Self Reliance

By: Ralph Waldo Emerson

Narrated by: Alana Munro

Length: 1 hr and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

The most thorough statement of one of Emerson's recurrent themes, the need for each individual to avoid conformity and false consistency, and follow his or her own instincts and ideas. It is the source of one of Emerson's most famous quotations, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." This essay is considered a watershed moment in which transcendentalism became a major cultural movement. An American classic.

Public Domain (P)2012 Trout Lake Media

A nice dose ofwhat SEEMS obvious once youve heard

Es Dope. Quite enlightening and motivating through very simplistic and straightforward means. Some analogy, not much meaningless fluff

Wish it was longer

Reminiscent of "Meditations of Marcus Aurrelius". Then again most truly great minds have similar thought processes.

Great work, fatally performed

If you could sum up Self Reliance in three words, what would they be?

Great. Life. Advice.

Who was your favorite character and why?

n/a

How could the performance have been better?

A different narrator. This was the first book I listened to from this narrator. The work is an essay - tightly packed information constructed by a brilliant man. The narrator's voice was completely without the passion the author intended. The reading was delivered so dead-pan that it seemed clear the narrator had never actually read the work prior to the recording of his reading.

Any additional comments?

This appears to be one of those works best enjoyed by reading it rather than listening to it. Perhaps with a slightly different cadence, a more impassioned voice - this work could have been done justice.

Excelent reading of a classic essay.

The essay is too long and at the end does not settle the issue of how to establish a personal moral.

excellent recording of a major classic

I loved it, would listen to this again and again. thanks audible you're the best

thought provoking

even though it's about strightforward ideas they are presented in refreshing ways that help reestablish self trust. To think that views from back then resonates so well now and that it was spelled out more clear than I've heard from anyone today. It's so many ideas presented that I've wondered about before and had no one to voice them with. Most of those ideas would help explain why it's a great essay. Most of them might be taboo in society even today. For example trust your thoughts when you think them instead of seeking validation or what ever the source of your inner nature let it lead you over seeking guidance from outside. Even the idea of not expecting leaving a place where you feel terrible to change that feeling. Mostly is that how the more I listen to it the more I get from it the writing andword choices are complex for me. I never knew a good amount of the words but the context helped me not have to google each time.

Classic philosophical essay.

This is a philosophical essay that exhorts ordinary people to find the extraordinary in themselves. It is a classic "go to" in introductions to American Lit. Recommend liberal use of the "pause" and "rewind" features to get the full gist, because the very elegant 19th Century prose style may seem verbose, indirect and convoluted to someone accustomed to Intetnet postings. It is a short read, but not a quick one.

Time-tested way of life

Any additional comments?

Another repeatable listen as it is only an hour long. What makes this book a stand out is that Ralph Waldo Emerson was preaching current day "positive thinking philosophies back in the 1800's! Proving that life's complications start with acceptance and the real change begins in mind. 

Inspiring

I struggled to understand some of the old vocabulary but a very good book nonetheless. I will definitely listen to it several more times.

the cadence of the reader was disquieting at best.

The reader had a great voice. however his ability to deliver a coherent thought from the written word was lost by the brokenness of his reading ability. Rather than a full sentence that can be understood being presented to the listener, you're presented with a series of broken thoughts that you had to pause and connect together as the listener. it seemed almost as though the reader had never encountered the writings of Emerson previously.