Rooted

Subtitle: Life at the Crossroads of Science, Nature, and Spirit

Author: Lyanda Lynn Haupt

Genre: Nonfiction, Nature

Format: Physical Purchase

Publish Date: May 2021

Read: August 2024

Favorite Quote: No single human can work to save the orcas and protect the Amazon and organize anti-fracking protests and write poetry that inspires others to act and pray in a hermit’s dwelling for transformation and get dinner on the table. How easy is it to feel paralyzed by obligations.

Synopsis: In a beautiful blend of creative writing, spirituality, and science. Haupt dives into the science of why we need to be more connected to nature and how we’ve lost our way in the post-industrial revolution era. An advocate for walking barefoot in the forest and reevaluating how you look at trees, Haupt paints a beautiful picture of a more interconnected world where we recognize the deep layers of being in relation to other living things.

Why does this book beguile? I have been on a nature-themed kick lately in my nonfiction books. Rooted blew me away. I love how short and powerful this book is! Haupt does an amazing job of weaving a story of her life, the natural world, activism, and human existence in just over 200 pages. In particular, Haupt discusses the anthropomorphizing of trees and animals, calling for removing the word “anthropomorphizing” because plants and animals have their own versions of feelings and chemical transmitters (dopamine, serotonin, glutamate).

I found Rooted to be inspiring without being preachy and motivating without shaming the reader for “not doing enough” for the planet.

Rating: 5/5

Link*: Rooted: Life at the Crossroads of Science, Nature, and Spirit by Lyanda Lynn Haupt

If you’re interested in this, read*: Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest by Suzanne Simard