Two years, two months and two days! This is what forms the time line of one man's quest for the simple life and a unique social experiment in complete self reliance and independence. Henry David Thoreau published Walden in 1884. Originally drafted as a series of essays describing a most significant episode in his life, it was finally released in book form with each essay taking on the form of a separate chapter.
Thoreau's parents were in financial straights, but rich intellectually and culturally. The young Henry was educated in the best of schools in their home town, Concord,...