Walden is a book by transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau .
The text is a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings.
The work is part personal declaration of independence, social experiment, voyage of spiritual discovery, satire, and-to some degree-a manual for self-reliance.
First published in 1854, Walden details Thoreau's experiences over the course of two years, two months, and two days in a cabin he built near Walden Pond.