Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses Paperback – 1 July 2021

'Gathering Moss' truly is a wonder; combining detailed scientific research, conveyed in the most accessible of ways, indigenous knowledge and spirituality, personal memoir, and social history. Moss is centred as a being worthy of study and as a teacher and guide. Robin Wall-Kimmerer has such an engaging, intimate way of writing that it feels as though you are talking with an old friend. Often moving, this book is a call to love abs respect Moss, and through moss to love and respect the world.

Beautiful book.

A book that had me enjoying each story as she introduces us to a world within a world. With wisdom and loving skill, she reminded me that I am so often not present to the world surrounding me. Aware of this I try to be present, recognising, acknowledging and expressing my gratitude for all that nature offers. It has changed the way I walk, slowing me down and encouraging me to focus on where I am and what surrounds me. I feel privileged to be given this opportunity to finally relate to the world I am a part of. As an adopted son of a Kayan Chief she also reminded me of the culture and values that all indigenous people share in their appreciation of the natural world.

Love this book

This book is completely different to most books on the natural world, combining deep scientific knowledge with obvious love of the subject and insights into Native American attitudes. I will never look at mosses in the same way again.

I was interested in the natural history of mosses, which are fascinating survivors in the plant world and infinitely more important to us overall than I had appreciated. This book delivers an easy to understand but also thorough look at mosses. She intertwines the moss stories with family and personal stories--at first I was put off by this, but the author managed this successfully and it made the book more compelling.

Who knew there could be so much delight in a study of mosses. It is not so much that I care about them - in truth I don’t, I have more of broad brush appreciation of nature - but the feeling of respect and understanding of the wholistic nature of things that Robin Wall Kimmerer brings to the subject brings these mosses alive, and opens me up to the sentience in everything that surrounds me. And then I have awareness, humility, compassion for all of nature and I feel the pain of our human cavalier nature. The story about the unseen lover of mosses wielding money and power to serve his personal agenda is particularly heart rending. It takes a special writer to make me bleed for these tiniest shy species.

After reading this gem of book, I'd like to be moss in the next life, because I'm starting to think like a moss. This book is a wonderful poem and a masterclass of bryology at the same time.