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Walden Life In The Woods is an account of the two years the author spent in the wilderness. It was an experiment in independence and self-reliance. Summary Of The Book Henry David Thoreau was an advocate of simple living and identifying with nature. As an experiment in life away from the comforts of civilization, he lived for two years in the wilderness near the Walden Pond. This experience is recorded in Walden Life In The Woods. During this period, he is not completely isolated, he is just a few kilometers away from the town of Concord. He builds a small house on land belonging to his friends, Mrs. and Mr. Ralph Waldo Emerson. In exchange, he clears a piece of land for them, and occasionally does some small jobs for them. He cultivates a bean field, and sells the beans to make some money to buy the things he needs. He lives in a simple and austere fashion, just fulfilling his basic needs of food, shelter and clothing. For recreation he reads, but mostly, he observes nature and enjoys her company in every aspect. He listens to the sounds of the animals and birds, he enjoys the beautiful scenery around his hut. These include the sight of the pond that freezes over in the winter and melts and flows again in the spring. He keeps a meticulous record of accounts, noting down his earnings and expenditures. He also records his impressions and interpretations of the sights he sees. He describes the passing of seasons and the various changes they bring, and their influence on animal life. Walden Life In The Woods celebrates individualism and self-sufficiency, and a simple lifestyle. Though the author chooses to live in isolation for two years, he is not averse to human society. He often entertains visitors to his house and sometimes visits his friends in the nearby town. He also takes care to stress that at the time of the book’s publication, he is back in town and living among other people. The time he spent near the Walden Pond was an experiment to demonstrate the ideas he believed in. About Henry David Thoreau Henry David Thoreau was an American author, naturalist, abolitionist and transcendentalist. Other works by this author include A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers, A Walk to Wachusett, Slavery in Massachusetts, The First and Last Journeys of Thoreau, The Fall of the Leaf, and Wild Apples: The History of the Apple Tree. Henry David Thoreau was born in Concord, Massachusetts in 1817. He opposed slavery and was an abolitionist. His friendship with Ralph Waldo Emerson greatly influenced his views and his writing. His famous essay, Civil Disobedience, later inspired leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi in their protest against injustice and oppression. He died of tuberculosis at the age of 44.