Robin Wall Kimmerer

Robin Wall Kimmerer is the author of this book, a mother to two daughters, and a professor of environmental biology and botany. Kimmerer's identity in this book is self-described as a blend of two very different personalities: one is scientific, with an eye to rational and objective analysis of the world around her; the other is spiritual, with a unique worldview stemming from her indigenous background with looks at the outside world with the eyes of one who sees all things on earth as alive.

Kimmerer struggled to reconcile these two personalities when she reached adulthood. Growing up, her father and mother taught her a lot about her Potawatomi ancestry and the daily rituals of her culture became a part of Kimmerer's life that were taken for granted. It was only upon exposure to the scientific community, which early on scoffed at her spiritual understanding...