Seamlessly blending expert analysis with on-screen quotations and dramatized scenes of Henry David Thoreau’s life, this program thoroughly examines Walden—its historical significance, spiritual interpretations, and ongoing relevance to contemporary concerns. Commentary on the author, industrialization and materialism, the abolitionist movement, the Transcendentalists, and "Civil Disobedience" is provided by Thoreau scholars Robert Richardson, Thomas Blanding, and Richard Lebeaux; Elizabeth Witherell, editor-in-chief of The Writings of Henry D. Thoreau series; Ray Gerke, of the Concord Free Public Library; and others. A Discovery University Production. (53 minutes)