Henry David Thoreau’s Walden stands as the foundational text for the environmental movement and as a model for the practice of nature writing. In The Walden Experiments, Robert Thorson tells the story of how, after several discarded drafts of social critique, Thoreau resuscitated Walden with a sharp swerve toward science. Thorson invites us to read—or reread—Walden to discover the observations, empirical thinking, and scientific explanations supporting this canonical work of literature. Chapter by chapter, he guides us through Walden’s relevance for such contemporary scientific concerns as climate change, ecological collapse, water supply, agriculture, artificial intelligence, and technology.

Thoreau’s first “experiment” of living deliberately took place in a one-room house at Walden Pond from 1845 to 1847. This was followed from 1851 to 1852 by a little-known second experiment of trying to live deliberately in the midst of society as a sojourning scientist. Thorson’s account of a science-revitalized version of Walden helps us appreciate Thoreau’s masterpiece not only for its prophetic, lyrical, uplifting, witty, and timeless advice on living sustainably, but also as a historic benchmark for anchoring our modern solutions. Exploring the science that underlies Walden enhances our understanding of the deeper meanings Thoreau draws from nature.
Princeton University Press, 2026. Hardcover, 328 pp.

Lydia Willsky-Ciollo articulates how Thoreau was enmeshed in a decades-spanning project of crafting a theology of wildness. She skillfully guides readers through Thoreau’s writings and life as his theology emerges and evolves. Ultimately, theology is an active process, and interpreting the wild experience of divine revelation is the purview of all. Thoreau left the door open to his readers, who he hoped would pick up the pen where he left off and write their own theologies of wildness. With 12 black & white illustrations. U. of Notre Dame, 2026. Hardcover, 330 pp.

A great amount of ink has been spilled attempting to understand and make sense of Henry David Thoreau. Some people dismiss Thoreau as a mere Romantic nature poet, writer of travel narratives, or performance artist who commandeered huckleberry parties. But Thoreau is much more substantial than that. Many find him inspiring as a social and political critic, an activist for the cause of freedom. Others pick up on one of the many scientific hats he wore, as a forest ecologist, botanist, geologist, hydrologist, engineer, or land surveyor. Thoreau is also considered a seminal thinker in the environmental movement. But Thoreau is most often taught in English and American Literature classes, not in philosophy classes. The purpose of the essays in this anthology is to explore the multifaceted ways in which Thoreau's thought could be considered philosophical. He wanted to create a distinctive American identity that sought to venerate nature by trying to overcome our anthropocentric bias and place the value of wild spaces before the utilitarian needs of human civilization. He sought to reform not only misguided political practices but also a materialistic culture increasingly centered on consumerism, social status, and the domination of nature. A central theme of these essays is that there is much philosophical value in Thoreau and that without a proper understanding of philosophy, one cannot fully appreciate the depth of his thought. It is the aim of this anthology to help the reader do just that.

Contributors include Philip Cafaro, William Homestead, Brent Ranalli, Paul Muench, Michael Jonik, Alfred Tauber, Lydia Willsky-Ciollo, Krishnan Venkatesh, Henrik Otterberg, Drew Lanham, David H. Gordon, and Marc A. Jolley.
Mercer University Press, 2026. Paperback, 363 pp.