Top critical review
2.0 out of 5 starsit is what it is
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2020
the author is definitely passionate about moss, that much is clear. i liked when she went into detail about the different types of mosses; what they look like, where they grow, how they multiply, how they survive, or get along... what i didnt care much for was when she got overly "poetic" or "philosophical" with her writing. if im reading something to learn, i'd much rather like it to be short and sweet; to the point. dont keep me around longer with your musings! so its half scientific, half philosophical i guess?
also, like another reviewer wrote, actual color pictures would have been great. there are some drawings, which are nice, but its just not the same. she kept describing things and i kept wondering why there were no pictures so the reader could get the full scope and understanding of her written words. sure, one could always stop and look up whatever moss she was describing, but it just takes you out of the flow.
what got to me the most was towards the end, when she talks about how she was hired to help with an "ecosystem restoration project". a dead giveaway that she was merely hired to bolster a way-too-wealthy man's ego was when she first got there and saw a big old oak tree strapped to a truck, ready to be transplanted next to the new house. when she remarked about not knowing trees could be bought that big, the worker in charge of their project replied, "you can't, we have to buy the land and dig them up."
i would have understood if the tree was going to be cut down and this was done to 'save' it. but although she was shocked, she did her best to help them with their moss issue. she took the mans money and even went back a second time with more helpfulness, even though there was even more awfulness going on.
i couldnt get past it. why didnt she walk away at the first dead sign that this was no restoration project? this rich, nameless man was clearly destroying natural ecosystems and "restoring" them to his brand new home because he liked the look of them, because he had the money, and because people like her didnt say "no". thats what stuck with me, the hypocrisy.
so yes, lots of info and musings on moss, as well as her native american heritage, but in the end, even she was bought off.
i get it, its a lesson, im sure she regretted it... but its just disheartening.