Hero to environmentalists and ecologists, and an insightful thinker on humanity's happiness, Henry David Thoreau was one of the strongest shapers of the American character in the 19th century. The writer himself once said, "I am eager to report the glory of the universe," and in this delightful work-not published till 1865, after his death-he regales us with tales of his time on Massachusetts' Cape Cod, to where he journeyed four times between 1849 and 1857. While still profoundly philosophical, this is Thoreau's lightest work, full of amusing and reflective anecdotes about the wildlife, human inhabitants, and fishing industry that characterized the island of the day. Charming and provocative, *Cape Cod* will be cherished by readers of modern philosophies and armchair travelers alike. Writer and philosopher HENRY DAVID THOREAU (1817-1862) was born in Concord, Massachusetts, and educated at Harvard University. His writings on human nature, materialism, and the natural world rank him among the most influential thinkers of American literature.