Emerson's Demanding Optimism, by Gertrude Reif Hughes. Louisiana State University Press, 1984. 182 pp. Siena cloth hardcover, with silver paper dust jacket. The dust jacket shows some light wear, and this book is otherwise in good condition. This book reveals Emerson's later works to be not retractions, but rather confirmations of his earlier beliefs -- works that deepen the original perceptions, outlining the perilous difficulty of living in accordance with their optimism. This study is one of hope, addressing a wide audience who believes that, despite the dangers and discouragements of 20th-century life, inner and outer wastelands are not the only landscapes to be found.