Henry at Work: Thoreau on Making a Living

by John Kaag, Jonathan van Belle

What Thoreau can teach us about working―why we do it, what it does to us, and how we can make it more meaningful

Henry at Work invites readers to rethink how we work today by exploring an aspect of Henry David Thoreau that has often been Thoreau the worker. John Kaag and Jonathan van Belle overturn the popular misconception of Thoreau as a navel-gazing recluse who was scornful of work and other mundanities. In fact, Thoreau worked hard―surveying land, running his family’s pencil-making business, writing, lecturing, and building his cabin at Walden Pond―and thought intensely about work in its many dimensions. And his ideas about work have much to teach us in an age of remote work and automation, when many people are reconsidering what kind of working lives they want to have.

Through Thoreau, readers will discover a philosophy of work in the office, factory, lumber mill, and grocery store, and reflect on the rhythms of the workday, the joys and risks of resigning oneself to work, the dubious promises of labor-saving technology, and that most vital and eternal of philosophical questions, “How much do I get paid?” In ten chapters, including “Manual Work,” “Machine Work,” and “Meaningless Work,” this personal, urgent, practical, and compassionate book introduces readers to their new favorite Henry David Thoreau.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Biography, History, Classics, Americana

232 pages, Hardcover

First published June 13, 2023

About the author

John Kaag is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and author of American Philosophy: A Love Story. It is a story of lost library, a lost American intellectual tradition and a lost person--and their simultaneous recovery.

Kaag is a dispirited young philosopher at sea in his marriage and his career when he stumbles upon West Wind, a ruin of an estate in the hinterlands of New Hampshire that belonged to the eminent Harvard philosopher William Ernest Hocking. Hocking was one of the last true giants of American philosophy and a direct intellectual descendent of William James, the father of American philosophy and psychology, with whom Kaag feels a deep kinship. It is James’s question “Is life worth living?” that guides this remarkable book.

The books Kaag discovers in the Hocking library are crawling with insects and full of mold. But he resolves to restore them, as he immediately recognizes their importance. Not only does the library at West Wind contain handwritten notes from Whitman and inscriptions from Frost, but there are startlingly rare first editions of Hobbes, Descartes, and Kant. As Kaag begins to catalog and read through these priceless volumes, he embarks on a thrilling journey that leads him to the life-affirming tenets of American philosophy―self-reliance, pragmatism, and transcendence―and to a brilliant young Kantian who joins him in the restoration of the Hocking books.

Part intellectual history, part memoir, American Philosophy is ultimately about love, freedom, and the role that wisdom can play in turning one’s life around.

John lives with his daughter, Becca, and partner, Carol, outside of Boston.

Reviews

[Joy D · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is part biography, part history, and part philosophy. The authors attempt to redeem Thoreau’s reputation. Apparently, he is viewed by some as a “layabout.” I have never heard this disparagement before. I had read Walden, but I guess you have to know more about Thoreau’s life to know these details. So, their premise did not quite resonate with me. Still, I gleaned a lot of interesting information about Thoreau’s life and the time in which he lived. It touches on his views about nature and abolitionism, but the primary focus is on his views about work (hence, the title). Thoreau’s viewpoint encourages people to live intentional lives, avoid getting caught up in the pursuit of material wealth, and seek out meaningful work. The authors point out that his views are relevant to today’s world, especially post-pandemic where people are resigning jobs that are not a good fit. It includes anecdotes from the authors’ interviews and experiences. I found it worthwhile.

3.5

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have long been interested in Emerson but have found Thoreau less accessible, so I was drawn to this book as a way to get to know Thoreau. I also am a big fan of John Kaag's work. He seems to have a fire lit under him to do the sort of non-fungible, self-expressive, "absolutely personal" work that the transcendentalists believed was of utmost importance to do before time runs out. It's inspiring to "be in the presence" of someone living this out in their daily life. Despite the internal sense of pressure I feel to make something of my life, it's rare to have someone stress the importance of this from the outside so directly. The gift that Kaag and Van Belle are ultimately offering readers is a sense of urgency to do the things in our lives that we are uniquely suited to do and a strong reminder to not waste our time. If they can re-direct a handful of his readers to accomplish this, they have in a sense saved lives.

There are so many important ideas to consider in this book: whether our work gets in the way of our freedom of mind, that money is hollow if you don't take pride in your work, that with fertile enough imaginations we can choose "coworkers" from any era of the past, that meaningful work is work which once done is satisfying, and that "We need to find our proper station in life as quickly as possible and apply ourselves to it.” The book ends with an image I will keep with me: “This may be the sacred nature of meaningful work, that it keeps us afloat and carries us on as the skies darken and the floods gather. After our work is done, we might be lucky enough to utter Thoreau’s last words: 'And now comes good sailing.'" The idea that through our work, we can buoy ourselves above rising tides and better sail over the waves in life is an idea that I find uplifting.

There are also great moments of humor in the book. One of my favorites is the following line: “The self-styled gurus and captains of late capitalism would have driven him [Thoreau] utterly bonkers, and he would have objected on moral grounds. When we put on airs, we put on a mask that precludes genuine communication and communion, which Thoreau regarded as essential goods. And it is very easy to put on airs in certain jobs. Indeed, it is almost required.” The language in this book is casual, which at points gives the book a bit less of a substantial feel also provides latitude for this sort of humor.

My main criticism is the following:

I find the concept of a co-written book odd in that it almost prevents it from the outset from being literature. Part of reading a book, at least for me, is becoming acquainted with an author's voice. I find that when a book is written by more than one person it can have an amorphous, anonymous feel. At one point, Kaag and Van Belle discuss how co-writing the book was an act of collaboration in the Thoreauvian spirit of working deliberately toward a common, noble goal. While I respect this endeavor, I was a bit frustrated to get a watered down version of Kaag's writing. His usual style seemed more popularized. The authors took the approach of peppering in characters they had come across in their daily life or perhaps interviewed (workers in customer service departments or bakery owners, for example) which gives the book a "fresh" modern feel but is also evocative of a pop article you'd read online rather than a book whose characters and ideas you're trying to immortalize. I appreciated the more longstanding characters that the authors included like John Kaag's mother, but it seemed somehow too modern in approach to sprinkle in people who so easily could have been others. In short, as a book, this seemed to be less from the soul than John Kaag's other works and more of an experimental, timely publication. That being said, the issues addressed in the book -- the importance of meaningful work and the pervasiveness of its opposite -- are clearly personal for Kaag and Van Belle, and the book is well worth reading to re-center oneself.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The cost of a thing is the amount of what I will call life which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run." Thoreau, Walden

This is central issue regarding the nature of work authors explore throughout this excellent book: What is your job costing you? Whatever that cost, is it worth it? Of course, we all pay a cost of some sort and of varying degrees throughout our working lives. The question is, does the cost exceed the benefit? How much imbalance can you tolerate?

Even if you're not a fan of Thoreau, or have never read a word of his work, this book offers much thoughtful discussion regarding the nature of work. And it's written in a very accessible, often witty, tone without sacrificing rigor. It might even inspire you to pick up some Thoreau, especially Walden. And if you're already a fan, it could likely prompt you to return to favorite works. It certainly did for me.

4 1/2 stars

[Horia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got a bit of inspiration from this book, yet not enough to justify spending time reading it.
I wish I would have stopped reading it after the first 3 chapters. Yet, there was a constant tantalizing promise of something better in the next page.

I don't recommend it, life is too short to read random content, and there are dozens of cubic meters of books that would enrich your life more than this one.

To its defence, it's a niche book that has a rather important message to share. And yet, it could easily be reduced into two or three Medium articles or one decent 1h podcast. It might appeal to some very few, especially fans of Thoreau and the live-off-the-land and the off-the-grid people. Yet for the very most of its readers this might feel like fluff and fanboy-ish.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't quite sure about this book when it came up on my Audible Daily Deal, but I quite enjoyed it. I learned about Thoreau, and about work ethic, the value, and philosophy of work. The reader is very good also. I have never read any Thoreau, but now I plan to. It seems like the most important work that Thoreau left us is his daily journal of twenty-some years. I won't be reading that, but luckily, these authors did!

[Joseph Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Kaag's book on Nietzche, and found it overwrought. Though there was good information in it, and it was a solid primer on Nietzche's life and philosophy, Kaag's personal story felt shoehorned in. This one is WAY better, maybe because it was co-authored with a fellow philosopher/writer. Or maybe just because at heart I am a Thoreau kind of guy. Every time I pick up a book on Thoreau I'm charmed, and wonder 'why the heck am I reading about Sartre and Heidegger?' Recommended.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

A critical analysis of Henry David Thorough, a New England writer who famously left society for several years to live on the land.

[Gijs Limonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 stars; starts out promising, middle section is all over the place applying Thoreau’s concept of self-reliance too far and too wide, concluding part is ok; a pleasant primer.

[Ragan · Rating 5 out of 5]

There seems to be a renaissance of books on Thoreau and for good reason: he provides a counter to our machine driven world. In this book, John Kaag and Jonathan Van Belle, explore one of the most important aspects of Thoreau's alternative vision--his understanding of work. This book is beautiful and profound, personal and often humorous. It was a joy to read and a welcome reminder of what work, and life, are all about.

[Mimi Ottavi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of Henry David Thoreau was one that I, admittedly, was not well versed in. I’d heard his name come up seemingly hundreds of times in lessons of American Transcendentalism during my high school English classes and more during my writing courses in college. Still, my only vision of the man aligned with what others had told me in passing. Prior to reading this book, Thoreau was—in my mind—a romantic, impractical, flighty writer who lived in the woods. That's all.

What I learned from this book was that Thoreau, in fact, worked hard, often, and with a consistent attitude of determination.

Thoreau's thoughts on and approach to work, as well as the economy, seem impossible to achieve in the year 2024. But they also seemed impossible to achieve in the 1800's, and yet he made his best effort to live by the unwritten rules he'd set for himself, within a world of he could not control.

Economy, as explained by Kaag and Van Belle (the authors of Henry at Work), is derived from the Greek root "oikos," which had an interrelated meaning of the family, the family's land, and the family's home. To quote directly from the book, "Instead of bank accounts and stock portfolios, the economy was meant to support the cultivation and maintenance of a home, in its most intimate and edifying sense: the ability to dwell in the world as a flourishing human being."

If everyone on Wall Street suddenly adopted that definition, I think it's possible we might reach Nirvana. But I wouldn't hedge any bets on that ever happening.

At his core, Thoreau was intent on helping others, living freely and justly, and maintaining an unwavering sense of authenticity. That, for some, made him a major nuisance. Learning of his actions as an abolitionist and his civil rebellion against the Mexican-American war painted him in a new light for me. It cast away my previous notions of him as someone who had his head either in the clouds or up his ass. When portrayed by Kaag and Van Belle, Thoreau was practical, but an optimist. He saw the potential in everything—and everyone—and believed that so much of modern, industrialized work stripped human beings away from their true purpose which is, ultimately, unidentifiable. But he begged the question: why waste time doing work that is unfulfilling, or even immoral, when you could be pursuing that purpose?

As someone who resigned twice from two different positions this year—for a wide range of reasons—this book felt like something holy to me. While nothing about what Thoreau achieved at Walden seemed (or seems) doable, this book filled me with a sense of hope, optimism, and motivation for figuring out exactly what it is I want out of my life at work. At the core of it all, I—and believe many of us—long for connection and satisfaction in a job well done. In expanding on the work of MIT sociologist Sherry Terkle in her book Alone Together, Taag and Van Belle make the statement, "We are more and more alone together. I don't need you becomes You don't need me. Nobody needs anybody."

Taag and Van Belle then, at their conclusion, make the point to dig their heels in and repeat, repeat, repeat the true nature of Thoreau and his desire, love for, and commitment to "good work." Once again, to quote from the novel,

"Good work. That is all that is required in a Thoreauvian life. Its goodness does not necessarily turn on God's grace or the permission of some higher power (although it very well might), but one's willingness and ability to 'confess' that the task was good. While we are alive, we have the ability to 'make good' on the business of living. After his failed search-and-rescue mission, Thoreau reflected on the chance to save ourselves through work, continuing, 'If there is an experiment which you would like to try, try it. Do not entertain doubts if they are not agreeable to you...Do what nobody else can do for you. Omit to do anything else. It is not easy to make our lives respectable by any course of activity.'"

For anyone who feels lost, depressed, unsure, or just plain bored in their current job, or for anyone who is desperately searching for a new outlook on what it means to work, this book feels like a breath of fresh air. It acts as an arrow that points the way towards nothing in particular, but an arrow nonetheless that you can hold and aim when the time is right.

[Aurelio Guerra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the book. I found the reflections on work interesting and valuable. It is, like the authors state, "a tract for our times". However, I find my attitudes toward work very Thoreauan, so (and the authors state this much) this book is not really for me. Most of the book made me think about other's attitudes toward work, those who will never read this book (the authors are very conscious of this). Now, that said, I was also wondering, as I read and had this overvaluation of my attitudes toward work, if I was not missing an important teaching. Perhaps in my self righteousness I was closing my mind to something very profound. Who knows. The book did teach me that I need to make my meaningless work meaningful, conscientiously... so at least I got that much.

Like most students of literature, I have read only sections of Walden and, perhaps (I don't remember) other essays. This book on Thoreau has sparked in me (from nowhere really, since I only read the book because it was offered on a sale and I have made the effort to read books as I buy them) a desire to study this author. At least to read the whole of "Walden, or Life in the Woods", and not just sections. From what I have just read, a few chapters here are not enough. One really needs to get in the pond.

[Pranjal Awasthi · Rating 3 out of 5]

John Kaag and Jonathan Belle use Thoreau as a lens to understand post Industrial Revolution work and the problems which beset that paradigm. From objective issues of work cycles at odd with circadian rhythms to deeply philosophical questions of moral and satisfying work, this book covers the whole 9 yards of the modern corporate complex through the letters and writings of transcendentalists like Thoreau and to some extent Emerson. The book might seem a bit simplistic sometimes but the authors do a great job of grounding Thoreauvian idealism into modern situations and the pulls and tugs of the 9-5. A thought provoking book

[Tim Ballard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A unique presentation of Thoreau in the light of his attitudes towards work. Framed somewhat by the "great resignation" following the pandemic, the authors investigate Thoreau's life and thoughts on the meaning of work and how applicable much of his thought is for us today. The authors weave together personal narrative, interviews with various workers, and anecdotes from Henry's life to form a very approachable and practical work of philosophy. I found it useful for my own reflections on life and work.

[Dodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a middle-schooler I loved Thoreau. His tenets and idealism fit perfectly with that age, I think. Later when I found out that his mother did his laundry and helped feed him while he roughed it on Walden Pond, I lost respect. Henry at Work aspires to change that perception.
Kaag writes thoughtfully with wit in this straightforward book. More than Kaag's comments on Thoreau, I found his writing about the value of work in general interesting.

[Drake McCrary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thoreau has always been one of those philosophers that I have found to be aloof and hard to understand. To some extent this held true in this book but I think Kaag and Belle made a valiant effort to make Thoreau's philosophy relatable to today's work situations. Some chapters definitely worked better than others. All in all though if you want to think about the meaning of your work this is worth the read.

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

How is you work life related to the rest of your life? Does it mesh with your values and/or your sense of meaning? This book is an excellent discussion of how to keep these things in perspective. The authors use the life and writings of Henry David Thoreau as a kind of inspiration and guide to answer the questions most of us have on this topic.

[David J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the first time I learned of Henry David Thoreau and read his writings, I have carried a fascination with his perspectives and insights into life and living. This book focused on all aspects related to work--balance, finding and performing meaningful work, relationships with others, providing service or value to others, and so forth. A thoroughly wonderful reading experience for me.

[David Petersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It was basically 2 current philosophers taking Henry David Thoreau's writings on work and applying it to our current time. The work specifically targeted the "great resignation". Henry David was quite an interesting character. Overall pretty good.

[Jeremy Anderberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

On a bit of a Thoreau kick right now and really enjoyed this. Probing and has plenty of depth, but the language is really accessible. My first time reading Kaag and definitely won't be the last. Great book for anyone interested in the philosophy of work.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal Preference Rating 3.5/5 Audiobook (Audible)
I thought this could have been condensed even just a little more. I appreciated the analysis of Thoreau’s works. Provided a lot of food for thought.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this. A fascinating angle on Thoreau's legacy...I am working up a themed composition course for the fall on the Meaning of Work (and/or meaningful work?), and this has provided some great grounding. Lots of other related readings in their sources list.

[Nate Stacheruk · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great primer on Thoreau. Having never read Walden this gives me enough to have a handle on Thoreau's work, while enticing me to read Walden. Great for those interested in philosophy while maybe not being a true student of it.

[Cal Davie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting read, I wasn't too familiar with Thoreau before reading. The authors use him as an example to reflect on work, something which is a key issue in today's culture with much work being meaningless and unfulfilling. This book is a great reflection on what work could and should be.

[Hector Soto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting Read. I think i have to read Thoreau now...

[Vicki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing really earth-shattering new here if you have read Walden and studied the Transcendentalism movement.

[Andy]

DNF.

[Meg GlitteryOtters · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Rowan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh

[Kent Winward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Makes me want to work more Thoreau-vian.

[Victoria · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this book would give me some inspiration or some methods on home living instead it just talking about making work meaningful.