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Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'
Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses by Robin Wall Kimmerer
4 reviews
kelly_e's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
Title: Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses
Author: Robin Wall Kimmerer
Genre: Non Fiction
Rating: 4.50
Pub Date: March 1, 2003
T H R E E β’ W O R D S
Artful β’ Passionate β’ Eye Opening
π S Y N O P S I S
Drawing on her diverse experiences as a scientist, mother, teacher, and writer of Native American heritage, Kimmerer explains the stories of mosses in scientific terms as well as in the framework of Indigenous ways of knowing. The natural history and cultural relationships of mosses become a powerful metaphor for ways of living in the world.
π T H O U G H T S
Upon reading and finishing Braiding Sweetgrass, I immediately added Gathering Moss to my TBR. Robin Wall Kimmerer's vast knowledge of the natural world and her endearing storytelling ability are unparalleled. I honestly think I could read her grocery list and get so much more out of it.
Blending science and personal reflection, this collection of personal essays centering on the lives of mosses is absolutely riveting. Through beautiful description, the author teaches the reader (in an incredibly accessible way) how the forest works in unity and what we have to learn from mosses. She incorporates her own experience working in the natural world with Indigenous knowledge in a manner that resonated deeply with me.
I listened to the audio while reading along with my physical copy and found this to be ideal. It gave the impression of the author telling me an incredible story. Robin delivers a fantastic narration, and I could listen to her soothing voice all day long. Her voice adopts the pacing of the content in a genuine way. It is just beautiful.
Gathering Moss gave me a better understanding and greater appreciation of mosses. Robin Wall Kimmerer willing shares her wisdom in an informative manner, which is a gift in itself. While short, this book holds so many lessons and opened my eyes to the world of mosses, something I have not paid much attention to. For me, my biggest takeaway may have been the lesson in self-restraint and understanding the web of reciprocity that connects us to the natural world. Sign me up to read anything else she writes.
π R E A D β’ I F β’ Y O U β’ L I K E
β’ the concept of reciprocity
β’ the natural world
β’ mosses
β οΈ CW: colonization, genocide, racism, sexism, death, death of parent, grief, sexual assault, sexual violence, slavery
π F A V O U R I T E β’ Q U O T E S
"With words at your disposal, you can see more clearly. Finding the words is another step in learning to see."
"But most mosses are immune to death by drying. For them, desiccation is simply a temporary interruption in life."
"Intimacy gives us a different way of seeing, when visual acuity is not enough."
Author: Robin Wall Kimmerer
Genre: Non Fiction
Rating: 4.50
Pub Date: March 1, 2003
T H R E E β’ W O R D S
Artful β’ Passionate β’ Eye Opening
π S Y N O P S I S
Drawing on her diverse experiences as a scientist, mother, teacher, and writer of Native American heritage, Kimmerer explains the stories of mosses in scientific terms as well as in the framework of Indigenous ways of knowing. The natural history and cultural relationships of mosses become a powerful metaphor for ways of living in the world.
π T H O U G H T S
Upon reading and finishing Braiding Sweetgrass, I immediately added Gathering Moss to my TBR. Robin Wall Kimmerer's vast knowledge of the natural world and her endearing storytelling ability are unparalleled. I honestly think I could read her grocery list and get so much more out of it.
Blending science and personal reflection, this collection of personal essays centering on the lives of mosses is absolutely riveting. Through beautiful description, the author teaches the reader (in an incredibly accessible way) how the forest works in unity and what we have to learn from mosses. She incorporates her own experience working in the natural world with Indigenous knowledge in a manner that resonated deeply with me.
I listened to the audio while reading along with my physical copy and found this to be ideal. It gave the impression of the author telling me an incredible story. Robin delivers a fantastic narration, and I could listen to her soothing voice all day long. Her voice adopts the pacing of the content in a genuine way. It is just beautiful.
Gathering Moss gave me a better understanding and greater appreciation of mosses. Robin Wall Kimmerer willing shares her wisdom in an informative manner, which is a gift in itself. While short, this book holds so many lessons and opened my eyes to the world of mosses, something I have not paid much attention to. For me, my biggest takeaway may have been the lesson in self-restraint and understanding the web of reciprocity that connects us to the natural world. Sign me up to read anything else she writes.
π R E A D β’ I F β’ Y O U β’ L I K E
β’ the concept of reciprocity
β’ the natural world
β’ mosses
β οΈ CW: colonization, genocide, racism, sexism, death, death of parent, grief, sexual assault, sexual violence, slavery
π F A V O U R I T E β’ Q U O T E S
"With words at your disposal, you can see more clearly. Finding the words is another step in learning to see."
"But most mosses are immune to death by drying. For them, desiccation is simply a temporary interruption in life."
"Intimacy gives us a different way of seeing, when visual acuity is not enough."
Content Warnings
Moderate: Genocide, Sexism, Colonisation, and Racism
Minor: Sexual violence, Death, Death of parent, Slavery, Sexual assault, and Grief
laurareads87's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Simultaneously beautiful to read and fantastically informative. Having read Dr. Kimmerer's Braiding Sweetgrass last year I was happy to pick up her earlier book on mosses. By comparison, this book I would describe as having more emphasis on natural history and scientific information about its subject matter and less memoir, though like Braiding Sweetgrass this book integrates multiple ways of knowing seamlessly -- I learned a lot about mosses reading this book and that makes me very happy given that moss is, well, everywhere, and in my experience books on the plant life of a particular region tend to give little relatively attention to these smallest of flora.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault and Slavery
frannyarose's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Simply beautiful. Kimmerer reminds me of the times as a child I would spend minutes just looking at a single blade of grass, the texture of bark, the tiny details in a petal. She reminds us of the connection between all things and the importance of looking closely. I honestly found this book to be a world wind, heart beating with excitement as I felt like I learned some of the worldβs secrets, or stomach clenching when hearing about destruction from mine tailings or moss poachers. But throughout the book Kimmerer brings hope and knowledge. She also does a great job at explaining biology and ecology and research methods! Recommend to all. Only one thing, in one chapter she compares moss hunting to slavery which to my 2021 maybe too politically correct self felt a bit upsetting. Future editions could perhaps remove that sentence.
Content Warnings
Minor: Slavery and Sexual assault
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