Walden (Ethics (Ready Reference series))  The Work  Thoreau’s
two-year experiment of living at Walden Pond was on one level an
effort to determine whether a person really needed the material
possessions that were considered essential in mid-nineteenth
century America. His book demonstrated that one could attain the
good life by living in harmony with nature supplied only with
the bare necessities. The first chapter, entitled “Economy,”
demonstrates that human needs are few; thus, there is no need to
exploit nature to attain them. Much of the rest of the book
attacks the acquisitive spirit. At bottom, Thoreau argues,
materialistic values indicate not enterprise but a basic lack of
spiritual self-reliance. In Thoreau’s ethic, ownership of the
land is invalid. Humans should act as stewards rather than
squires.  Thoreau’s own love of nature is illustrated in the
intricate detail with which he describes the seasons, flora and
fauna, natural processes, and Walden Pond itself. If he measures
and documents, plumbs th