I wanted so badly to enjoy this book. I’ve read such wonderful things about the insights Thoreau has in it that I was expecting page after page of things that blew my mind, or at least made me nod vigorously in agreement.

What I got was several pages of Thoreau explaining how he built his cabin. This explanation included listings of the materials and their cost. What I got was pages and pages of prose that amount to rambling on any given topic.

I didn’t finish it. I ended up skimming a lot of the Economy section. I thought when I finally got to the Reading section that I would be glued, but I wasn’t. I quit after that.

I’m not saying this book is completely without the promised insight. There were areas that I felt I was able to connect to and really read. Most of the time, however, it felt like sitting through a lecture on your least favorite subject with a professor who loves to hear himself talk.

This edition from Barnes and Noble also has Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience.” I honestly didn’t bother to read that one.

While Thoreau could definitely write well, this book was not engaging at all for me.

1) Is it understandable = 3
2) Presentation of Information = 2
3) Quality of Writing = 4
4) Overall Enjoyability = 0.5

Average score of 2.38 out of 5