Ralph Waldo Emerson is one of the most important figures in American
nature writing, yet until now readers have had no book devoted to this central theme in his
work. "The Best Read Naturalist" fills this lacuna, placing several
of Emerson’s lesser-known pieces of nature writing in conversation with his canonical
essays. Organized chronologically, the thirteen selections--made up of sermons, lectures,
addresses, and essays--reveal an engagement with natural history that spanned Emerson’s
career. As we watch him grapple with what he called the "book of nature," a more
environmentally connected thinker emerges--a "green" Emerson deeply concerned with the
physical world and fascinated with the ability of science to reveal a correspondence between the
order of nature and that of the mind. "The Best Read Naturalist" illuminates the vital
influence that the study of natural history had on the development of Emerson’s mature
philosophy.
Copyright:
2017
Book Details
Book Quality:
Publisher Quality
ISBN-13:
9780813939537
Publisher:
University of Virginia Press
Date of Addition:
02/03/17
Copyrighted By:
the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia
