Self-Reliance Hardcover – May 25, 2011

I was first introduced to Emerson by my mother, an English teacher. She was the same woman who placed C.S. Lewis and Shakespeare and Solzhenitsyn and other literary giants in my hands. Among all of the wealth she shared with me when I was still in my teens, it was Emerson...dear Emerson...that stole my heart. He was "my guy" then and still is decades later.Upon my first read, this book grabbed me as a manifesto against the bleakness of conformity. Back then, my favorite quote was: "Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string."Upon this fresh read, a new quote called to me: "When we discern justice, when we discern truth, we do nothing of ourselves, but allow a passage to its beams."This update of his classic Self-Reliance is brilliantly done. It highlights a quote on each page in bright red, adding to the vibrancy and stark truth that emanates from Emerson's words.It also includes several supplementary quotes by both classics and contemporaries. This is among my favorites, by Pam Slim: "We look for ourselves in many places - meditation retreats, personality assessments, Twitter rankings. But the best place to find the reason why we were put on earth is a private moment immersed in our craft. In that sacred instant, we see without a reasonable doubt that we were made to create, and contribute."Every writer, artist, creative, and life explorer would be wise to carry this gem on their journey to keep them grounded and connected to their truth while allowing for all the glory and breadth of the vast horizon of possibility.We need these continual reminders when the storms come. Why? To stay strong. As Emerson would say... "God will not have his work made manifest by cowards."Be daring in your vulnerability and persistent in the pursuit of your truth. There is no greater teacher than Emerson to show you the way.Mollie Marti, JD, PhDAuthor of "WALKING WITH JUSTICE: Uncommon Lessons from One of Life's Greatest Mentors"

I must be truthful and admit that I had never even attempted to read Ralph Waldo Emerson's 1841 essay on Self-Reliance til I was presented with this delightful re-packaging. Of course, I am familiar with the most famous quote: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." But there is more to it than that. Emerson, one of the most famous American philosophers of the mid-nineteenth century, was obsessed with the notion of non-conformity, i.e. individualism, and the many ways it can be expressed.The clever layout of the book enables the reader to skim through and read - in large red type - a selection of incisive quotes from the essay. Also included are tiny, relevant quotes from historical figures such as Galileo and Thomas Edison, celebrities such as Meryl Streep and Judy Garland and famous authors including Leo Tolstoy and F. Scott Fitzgerald. A small quibble: I wish these contributors were listed in an index at the back of the book, with each one identified. I also wish a bit more background on Emerson himself had been included. A brief bio along with the date of the original essay (1841) would be a great addition to the book.As 19th century prose tends towards the wandering and the obfuscatory, this tiny volume is not an easy read. But it's worth the additional effort. A huge thank you to The Domino Project for the brilliant idea of serving up Ralph Waldo Emerson in a palatable format. You can read it on a Kindle but I'd recommend buying the hardcover so you can appreciate the layout.

I know Emerson is “one of the great thinkers” in history. And there are indeed some good passages here. Well worth reading - but not life changing.

Domino Project does it again! What a great piece of wisdom re-launched so well for a digital age. Emerson summarizes his own contribution when he says, "No greater men are now than ever were."We, or at least I, tend to worship wisdom from the latest guru. Perhaps it's Seth Godin, or Tom Peters, or .... Maybe it is the world of digital instantness that put more faith in what was just said than what was said a hundred years ago. "How can their world be relevant to ours?", we often think. Ha! I give to you some highlights I made in my Kindle edition: * There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at he conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide. * If we live truly, we shall see truly. * Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string. * It is easy to see that a greater self-reliance must work a revolution in all the offices and relations of men.These were just a few of Emerson's pearls. And the few that worked from my oyster. Pick up the book and find your own.

This rambling discourse while difficult to follow continually emphasizes the need to via introspection examine ones own self to achieve enlightenment

A must read that should be on everyone's list, along with Thomas Paine's Common Sense. These are the men that shaped our Country and their words are just a pertinent today as the day they written. There is no leftest or right-wing in these books it is about what we all should be doing! Read on and learn from the past as they say, you are doomed to repeat History is you do not learn from it, and look at where we are at in today's society. I want it all, but I don't want to work for it....cries the students on campuses, I want a safe place, cry more students...Glad they did not come over to found this Fabulous Country they would have died off in the first Winter wondering what happened....Or where's my Mommy & Daddy's money???

Ralph Waldo Emerson has a very unique way of writing and to be honest, I had to read the entire book again after I went through it the first time because his style is hard to adapt to. But the wisdom is excellent once you get it.

It was a story that was very surprising to his own idea. I think I have been conscious of being able to think flexibly like this.

Book is too short to justify £5. I read it in 20 minutes.If you accept the premise then he argues or articulates through colourful imagery that you can accept. If you disagree with the premise then he sounds like a naïve crackpot.Summary of the book.1. Express original thought, be yourself don't imitate2. Take on challenges - trust thyself.3. Self reliance is the inverse of conformity. (I completely disagree, conformity is a survival mechanism)4. Desires often make people bitter "Thy love afar is spite at home", "What we love we have, but by desire we bereave ourselves of the love"5. Comments on peoples actions and virtue signalling "Their virtues are penances .... my life is for itself and not a spectacle."6. People are blind and only look at "conformity of opinion".7. Describes the cultivated class as having feminine rage (He's so correct on this point)8. Consistency maketh the man "The force of character is cumulative"9. Primary wisdom is intuition, any that follows the first are tuition. (Nothing is new under the sun, the Romans would say to this)10. Acorn vs Oak. What does the youth need to learn from the Oak it will become the Oak. He condemns history as "cheerful apologue"11. You must cleave companions if your truth of their truth do not align. In other words birds of a feather flock together.12. The most dangerous thing he espouses is man is "law, to himself". If everyone had this philosophy it would be utter anarchy.13. Comments on vagabonding will remind me of the vagabonding book tim ferris keeps referencing.14. Society changes like a wave. "persons who make up a nation today, next year die, and their experience with them". If you want further information on this read GLUBB fate of empires. I think this bit in particular captures what's happening in America now. You've gone from a generation that fought in WW2 to a generation that fought in COD 4.15. He states that the want of self-reliance makes people believe institutions are guards of property, and therefore people defend assaults against the institutions. Just like the bizarre stuff going on in America now against the police. He is forgetting that actually there is truth to the institutions protecting peoples property.16. A cultivated man becomes ashamed of his property out of respect for his nature. (again I just disagree, I think cultivated mean are silver spooned and therefore they know in their heart they earned little to nothing of what they have. This is why they are on a self destructive path).

I enjoyed the book and have kept it on my shelf. The extra notes and quotes of this format made it for me.I don't think I could have read it straight through without the commentary. It is english from a different time.

This book is great. You will understand why Ralph Waldo Emerson is known for. I recommend that you read it carefully