Publisher's Synopsis
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882) was an American essayist, philosopher, and poet, best remembered for leading the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. In 1842 Emerson published Essays, his second book, which included the famous essay, "Self-Reliance". The essays gained favorable reviews in London and Paris and its popular reception laid the groundwork for his international fame.