Ralph Waldo Emerson: Selected Essays, Lectures and Poems Mass Market Paperback – September 1, 1990

I studied Emerson and Thoreau together in college. I admire them both. Thoreau is the extreme part of my spirit while Emerson -even attuned with Thoreau's ideas - seemed to be more parctical, more linked to the day-by-day reality. I am really enjoying this book.

The book is a little small in size, but, it is enjoyable to read.It takes sometimes reading the material twice to digest the information and taking it in, to process the writing. It is a classic book and feel it would benefit any and all that are interesting in nature and "god in nature." Better to be in the mood to read these writings rather than forcing one's self to read it when not in the right frame of mind to be receive the writing.Be open to the the spiritual side of nature and beauty it beholds for our everyday healing of the rat race life we live.Be of good cheer and kindness, and know we go back into the one mind of the universe of nature and we move to the next dimension.God is within all of us. We are part of nature.

Great book

Very insightful

I discovered Emerson at age 34, and it was like coming home. I have always been, I guess, a natural "transcendentalist". In other words, I instinctively and intuitively fell into a transcendentalist mindset and way of thinking without ever having read any. So I've read Thoreau and Annie Dillard and frankly can't stand either of them. I find them a little strained. Emerson, to me at least, is a different story. He writes like a god. He writes with authority, poetry and insight. He, to me, is worlds apart from someone like Dillard...hard to say exactly how. I just know that his writing is brilliant, brilliant...free, courageous, honest. A big part of it for me is his passionate and deep understanding of God coupled with his rejection of "corpse-cold" religion. If you are a seeker, if you have an open mind, you will find few better than this.

This collection from Ralph Waldo Emerson consists of some of his more popular and influential writings, such as his lectures, speeches, essays, and poems. The writings are broken down into specific time periods of Emerson’s life. I think that above all this collection is illustrative of how deep and insightful thinker Emerson was into the human experience. Obviously, Emerson was one of the leading figures of Transcendentalism (and that is reflected in this work as Nature is a continual theme), but I think that many of his points and reflections extend beyond past just one particular period or philosophical movement.I think what I appreciate most from this collection are all the philosophical nuggets of wisdom and food for thought that Emerson provides and instills into the reader. And, while I think the reader will latch onto and identify with specific pieces and passages more than others, I think there is something here for everyone to find some inspiration from.There are so many “quotables” in this collection. I always have felt that “Self-Reliance” was a powerful and thought-provoking essay and contains within it many points and reflections on living, avoiding conformity, and maintaining one’s independence:“It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.”“Whoso would be a man, must be a nonconformist…”His essay “Pray Without Ceasing” speaks of the individual continually striving to overcome life’s pitfalls to maintain a positivity:“Cast away this sickly despair that eats into the soul debarred from high events…Beware of easy assent to false opinion, to low employment, to small vices…”Also included in the collection are such popular works as “Nature”, “The American Scholar” and “The Poet” as well as an essay on Thoreau. Some of the poems included are “Concord Hymn”, “The Snow Storm” and “The Sphinx” among others.This is the type of book to read when you unplug technology, get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday living and life’s demands, and just want to escape into solitude, reflection, and nature. Emerson offers some insightful thoughts and reflections for living.

I bought this thinking it would be a good way to get to know the author through his short works but I guess I need to be an english major or in an English composition class 'cause I didn't get past a few pages. I'm still trying tho.

Excellent writer, good ideas, but verbose to the extreme. I would enjoy Emerson if his flowery dialogues were to the point. Instead he endlessly adds so much snow to fill fill up a chapter that some of his brilliant thoughts are dulled. In my opinion most of the chapters could have been reduced to a page or two. If you like long conversations with people who endlessly drone on to make their point; if you enjoy long winded discussions, Emerson will entertain you.Dr. Raymond DuRussel

Man muss sich wirklich Zeit nehmen, um zu verstehen, was Emerson meint. Vor allem, wenn man kein English Native ist, muss man einige Abschnitte mehrfach lesen. Was man dafür bekommt, ist geballte Weisheit und dafür lohnt es sich allemale!

Good but Very small book.The Book should be bigger so that the letters can be printed big

Received a damaged copy. The paper quality is also quite poor. I have to repurchase as they did not agree to replace the book but only refund.

Excellent book...

A very difficult book few lines of a page make sence