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Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson Audiobook
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Publisher Description
Here in one volume are both the Essays: First Series and Essays: Second Series from one of the most influential philosophers in American history.
Although Ralph Waldo Emerson, perhaps America’s most famous philosopher, did not wish to be referred to as a transcendentalist, he is nevertheless considered the founder of this major movement of nineteenth-century American thought. Emerson was influenced by a liberal religious training; theological study; personal contact with the Romanticists Coleridge, Carlyle, and Wordsworth; and a strong indigenous sense of individualism and self-reliance. Emerson’s best work was done between 1836 and 1860, a period which includes his famous Essays.
These essays contain his most important writing and radiate with sensitivity and wonder. Here Emerson’s prose shows him to be both a vigorous thinker and a profound mystic, a man of exquisite feeling combined with stern moral fiber. His strong love of retirement from life, contemplation of the sublime and the mystic, his self-reliance, and his strong character left their stamp not only on such writers as Thoreau, Whitman, and Emily Dickinson but also on the American character at large.
This collection includes the following:
First Series:
- History
- Self-Reliance
- Compensation
- Spiritual Laws
- Love
- Friendship
- Prudence
- Heroism
- The Over-Soul
- Circles
- Intellect
- Art
Second Series:
- The Poet
- Experience
- Character
- Manners
- Gifts
- Nature
- Politics
- Nominalist and Realist
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"Okay, the truth is I haven't really read much of Emerson since college, but it impressed me greatly then, and I think he is a must-read in American lit. When I have run across Emerson in the years since, I have not been disappointed. He still resounds with me."
— Maureen (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Emerson’s Essays proclaim the self-reliance of a man who believed himself representative of all men since he felt himself intuitively aware of God’s universal truths. He spoke to a nineteenth century that was ready for an emphasis on individualism and responsive to a new optimism that linked God, nature, and man into a magnificent cosmos…Scholars have written innumerable articles and books attempting to account for Emerson’s influence—which continues to be profound—on American thought. If agreement is ever reached, it seems likely that it will involve acceptance of the claim that Emerson, whatever his value as a philosopher, gave stirring expression to the American faith in the creative capacity of the individual soul.”
— Masterpieces of World Literature
Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson Listener Reviews
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" Read "Self-Reliance" and "The Over-soul" for class. I really liked Emerson's ideas and his writing style (much more than Thoreau). I especially liked "The Over-soul." "
— ♫♥LEXI♥♫, 2/18/2014 -
" This powerful essay is as relevant today as it was in 1841. "
— Stef, 1/30/2014 -
" Pure and simple... "Self-Reliance" was life-altering. My personal philosophy of life is largely grounded in the ideals that are so well articulated and espoused in this short work. It's like scripture to me. "
— Seth, 1/24/2014 -
" I really just jumped around and read a few of his speeches, but i still thought that Emerson, and Thoreau, both greatly influence the way that we see the world. "
— Manako, 1/23/2014 -
" i dislke Emerson and his nonsensical text progression. "
— Christian, 1/20/2014 -
" Talk about 'little minds.' What a contradictory piece of shit. "
— Sandra, 1/14/2014 -
" I only read Self-Reliance. It was an easy read for me and I related to it. "
— Dianna, 1/7/2014 -
" Some great tidbits on life in here. "
— Mark, 12/28/2013 -
" One of the great influences of my youth. A terrific book about being a good American. "
— Glenn, 12/20/2013 -
" Some ideas and principles are classic and timeless. These essays are full of thought-provoking ideas. "
— Wendy, 12/8/2013 -
" Hard to read at first, but I really enjoyed it. Some really great ideas in the book. It really helped open my mind. "
— Comicstrip, 11/23/2013 -
" an approach to life...unlimited in its truth "
— Ishan, 11/15/2013 -
" One of the best gifts I've gotten. "
— Christopher, 8/3/2013 -
" Whether you agree or not or sometimes find yourself questioning what in the world he is thinking, Emerson deserves a look and a second and a third. "
— Charlotte, 6/28/2013 -
" I should read Self-Reliance every year, make it an annual event, a reminder to be true to myself. A literary prescription for confidence, peace and presence of mind. "
— Jenny, 3/24/2013 -
" Another favorite from the classics. "
— Amanda, 2/6/2013 -
" I love Ralph Waldo! I can only understand 1 out of every 5 things he says, but the parts I am getting are brilliant. I hear the American Scholar essay is fantastic. Can't wait to read it. "
— Andrea, 7/17/2012 -
" Great essays. Not dated, timelessly powerful and very fulfilling to read. "
— Stephen, 6/10/2012 -
" This book got me through some difficult times. It helped me deal with death and pain and helped me eventually reach forgiveness. "
— Francine, 5/27/2012 -
" I adore Emerson, and Self Reliance is my favorite of all his essays! "
— Angelina, 5/2/2012 -
" I particularly enjoyed the essay on Self Reliance and Friendship: be true to your thoughts and feelings and always live in the present is the overarching theme of his work. A great read! "
— Dani, 4/7/2012
About Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882) was a renowned lecturer and writer whose ideas on philosophy, religion, and literature influenced many writers, including Henry David Thoreau and Walt Whitman. After an undergraduate career at Harvard, he studied at Harvard Divinity School and became an ordained minister. He led the transcendentalist movement in America in the mid-nineteenth century. He is perhaps most well known for his publications Essays and Nature.
About Jeff Riggenbach
Jeff Riggenbach (1947-2021) narrated numerous titles for Blackstone Audio and won an AudioFile Earphones Award. An author, contributing editor, and producer, he worked in radio in San Francisco for more than thirty years, earning a Golden Mike Award for journalistic excellence.