A review by kairosdreaming
Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses by Robin Wall Kimmerer

4.0

I can't say that moss is the most invigorating topic that you might choose to read about. After all, outside of a few enthusiasts, how many people even think, let alone talk, about moss on a regular basis? So a whole book about it? Well, you'd be missing out if you didn't read it. I have a whole new appreciation for moss and learned way more than I ever thought possible on the subject.

Kimmerer knows mosses. It's part of her job after all. And she weaves their story along with her own in a delightful way. I appreciated knowing how her culture and experiences formed her relationship with nature and the appreciation she was able to show for moss. Not to mention the patience she must have just in the way it's studied! When she got to counting how many were in a centimeter I was blown away; there is no way you would ever catch me doing that as I'm pretty sure I lack the focus.

While this could have been a boring book, Kimmerer is a good writer, and as such she's able to weave those personal stories in with the scientific information in a way that was consistent and engrossing. I was often somewhat upset I had to put the book down because it was getting too late, rather than struggling to get through chapters as sometimes happens with other scientific-based books.

I'm headed to her more well-known book 'Braiding Sweetgrass' next, I can only imagine it's just as good as this one.

Review by M. Reynard 2024