreau's stompin' grounds, is the diversity of edible berries I have overlooked. I consider myself a "grazer," inclined to sample berries, fruits, nuts and mushrooms* in my travels, but I see that I have much to learn (and nibble). All of the author's observations are interwoven with commentary on the habits of humans and animals, most particularly the damage being done to the natural world by thoughtless developers and badly conceived laws. Once again Thoreau proves deserving of his reputation as the progenitor of modern environmentalism. His voice rings true and clear across the 20th Century.

Reference on Fruits of New England
This book is a collection of notes concerning the timing of various fruits that grow in and around Concord, Massachusetts. The word "fruit" is used very generally, and not all the "fruits" in the book are wild, since Thoreau includes comments about corn, potatoes, and other crops in the book, as well as about weeds and trees that produce seeds, such as maples.The book is comprised of articles that run from 1 or 2 sentences to 20 pages, depending on how much Thoreau has to say about the topic.The articles are arranged chronologically, according to when the "fruit" first ripens, beginning with elm seeds in May and ending with juniper berries in March.While some of the articles are accompanied by black-and-white sketches, they do not generally have enough information for readers to use the book as a guide for identifying plants.Rather, the book provides notes about the growth habits and ecology of plants. In addition to Thoreau's Wild Fruit material, there is also an introduction by the editor, Bradley Dean, and end material, including a selection of related passages (alternate beginning to Wild Fruits, the history of the apple tree, notes on the dispersion of seeds), a Thoreau chronology, a short glossary of botanical terms, a few black and white plates of Thoreau's manuscripts, editor's notes on the manuscript, a list of works cited, and an index.

This work represents the most detailed and systematic collection of Thoreau's naturalist observations.Even though the work is primarily about fruits, Thoreau still manages to slip a little philosophy in here and there.In his own introduction, he writes "The value of any experience is measured, of course, not by the amount of money, but the amount of development we get out of it." In his essay "Wild Apples," he writes "There is thus about all natural products a certain volatile and ethereal quality which represents their highest value, and which cannot be vulgarized, or bought and sold."Later, in an essay concerning cranberries, he notes "Both a conscious and an unconscious life are good; neither is good exclusively, for both have the same source.The wisely conscious life springs out of an unconscious suggestion....Indeed, it is by obeying the suggestions of a higher light within you that you escape from yourself and, in the transit, as it were see with the unworn sides of your eye, travel totally new paths." It's a fascinating book for readers of Thoreau, and would make a great reference for those interested in learning more details about the ecology of wild New England plants than can be found in common field guides.

The Everyday Observations of a Naturalist
What could be more pedestrian than the fruits (talking broadly) of plants - such fruits that include grains of wheat, hips of wild roses, apples, blueberries, etc.We may enjoy some of them as taste treats, but most of us ignore the everyday development of fruit from flower.The flowers are more noticed, except for some ornamental types like hollies.Yet the fruit and/or seeds of plants are amazing structures, many evolved to be carried by the wind, floated on water, eaten by animals or inadvertently carried by same through the devices of spines or hooks.In addition the seeds, surrounded by fleshy fruits or not, are little wonders- holding within them the promise of new growth.It always amazes me a little when I plant a seed and in a few weeks or months I have in its place a tall corn plant or tomato!Oaks are in acorns and tall pines in the seeds shed from their cones.

The long lost manuscript of Henry David Thoreau has now been published as "Wild Fruits", edited by Bradley P. Dean and elegantly illustrated by Abigail Rorer.It is a gem!Thoreau recorded his observations and thoughts about every sort of fruit and seed he encountered in New England, including the domesticated or semi-domesticated types.Occasionally he goes on about some favored fruit, such as the apple, explaining some of the folklore and history.In essence, especially in this troubled world, it is a great pleasure to read about these amazing, but everyday, objects of nature.

A good book to read and savor, I recommend it as an antidote to the hurried and harried lives we often live.

More Works and Genius of Thoreau Revealed
First things first, as they say. Very appropriately, other reviews have started with a heart felt admiration and thanks to Bradley Dean and all of his associates for this monumental accomplishment of editing and bringing this "Last Manuscript" to fruition.No easy task, either. Included in this book are photo copies oforiginal handwritten pages from the manuscript.Thinkofthe proverbial Doctor's scribbling and you get the picture. The research required to make sense of it all and get it to book form was monumental. Also included is an overview ofhow this project was handled with significant editor's notes and further research info and a chronology of Thoreau's life. For more info on Thoreau's life and work, there is a note to readers that invites all to check out the Walden Project or the Thoreau Society website (www.walden.org).

This book mostly reads like a botanist's field guide to wild edible plants with very exacting seasonal attributes: uses- edible, medicinal, etc.; locating/identifying/gathering/processing. Fine plant illustrations by Abigail Rorer compliment the plant descriptions.

Added to this and sprinkled throughout the book are Thoreau's thoughts and keen insight to the workings of nature and the need of the public to be educated on the virtues of native flora/fauna. Thoreau posits on the need for large tracks of land (like nature islands) to be set aside in their pristine/untouched/native condition for the protection and health of plant and animal life.

This book is not a sequel toThoreau`s "Walden", rather, it stands on it's own as a great illustration of his profound knowledge of flora/fauna and for his admiration and love of Nature for all that it provides- "To watch for, describe, all the divine features which I detect in Nature. My profession is to be always on the alert to find God in nature-to know his lurking places". Thoreau certainly lived up to that aspiration and more! I highly recommend this book.

Wild at Heart
Do we have a preference for our Thoreau?ABSOLUTELY!But even the adulterated varietal will do in a pinch.The long lost diary of HD's romps in the woods serve well to remind us why some fruits are forbidden.Thoreau's posthumously edited musings over cattails, gladiolas, and other seductive succulents put the reader in the mood, apparently, for wanton strolls in a wooded glen savoring everything from unbridalled grapes (of wrath?) to the odd jack-in-the-pulpit.'Tis better to give than to receive and this new work by an old friend makes a great gift when you want it known that you are in the mood for fruit more private than Publix. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

WHAT A WONDEFUL BOOK TO PONDER UPON
If you can find a copy of this one still in print, it is well work the price.This is a large size book filled with wonderful photographs, most in color, from around our wonderful country.The theme of coure, being nature.The text, found on each page, is quotes from Henry David Thoreau, from poetry to his journal entries.The text goes quite well with the photographs.This is a great books to flip through on a rainy afternoon.Recommend this one highly. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from GeneralBooksClub.com. You can also preview excerpts from the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Original Published by: Houghton, Mifflin and Company in 1887 in 100 pages; Subjects: Trees; Apples; Apple; Biography & Autobiography / Literary; Juvenile Nonfiction / Biography & Autobiography / Literary; Literary Criticism / American / General; Nature / Trees & Forests; Science / Life Sciences / Botany; ... Read more

Product Description
This collection includes: The Transmigration of the Seven Brahmans, Civil Disobedience, Life Without Principle, A Plea for Captain John Brown, and Slavery in Massachusetts ... Read more

Product Description
Publisher: Boston Houghton MifflinPublication date: 1916Subjects: Canoes and canoeingMaine -- Description and travelPiscataquis County (Me.) -- Description and travelNotes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be numerous typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Product Description
Publisher: Houghton, Mifflin and companyPublication date: 1890Subjects: Literary Criticism / GeneralLiterary Criticism / American / GeneralNature / GeneralNature / EssaysNotes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Product Description
Volume two of the Journal includes Thoreau's extensive reminiscences of his 1839 excursion with his brother John along the Concord and Merrimack rivers and all his first impressions and observations entered in journals during the famous Walden sojourn. Collectively, these journals illustrate the middle stage of Thoreau's literary career--a stage noteworthy for his "devotion to the mastery of his craft" as evidenced by the progressive, intermingled drafts of A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers and Walden, "Thomas Carlyle and His Works," "Wendell Phillips Before Concord Lyceum," and "Ktaadn, and the Maine Woods." More than half of the material presented in Journal 2 is previously unpublished. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
An anthology of writings from one of America's most famous naturalists and political activists.Contains "Walden", "Civil Disobedience", "Life Without Principle" and the unpublished "Reform and the Reformers".Preface gives a brief biography. ... Read more

Product Description
One of America's best-loved writers is paired with photography of a wholly unique artist.

Nothing must be postponed. Take time by the forelock. Now or never! You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment...

The essays of Henry David Thoreau resonate with a love for life, nature, and simplicity. But his concern for the natural world and passion for living life to its fullest are perhaps best illustrated in his rarely read journals. Encompassing the whole of his writing career, these journals convey a startling insight, zest for life, and admiration for the power of the individual.

This breathtaking book combines selected journal entries -many never before published - with the poignant, ethereal photography of internationally renowned photographer John Dugdale. Developed using an early photographic process, these unique cyanotypes echo the beauty of a time forgotten and the strength and spirit of one of America's best-loved writers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great quotes and pictures
I would recommend this for some one looking to explore some of Thoreau without tripping over some of his verboeness.He has great pearls of wisdom for which you must hunt in his full works.Mind you that is worth it.However, this books has many all in one to view quickly.Also a great book to get the meditative juices flowing.

SIGHT BEYOND THE PHYSICAL
It is obvious that the present day photographer, John Dugdale, has been greatly influenced by the 19th century Transcendentalist writer, Henry David Thoreau.In this superb book of Dugdale's photographs and selections from Thoreau's journals, it is as if the writings were done specifically for the images, not over 100 years previously.

Dugdale has, for many years, been one of my favorite photographers.He uses a process for printing his photographs called cyanotype which was invented during the time that Thoreau lived and worked.The wonderful elegance and simplicity of his subjects and images fits perfectly with Thoreau's philosophies of life.Dugdale, because of HIV, is 80% blind, but, somehow, uses what sight he has combined with a pure spirituality and sight beyond the physical to create images of rare beauty.

So, we see a single rose alongside these words of Thoreau:"Love is the burden of all Nature's odes..."A still-life of flowers, two birds, which may be made of milk glass, and a human hand are viewed with Thoreau's "Perhaps what most moves us in winter is some reminiscence of far-off summer...;" a solitary man with one hand against an old, tall tree by a pond and a field are perfect for Thoreau's "Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each..."And perhaps most moving of all, part of the back of a nude man is used with Thoreau's "My life was ecstasy.In youth, before I lost any of my senses, I can remember that I was all alive, and inhabited my body with inexpressible satisfaction..."

The book begins with two short, wonderfully written appreciations of the artists by Frank Crocitto.

This collection is magnificent beyond any contemporary words.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from the publisher's website (GeneralBooksClub.com). You can also preview excerpts of the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Volume: 15; Original Publisher: Houghton, Mifflin and Company; Publication date: 1906; Subjects: Biography ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more