1929. A biography of Emerson who was truly the center of the Transcendental movement and the founder of a distinctly American philosophy emphasizing optimism, individuality, and mysticism. He was one of the most influential literary figures of the nineteenth century. In Nature, he laid out most of his ideas and values, which reflected at least ten years of intense study in philosophy, religion, and literature. Contents: Doubting Youth; Manhood and Mastery; and Silver Years.