Let me add Karl Popper's 'The Free Society and its Enemies'. Rosseau was a fascinating figure. I want to read his 'Confessions' one day. His ideas about childhood education are still very much with us and in full force.
IMHO, Rousseau, like de Sade, was a madman.
Perhaps that explains his continuing popularity amongst mush-headed pietistic(towards socialism) soi-disant 'liberals'.
I'll say! This guy was crazier than an out-house rat.
He confesses that as a teen he got his kick out of exposing his heinie to unsuspecting lasses and that he was often tempted to do and did...er,things...that he said parents should make sure their sons don't lie too long in bed in the morning....
That his (politely clears throat)"housekeeper" could neither read, write, didn't know the days or weeks or months of the year, could not count much beyond ten, and while she remained as his "housekeeper" for 20+ years and took her with him everywhere, whenever he went to a "Serious Supper Party" (a.k.a. High Society) he made her eat -- and stay --in the kitchen.
Over the course of years she also bore him 5 children, everyone of which he promptly dumped off at the door of the nearest orphanage. And while he never forgot these children (nor much time thinking about them), he never did anything to ever try and recover them. And, yup, this is the guy that proposed to tell the world how to raise children.
The list goes on and on. But,seriously, if you want to get a good over view of man, his peers and the whole French Revolution era I suggest picking up a used copy of Will Durant's "The Story of Civilization: Vol. X "Rousseau & Revolution" I know you can pick it up on in the used book section of Amazon for less than $5, hardcover.