Review by Choice Review
Kimmerer (State Univ. of New York) treats readers to an unusual look at the moss world up close and beautiful. She is at her best describing the subtleties of moss ecology, how a species reproduces, how it finds a home, and how its metabolism is adapted to frequent drying. Life at the surface of the earth, survival in rock crevices, sex in a thin film of water--all take on a glorious dimensionality that most readers are likely to miss without this guide. Kimmerer's forays into human emotion and behavior are usually tied to stories of moss ecology, and they may make attractive reading for nonscientists. Bryophytes are part of a larger biosphere that is characterized by almost indescribable complexity. That complexity, something we commonly call nature, is something we must try to preserve. But teachers understand that students' eyes cloud over when they start preaching. Kimmerer does tend to get on a soapbox in places, and the price she pays is that her writing is just slightly less effectual. She would be better weaving her tales of moss habits and habitats, a gift at which she is truly expert. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. General readers; lower- and upper-division undergraduates; faculty. S. Hammer Boston University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
The best science books offer not only detailed scientific knowledge but also good writing and insights into much wider aspects of nature and life. Kimmerer, a botany professor who is also a Native American and a mother, strings together a series of essays teaching us about a fascinating, if humble and neglected, group of plants. Individual narratives are built around her own experiences related to mosses, both as a professional scientist and as a woman exploring her personal environment. She deftly interweaves her different viewpoints but avoids sentimentality and confusing the different "ways of knowing." We learn a good deal about mosses and their ecology as well as gain many insights into how larger ecological systems work and how human intervention has damaged them. Featuring informative and delicate black-and-white drawings of mosses, this gem of a book is recommended for most public and academic natural history collections.-Marit MacArthur Taylor, Auraria Lib., Denver (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
