DescriptionWalden by American essayist and transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau was first published in 1854. It is a memoir that recounts Thoreau's time spent in a cabin near Waldon Pond, Massachusetts, which he considered an experiment in 'home economics' - a chance to escape civilisation, embark on spiritual discovery, and live simply and self-sufficiently. He spent two years, two months, and two days in the cabin, which he had built himself amongst woodland owned by his friend Ralph Waldo Emerson. The book contains information about the beginnings of the project, observations about nature, identifications of plants and animals, and philosophical musings on various subjects. Thoreau stresses the importance of solitude and closeness to nature, as well as the significance of self-reliance. Despite being considered by some to be a difficult book to read, Walden now stands as a celebrated work of literature.This book has 107,906 words, and was originally published in 1854.