Self-Reliance: The Wisdom of Ralph Waldo Emerson as Inspiration for Daily Living
This abridgement of 16 of Emerson's essays claims to present the "essence of Emerson." By extracting what he considers to be Emerson's most spiritually satisfying passages, Whelan attempts to make him more accessible to those who may be inspired by his optimistic romanticism but balk at the sustained effort needed to read the full essays. The book aims to be popular, but that does not make the cavalier editing more palatable. Long passages are silently deleted from the essays; Emerson's substantial paragraphs are often divided into several bite-sized ones; and blocks of text are sometimes rearranged. Libraries that wish to strengthen their Emerson collection would be better off purchasing an additional copy of The Library of America volume of Emerson's essays and lectures, thereby giving their patrons the chance to decide for themselves which of Emerson's words offer the greatest sustenance.- Steve Gowler, Wofford Coll. Lib., Spartanburg, S.C.Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.