Read Henry David Thoreau

Another interesting read for the tiny house enthusiast is the work of Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862). An American author, naturalist, transcendentalist, tax resister, development critic, sage writer and philosopher. In fact the tiny house community might even want to honor Thoreau in some way since his book Walden might actually be the real catalyst for this recent enlightenment.

Walden, published in 1854, details Thoreau’s life living on Walden Pond in a tiny cabin near Concord, Massachusetts on property that happened to be owned by his friend and mentor Ralph Waldo Emerson. Thoreau lived there for two years, two months, and two days. He didn’t intend to live as a hermit, his goal was to experience simplicity and self-reliance.

Again an excellent example of the real roots of the tiny house movement. We are exploring territory already traveled, yet long ago, by transcendentalist philosophy. Walden and Thoreau’s other writings are also in the public domain and available to read free online.