Self-Reliance
About the Book
Self-Reliance, Ralph Waldo Emerson’s most famous essay, challenges readers to define their own sense of accomplishment and asks them to measure themselves against their own standards, not those of society. We added a contemporary spin to this literary classic by incorporating self-reflections from both historical and contemporary thought-leaders, including Henry Ford, Helen Keller, Jesse Dylan, and Milton Glaser. Emerson’s sage guidance wrapped in modern-day reflections is a great reminder about the potential within us all and that life is what you make of it.
About the Cover
The tools of self-reliance have changed in the modern era, but the image of a well-crafted axe is a potent reminder that, for thousands of years, men and women of character have often lived independently of the influences of society, and found strength in their own self-reliance.
About the Layout
One of the challenges with publishing a 170-year-old essay is that it’s considered too difficult for contemporary readers to approach. Our solution was to show that each page of the text was quotable, and that Emerson’s words were relatable to the lives of modern day readers.
Each spread contained a large pull-quote on the left page and the full text on the right. The pull-quotes were all printed in a secondary color, both on the left side of the spread and within the full text on the right. Underneath each quote we included related words of wisdom from contemporary thinkers and leaders.