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David Foster charts the social and ecological histories of New England using Henry David Thoreau as his inspiration. By the time the philosopher and author of Walden moved to the Massachusetts' woods and erected his small cabin, New England had already been transformed into a patchwork of agricultural fields and small woodlots. Farmers were being touted as heroes for taming the land. But with the 19th century's industrial revolution, people deserted the countryside for new jobs in the cities. Over time, much of the land reforested itself. With the expanding forests, Foster finds a shift in human perception too, one that encompasses the land's ecological importance.