Self-Reliance

Ralph Waldo Emerson's seminal essay about nonconformism rings as true today as it did when it was published in 1841. Novelist and radio host Kurt Andersen has the ideal voice for this work. He gives it a spirited delivery, but his narration is overly emphatic, and he reads too quickly, making it hard to follow the dense text. But Andersen is clearly invested in his reading, giving it passion and enthusiasm. Overall, this is a good reading of 90 minutes of wisdom that everyone should listen to. K.M. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine