Originally published in 1854, Walden; or, Life in the Woods, is a vivid account of the time Henry D. Thoreau lived alone in an isolated cabin on Walden Pond. It is one of the most influential and compelling books in American literature. This new paperback edition, presented by well-known American writer John Updike, celebrates the 150th anniversary of this classic work. Much of Walden's material is derived from Thoreau's diaries and contains such interesting pieces as "Reading" and "The Pond in Winter." Other famous sections include Thoreau's visits with a Canadian lumberjack and an Irish family, a trip to Concord, and a description. from his field of beans. This is Walden's full and authoritative text, as close to Thoreau's original intent as all available evidence allows. For the student and the general reader, this is the ideal presentation of Thoreau's great document of social criticism and dissent.