Thoreau is well known as a lyrical nature writer, environmental prophet, rebel against stifling convention, and theorist of strategic intervention to protest injustice. He was also a part-time surveyor and pencil maker, student of Native America, abolitionist, philosopher, and shrewd Transcendentalist. Whether living at Walden Pond or comfortably on Main Street in central Concord, Thoreau made deep inquiries into life and gave all to his craft.

Drawing on the work of outstanding scholars and critics, this companion provides information on the full body of Thoreau's work, his life, and his world, connecting the factors that affected Thoreau's thought and writing and highlighting his impact, in his own time and since. This study brings these various aspects of Thoreau's life and writings into focus in over one hundred interconnected essays.