Self-Reliance: The Wisdom of Ralph Waldo Emerson as Inspiration for Daily Living

when i was in college, RWE literally saved my life. when i thought i was crazy for the ideas swimming around in my head, he showed me i was just connected into something greater than just my immediate surroundings. now that i am 45 years old, it was nice to reconnect with the words that changed my outlook on the world. this book was like sitting down and having conversations with an old friend. the book is broken into 1/2-page and 1-page chunks. it is very easy to grab the book, spend 10 or 20 minutes, and reenter this crazy world with a fresh and enlightened face. keep it in your car, your purse, your briefcase, your backpack, or next to your bed. you'll reach for it often.

So dude, I was totally blown away by this book. Emerson was like some sort of genious, I mean, like up to now I always felt trapped and unable to cope and stuff but now I feel like I can do anything. Or as Emerson would say, "Actuate to the fullest" Right on! I mean now I could go live in the woods on acorns and stuff and be fine because I have self-reliance. I read this book in my class called English in high-school and we were studying a group called the Trancalendarists or something and apparently Emerson was one of them and he wrote this to show how cool it was. Well I'm a believer too baby. So read this book it will change your life for the better. I guess Emerson summed up endings the best so I'll leave you with his memorable statement, "In the netherworld of indecidabilty, there is but one truth, and this truth is the incorrigible falseness of truth people. Ignore them all" Take it to the bank and stay cool, friends.

I cannot pick up this book without feeling encouraged and inspired. The editor has gone through and picked out some of the best passages from Emerson's works, thus saving us the trouble of wading through hundreds of pages of prose for the really good stuff. Everyone needs a copy of this book.

This is the first book by Emerson that I've read, but hope to read more of his essays later. The book really is inspirational. Emerson is an excellent writer and his words flow together like nothing I've ever read. The essays in this book are pure poetry.... really beautiful. Even if you don't believe in the Transcendalist/Idealist view, you can still read this book and feel like you've gotten something out of it. I would recommend this for anyone who has a liking for beautiful writing.