Living from the Soul: The 7 Principles of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Written by Sam Torode. Published by Sam Torode Book Arts, 2020. Eighty-eight pages. Available at Samtorode.com.
American Transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote in his masterful essay Self Reliance (1841) that “In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts; they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty.” Some thirty years ago, fresh out of college and enthralled with the spiritual writings of Emerson, I sat at my kitchen table thinking that I would like to summarize in a short book the powerful ideas of the Sage of Concord so that others might be inspired and encouraged by Emerson as I had been. I never got around to writing that book, but Sam Torode did, and as I read it I instantly recognized my aborted plan in Torode’s project. In Living from the Soul: The 7 Spiritual Principles of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Torode collects the wise and delightful sayings from Emerson’s various essays and compiles them into seven powerful principles that accurately summarize Emerson’s life philosophy and inspire modern readers.
Admirers of Emerson will recognize in the seven principles the essential spiritual ideas from Emerson’s works. Principle Number One: Trust Yourself instantly takes one to Emerson’s seminal essay Self Reliance. Principle Number Two: As You Sow, You Will Reap recalls the karmic-oriented essay Compensation. Principle Number Four: The Universe Is Inside You brings to mind the essential Transcendentalist essays Nature and The Over-Soul. Torode quotes and paraphrases Emerson while sprinkling supporting quotes form other like-minded spiritual teachers to convey these seven principles in way that leaves the reader feeling more empowered and cheerfully calm.
Reading Emerson is no easy task. In Emerson readers encounter a mellifluence and patient cadence that is often difficult for modern readers. Torode has removed this roadblock by making Emerson accessible without diluting the power and charm of Emerson’s essays. While such a book is no substitute for reading the original Emerson in all of his wit, charm, erudition and inspiration, Torode’s Living from the Soul is an uplifting read that will encourage and motivate you to take on the day with confidence, calm and the spirit of overcoming that made Emerson so popular in his own day and so enduring in ours. After reading this book, I quickly ordered copies that I gave to my children. I am grateful that Torode took on a project that I rejected as a younger man and that he did it so capably.