Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882) was an American essayist and poet. One of the young nation’s first recognized public intellectuals, he championed the writing of Henry David Thoreau and Walt Whitman and opined on everything from the evils of slavery to the glories of solitude. His essays such as “Self-Reliance” argued for a distinctly American style of philosophical individualism, untethered to hidebound traditions and prejudices. Edited by professor David Mikics ( ) and enhanced with gorgeous woodcut art, this collection of Emerson’s essays and poetry is a beautiful introduction to one of America’s greatest writers and thinkers.