Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer, 168 pages.
Gathering Moss largely follows the same path as Kimmerer's better known book, Braiding Sweetgrass (which is also phenomenal and I would recommend it). This book is essentially a collection of discrete chapters that straddle the line between personal essay and science education. What most carries this book is definitely how deeply Kimmerer obviously cares about the subject matter. This is clearly a personal matter for her, and it feels a lot like being invited into a world I never knew existed. These essays cover more moss-related topics than I ever knew existed, which probably also contributes to that impression.
My one difficulty with this book is that it is sometimes a little technical for the casual reader. I really like moss, but I didn't know much about it, and I definitely found myself getting bogged down by the more technical elements in a book that feels like it's mostly for casual consumers. I did enjoy this book, but I would also definitely say that it's not as strong as Braiding Sweetgrass.
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