Gathering Moss

Paperback, 192 pages

English language

Published July 1, 2021 by Penguin Books, Limited.

ISBN:: 978-0-14-199762-9

(1 review)

Intriguing and uplifting stories of the world's oldest plants, from the revered botanist and indigenous teacher Robin Wall Kimmerer

Living at the limits of our ordinary perception, mosses are a common but largely unnoticed element of the natural world. Gathering Moss is a beautifully written mix of science and personal reflection that invites readers to explore and learn from the elegantly simple lives of mosses.

In these interwoven essays, Robin Wall Kimmerer leads general readers and scientists alike to an understanding of how mosses live and how their lives are intertwined with the lives of countless other beings. Kimmerer explains the biology of mosses clearly and artfully, while at the same time reflecting on what these fascinating organisms have to teach us.

Drawing on her experiences as a scientist, a mother, and a Native American, Kimmerer explains the stories of mosses in scientific terms as well as within the framework …

Intriguing and uplifting stories of the world's oldest plants, from the revered botanist and indigenous teacher Robin Wall Kimmerer

Living at the limits of our ordinary perception, mosses are a common but largely unnoticed element of the natural world. Gathering Moss is a beautifully written mix of science and personal reflection that invites readers to explore and learn from the elegantly simple lives of mosses.

In these interwoven essays, Robin Wall Kimmerer leads general readers and scientists alike to an understanding of how mosses live and how their lives are intertwined with the lives of countless other beings. Kimmerer explains the biology of mosses clearly and artfully, while at the same time reflecting on what these fascinating organisms have to teach us.

Drawing on her experiences as a scientist, a mother, and a Native American, Kimmerer explains the stories of mosses in scientific terms as well as within the framework of indigenous ways of knowing. In her book, the natural history and cultural relationships of mosses become a powerful metaphor for ways of living in the world.

5 editions

Tracey S reviewed Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer

3 stars

This book was ok but for me there was not enough in depth look at the science of the mosses and their environment also I started to feel that this book was outdated as it was written 20+ years ago now. I especially got this sense when there was a chapter about the Amazon rainforest but no mention of Temperate Rainforests that are equally or more rich in mosses (See The Rainforests of Britain by Guy Shrubsole) I got frustrated by the slamming of people that live in cities and the sense that there is no nature there; there is if you look and nurture it. I was also frustrated by the chapters that mentioned the past practices of gardening (usage of Peat Compost and moss linings to hanging baskets) but gave the reader no alternatives for what should be used instead just stated that these were bad things. On …

This book was ok but for me there was not enough in depth look at the science of the mosses and their environment also I started to feel that this book was outdated as it was written 20+ years ago now. I especially got this sense when there was a chapter about the Amazon rainforest but no mention of Temperate Rainforests that are equally or more rich in mosses (See The Rainforests of Britain by Guy Shrubsole) I got frustrated by the slamming of people that live in cities and the sense that there is no nature there; there is if you look and nurture it. I was also frustrated by the chapters that mentioned the past practices of gardening (usage of Peat Compost and moss linings to hanging baskets) but gave the reader no alternatives for what should be used instead just stated that these were bad things. On the whole some photographs may have helped to visualise the mosses being described and a little less memoir writing as I found it a bit off putting and meant I would forget any facts I had just read. Also some of the sorts of experiments felt a bit off too as I kept mentally shouting stop pulling up clumps of moss

Subjects

Botany