I love Walden, and whenever I'm stuck in yet another time sucking corporate meeting I dream of going off, building my own cabin, and living alone for a bit (see this cautionary tale, though: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Into_the_wild).

My esteem for the self sufficiency of Thoreau, as described there, was just a bit dented though, when I learned that every week he would take his laundry to his mom and sisters to have them washed (http://books.google.com/books?id=_73o98V6s7cC&pg=PR20...).

Thanks for sharing.