Review by Choice Review
This collection is taken from the 1906 edition of The Journal of Henry D. Thoreau, which contained 14 volumes filled with daily observations of the animals Thoreau witnessed in the landscapes of the Concord area. The work contains Thoreau's writings, beginning with March 2, 1855--"Heard two hawks scream"--and ending with the February 28, 1856 entry concerning "Our young Maltese cat Min." Thoreau took great delight in nature and was a thorough observer. He considered himself "a mystic, a transcendentalist, and a natural philosopher" but rejected the rigors of science with its careful experimentation, gathering of facts, and development of hypotheses and theories. Throughout the text, Wisner, an author, editor, book reviewer, and contributor to numerous publications, provides valuable background information initially omitted by Thoreau, such as for the July 4, 1853 entry: "The beauty of some butterflies,--dark steel blue with a light blue edge." In the "Notes" section of the work, the editor theorizes that this description is possibly the Karner blue, belonging to the group of Melissa blue butterflies, which are no longer found in Massachusetts. This book is best suited for general readers and American history students. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates; graduate students; general readers. --Joel S. Schwartz, CUNY College of Staten Island, Professor emeritus
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
