Henry David Thoreau (July 12, 1817-May 6, 1862) was an American author, poet, naturalist, critic, and leading transcendentalist. Over his life he published over 20 volumes of books, journals, poetry, and essays. However, Thoreau is most famous for his book Walden, a novel that depicts his experiment of living a simple life for two years (1845-1847) on the shore of Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. Thoreau was resistant to paying taxes and became a voice against government. In his essay Resistance to Civil Government (a.k.a. Civil Disobedience, 1849), he stirred up strong images of unjust authority in government and called for social action. Thoreau’s writings went on to influence many public figures and artists.