A series of essays dealing with great writers who have lived in the country and praised the simple life. He starts with and his frugal but productive life in in the 8th Century BC; he follows the country gentleman existence of Xenophon, Morace, Virgil, Ausonius, Sidonius, Madame de Sevig, Voltaire. Then the English -- Pope, Walpole, Bolingbroke; and the Concord group here; the Poets, the Carlyles, and finally Tolstoy. The author pictures the greatness of these men of letters who were also farmers. More literary than philosophical -- and a bit too precious for the general market.