The journal: 1837-1861, paperback/henry david thoreau

Henry David Thoreaus Journal was his lifes work: the daily practice of writing that accompanied his daily walks, the workshop where he developed his books and essays, and a project in its own right--one of the most intensive explorations ever made of the everyday environment, the revolving seasons, and the changing self.

It is a treasure trove of some of the finest prose in English and, for those acquainted with it, its prismatic pages exercise a hypnotic fascination.

Yet at roughly seven thousand pages, or two million words, it remains Thoreaus least-known work.

This readers edition, the largest one-volume edition of Thoreaus Journal ever published, is the first to capture the scope, rhythms, and variety of the work as a whole.

Ranging freely over the world at large, the Journal is no less devoted to the life within.

As Thoreau says, ``It is in vain to write on the seasons unless you have the seasons in you.