Rooted: Life at the Crossroads of Science, Nature, and Spirit
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- Create Date：2021-08-11 06:51:02
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Lyanda Lynn Haupt
- ISBN：0316426482
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Summary
Deepen your connection to the natural world with this inspiring meditation， "a path to the place where science and spirit meet" （Robin Wall Kimmerer）。
In Rooted， cutting-edge science supports a truth that poets， artists， mystics， and earth-based cultures across the world have proclaimed over millennia: life on this planet is radically interconnected。 Our bodies， thoughts， minds， and spirits are affected by the whole of nature， and they affect this whole in return。 In this time of crisis， how can we best live upon our imperiled， beloved earth？
Award-winning writer Lyanda Lynn Haupt’s highly personal new book is a brilliant invitation to live with the earth in both simple and profound ways—from walking barefoot in the woods and reimagining our relationship with animals and trees， to examining the very language we use to describe and think about nature。 She invokes rootedness as a way of being in concert with the wilderness—and wildness—that sustains humans and all of life。
In the tradition of Rachel Carson， Elizabeth Kolbert， and Mary Oliver， Haupt writes with urgency and grace， reminding us that at the crossroads of science， nature， and spirit we find true hope。 Each chapter provides tools for bringing our unique gifts to the fore and transforming our sense of belonging within the magic and wonder of the natural world。
In Rooted， cutting-edge science supports a truth that poets， artists， mystics， and earth-based cultures across the world have proclaimed over millennia: life on this planet is radically interconnected。 Our bodies， thoughts， minds， and spirits are affected by the whole of nature， and they affect this whole in return。 In this time of crisis， how can we best live upon our imperiled， beloved earth？
Award-winning writer Lyanda Lynn Haupt’s highly personal new book is a brilliant invitation to live with the earth in both simple and profound ways—from walking barefoot in the woods and reimagining our relationship with animals and trees， to examining the very language we use to describe and think about nature。 She invokes rootedness as a way of being in concert with the wilderness—and wildness—that sustains humans and all of life。
In the tradition of Rachel Carson， Elizabeth Kolbert， and Mary Oliver， Haupt writes with urgency and grace， reminding us that at the crossroads of science， nature， and spirit we find true hope。 Each chapter provides tools for bringing our unique gifts to the fore and transforming our sense of belonging within the magic and wonder of the natural world。
Reviews
Stacy Lynn
，
I am sorry I have finished this lovely book， full of gorgeous prose and wisdom。 I read every word of it outside， with the warm summer breezes caressing my skin， and the sounds of birds and rustling trees singing along with me。 “All shall be well， in whatever tangled， unknowable， difficult， beautiful way that wellness unfolds，” Haupt closes。 “Our lives are irrevocably entwined with this unfurling。 Though we can’t know exactly where we are going， or what will happen， still we journey together by c I am sorry I have finished this lovely book， full of gorgeous prose and wisdom。 I read every word of it outside， with the warm summer breezes caressing my skin， and the sounds of birds and rustling trees singing along with me。 “All shall be well， in whatever tangled， unknowable， difficult， beautiful way that wellness unfolds，” Haupt closes。 “Our lives are irrevocably entwined with this unfurling。 Though we can’t know exactly where we are going， or what will happen， still we journey together by choice and in grace， foot by foot， upon our troubled and beloved earth。” 。。。more
Nursebookie
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The writing was magical and mindful， returning us back to the times much simpler and more connected or rooted back to nature。 I love the tools Haupt offers in every chapter as she brings us back to the joys of being barefoot in nature and connecting us to the wildness of the wilderness。 Rooted was quite the read that gave pause， in a timely and important subject especially now where life embedded in technology meant distance from nature。 This was a fantastic book！
Katie
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I really enjoyed this book。 I read it slowly so I could savor the beautiful language and the ideas。 The author really does mix science， nature， and spiritual ideas。 She pulls from a wide historical background: from mystic saints to modern-day scientists and all kinds of people in between。 I thought it was quite well done。 For someone who likes to ponder these topics in new and creative ways， it really hit the spot for me。
Emily Bragg
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I'm not sure I've ever related this much to any book。 Just beautiful I'm not sure I've ever related this much to any book。 Just beautiful 。。。more
Marsha Hubbell
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I was rivetted by “Rooted: Life at the Crossroads of Science， Nature， and Spirit” by Lyanda Lynn Haupt。 Naturalist， writer， educator， and author of six books， Haupt urges us to live “rooted，” which she defines as a way of “being in concert with the wilderness – and wildness – that sustains humans and all of life。”My copy is filled with dog-eared pages; pages I want to read again and again and apply to my way of being and thinking。 In “Rooted” Haupt writes: “For hundreds of years we have struggle I was rivetted by “Rooted: Life at the Crossroads of Science， Nature， and Spirit” by Lyanda Lynn Haupt。 Naturalist， writer， educator， and author of six books， Haupt urges us to live “rooted，” which she defines as a way of “being in concert with the wilderness – and wildness – that sustains humans and all of life。”My copy is filled with dog-eared pages; pages I want to read again and again and apply to my way of being and thinking。 In “Rooted” Haupt writes: “For hundreds of years we have struggled with the human condition under the assumption that this condition， whatever its faults， would continue。 Now and forever … But now， for the first time in human history， we are living at a juncture where the twin realities of climate crisis and habitat destruction are so far-reaching that the basic web of biological connections required to support life on earth are swiftly breaking down。”This is not a book designed to guilt the reader but rather to engage us again。 A guide and a call to action to be “rooted” once more with trees and birds and animals and plants。 Rooted again with the planet。Haupt believes it “takes practice and attentiveness to connect with the earth when our lives are so influenced by technology and general busy-ness。” She urges us to take a “tech break” and “give our brain a reminder that we have deeper ways of being present to live。”In one chapter she writes: “When we walk mindfully in the natural world – attuned to the voices of the birds， the alternate unfurling and dormancy of plant life through the seasons， the tracks of the coyotes who wander from the green space to our urban backyard – a great deal of truth about the interrelationship between humans， plants， animals， and the land is directly revealed to us。 This attunement is our most authentic， most innate way of learning and knowing。”One review called “Rooted” a “masterful melding of the mystical and the material。” Describes it perfectly。 。。。more
Alice Andrews
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From the first chapter this book rang false。 Author relays story of herself as a fifth grader which sounded more like the actions and beliefs of a second grader。 An entitled， preachy tone resonated throughout the book and though some of the historical， religious， and philosophical tales held my interest， they were interjected in a half-hazard clumsy way， making for an unpleasant reading experience。DNF。
Alicia Bayer
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This is an enjoyable read that mixes nature， memoir， philosophy and science。 Beautiful black and white illustrations accompany it。 I didn't necessarily learn anything but I enjoyed the book quite a lot。I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review。 This is an enjoyable read that mixes nature， memoir， philosophy and science。 Beautiful black and white illustrations accompany it。 I didn't necessarily learn anything but I enjoyed the book quite a lot。I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review。 。。。more
Alexandra
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Small essays/stories under a certain theme。 Get different connections to nature， so nice for those who want that variety。 Author's own connections and research included。 Small essays/stories under a certain theme。 Get different connections to nature， so nice for those who want that variety。 Author's own connections and research included。 。。。more
Rebecca
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Haupt’s Crow Planet was the highlight of my 2019 animal-themed summer reading。 I admired her determination to incorporate wildlife-watching into everyday life， and appreciated her words on the human connection to and responsibility towards the rest of nature。 Rooted， one of my most anticipated books of this year， continues in that vein， yet surprised me with its mystical approach。 No doubt some will be put off by the spiritual standpoint and dismiss the author as a barefoot， tree-hugging hippie。 Haupt’s Crow Planet was the highlight of my 2019 animal-themed summer reading。 I admired her determination to incorporate wildlife-watching into everyday life， and appreciated her words on the human connection to and responsibility towards the rest of nature。 Rooted， one of my most anticipated books of this year， continues in that vein， yet surprised me with its mystical approach。 No doubt some will be put off by the spiritual standpoint and dismiss the author as a barefoot， tree-hugging hippie。 Well， sign me up to Haupt’s team， because nature needs all the help it can get， and we know that people won’t save what they don’t love。 Start to think about trees and animals as brothers and sisters – or even as part of the self – and actions that passively doom them， not to mention wanton destruction of habitat， will hit closer to home。I hadn’t realized that Haupt grew up Catholic， so the language of mysticism comes easily to her， but even as a child nature was where she truly sensed transcendence。 Down by the creek， where she listened to birdsong and watched the frog lifecycle， was where she learned that everything is connected。 She even confessed her other church， “Frog Church” （this book’s original title）， to her priest one day。 （He humored her by assigning an extra Our Father。） How to reclaim that childhood feeling of connectedness as a busy， tech-addicted adult？The Seattle-based Haupt engages in， and encourages， solo camping， barefoot walking， purposeful wandering， spending time sitting under trees， mindfulness， and going out in the dark。 This might look countercultural， or even eccentric。 Some will also feel called to teach， to protest， and to support environmental causes financially。 Others will contribute their talent for music， writing， or the visual arts。 But there are subtler changes to be made too， in our attitudes and the way we speak。 A simple one is to watch how we refer to other species。 “It” has no place in a creature-directed vocabulary。Haupt’s perspective chimes with the ethos of the New Networks for Nature conference I attend each year， as well as with the work of many UK nature writers like Robert Macfarlane （in particular， she mentions The Lost Words） and Jini Reddy （Wanderland）。 I also found a fair amount of overlap with Lucy Jones’s Losing Eden。 There were points where Haupt got a little abstract and even woo-woo for me – and I say that as someone with a religious background。 But her passion won me over， and her book helped me to understand why two things that happened earlier this year – a fox dying in our backyard and neighbors having a big willow tree taken down – wounded me so deeply。 That I felt each death throe and chainsaw cut as if in my own body wasn’t just me being sentimental and oversensitive。 It was a reminder that I’m a part of all of life， and I must do more to protect it。Favorite lines:“In this time of planetary crisis， overwhelm is common。 What to do？ There is so much。 Too much。 No single human can work to save the orcas and the Amazon and organize protests to stop fracking 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 it is to feel paralyzed by obligations。 How easy it is to feel lost and insignificant and unable to know what is best， to feel adrift while yearning for purpose。 Rootedness is a way of being in concert with the wilderness—and wildness—that sustains humans and all of life。”“No one can do all things。 Yet we can hold all things as we trim and change our lives and choose our particular forms of rooted， creative action—those that call uniquely to us。”Originally published on my blog， Bookish Beck。 。。。more
Shelly Wilson
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When I saw the cover of this book I thought 'Yes！ If I were a Venn diagram， this is EXACTLY where I would stand！' - at the overlap of where science， nature， and spirit meet。 I was surprised at how different this intersection can look in other shoes， though perhaps I shouldn't have been。 Following the footsteps of Mary Oliver， Rachel Carson， or Robin Wall Kimmerer will all lead you to the same place， but from different perspectives。 Here Lyanda Lynn Haupt joins the chorus of those singing the pra When I saw the cover of this book I thought 'Yes！ If I were a Venn diagram， this is EXACTLY where I would stand！' - at the overlap of where science， nature， and spirit meet。 I was surprised at how different this intersection can look in other shoes， though perhaps I shouldn't have been。 Following the footsteps of Mary Oliver， Rachel Carson， or Robin Wall Kimmerer will all lead you to the same place， but from different perspectives。 Here Lyanda Lynn Haupt joins the chorus of those singing the praises of the natural world。 In addition to the wonderful illustrations， there were passages in this book that were beautiful and thought-provoking。 I particularly liked the musings on death at the end; I often meditate on the thought that every molecule in my body has been a part of millions of different organisms through billions of years leading back to the time when all things were the stuff of stars。 It is humbling to carry that idea forward， too， and realize that every molecule in your body will go on to become a small part of innumerable things in the future for as long as time exists。 I was glad to see I am not the only person who has been awed by that knowledge。At other times， I feel like the author missed the point。 For example， in a section about naming， she discusses the idea of 'true names' for organisms and asks the reader to learn the names of organisms around us- scientific， or common， or indigenous， or to come up with our own names- and she seems to miss the point that naming is an entirely human construct。 Perhaps indigenous names are closer to capturing the essence of a life form in words because of their deep history with that landscape， as the author seems to suggest， or perhaps not。 Regardless， organisms exist in the world with no need to name themselves。 Why would an organism without human language have a true name spoken in a human tongue？ What if we freed ourselves of our human desire to categorize and separate and instead let ourselves experience the world in its wholeness， unencumbered by the confines of human language？Additionally， I was surprised to find that "spirit" for this author referred to a Christian spirituality。 Christianity is not a religion rooted in nature; its creation story begins with God placing Man above nature。 Other worldviews place humans in the web of ecological community， as a part of the natural world rather than above it。 The focus on Christian mystics/mysticism was not my flavor of eco-spirituality， but I recognize that the same might not be true for other readers。I agree with the author that many human issues come from a feeling of disconnect between us and the world around us， and that the solution to this is to embrace our place in community and deepen our connection with it （in the ecological sense of the word 'community'， including not only humans but all the living organisms around and within us）。 For myself， I wish that the roots of this book were less like those of the monocots （plentiful， but close to the surface） and more like those of the dicots （digging deeply and stretching wide）。 This book would be a great place to start from for those embarking on their journey to seek deeper connection with the natural world， giving readers plenty of ways to begin digging in。 I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
P Tucker
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“Rooted” is completely enchanting！ Lyanda Lynn Haupt explores diverse paths to deeper engagement with the natural world， taking us on unexpected journeys into the human-nature relationship。 Her writing is lyrical and engaging as she invites us to find enhanced meaning in the nature that surrounds us wherever we are， bringing in the insights and wisdom of poets， scientists， spiritual elders， and other thinkers around the world。 “Rooted” is remarkable in its integration of a wide range of approach “Rooted” is completely enchanting！ Lyanda Lynn Haupt explores diverse paths to deeper engagement with the natural world， taking us on unexpected journeys into the human-nature relationship。 Her writing is lyrical and engaging as she invites us to find enhanced meaning in the nature that surrounds us wherever we are， bringing in the insights and wisdom of poets， scientists， spiritual elders， and other thinkers around the world。 “Rooted” is remarkable in its integration of a wide range of approaches into a powerful interconnected whole that embraces all of who we are and who we can be， in this ancestral relationship with the earth that sustains us in body， mind， heart， and soul。 。。。more
Channa Patel
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Rooted is about connecting or reconnecting with nature and throughout the author sites historical figures， scientists， philosophers， and religious and their views and practices。 Overall， the writing was disjointed and rambling。 Typically， I'm a fast reader but found myself reading passages over again trying to comprehend， something I rarely do。 To stick with a non-fiction book， either the author must be likable or the material of interest。 Neither was the case with Rooted。 In an earlier chapters Rooted is about connecting or reconnecting with nature and throughout the author sites historical figures， scientists， philosophers， and religious and their views and practices。 Overall， the writing was disjointed and rambling。 Typically， I'm a fast reader but found myself reading passages over again trying to comprehend， something I rarely do。 To stick with a non-fiction book， either the author must be likable or the material of interest。 Neither was the case with Rooted。 In an earlier chapters， the author writes of planetary crisis and her Masters thesis on radical environmental activism yet in the previous paragraph she tells of her trip to Japan。 （My husband read two of her other books where global travel took place along with preaching about the environment） How can such irony be lost on a self-proclaimed naturalist？ She also makes headshaking unscientific and preposterous claims such as walking barefoot upon the earth improves podiatrist health。 （Years of walking barefoot left me with painful planter fibromas so this claim is irresponsible and not for every foot structure。） Years ago， I read Urban Bestiary and gleamed some interesting water-cooler type facts （again， had to skip the preachy undertones） but Rooted is so densely packed with repeated lecturing and self-importance， it was tucked at the bottom of my reading pile after struggling through the first section。 Had this book not been comped perhaps， I would've put in more effort。 。。。more
Brenda
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When I read the description of this book I thought this was exactly what I was looking for。 I am interested in how my world is connected to nature。 Why my heart is drawn to that which is part of the natural world。 How I am more at peace in the forest or at the water or even in my own gardens， in the silence， watching the bees flit from flower to flower。 I was looking for more of how my mindfulness is connected to these feelings。 That’s not what I found here。 The book summary doesn’t provide an a When I read the description of this book I thought this was exactly what I was looking for。 I am interested in how my world is connected to nature。 Why my heart is drawn to that which is part of the natural world。 How I am more at peace in the forest or at the water or even in my own gardens， in the silence， watching the bees flit from flower to flower。 I was looking for more of how my mindfulness is connected to these feelings。 That’s not what I found here。 The book summary doesn’t provide an accurate description of what is found inside。 Through multiple short chapters， the reader is encouraged to be more aware， to listen and to be open to nature。 This done from experiences that the author has had herself。 It is easy to read one section and think about it， work with your thoughts and move on to the next without losing any continuity。 I was expecting more research， more depth to the experiences， more ways to relate my thoughts and feelings to being “rooted” or grounded。 There seemed to be more speculation and author opinion with a christianity tone （even though at the start of the book it was mentioned that was not going to happen） instead。 This would be a good beginners book for those that are not aware of what being grounded or “rooted” is and are looking for a way to get started。 For those already walking in that journey this book will not be a means of further understanding。 Thank you Little， Brown and Company and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book。 。。。more
Nancy
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During this pandemic I have seen friends on social media share rejuvenating experiences in nature through daily walks or hikes into the wilds， views from windows from homes in cities and woods and moors， experiences with fox frolicking in suburban yards or wild birds landing on outstretched palms offering seed and suet。My brother walks every weekend with his girlfriend， through every weather。 They seek out the lonely places， the empty dirt roads， the parks only populated in sunshine。 I have the During this pandemic I have seen friends on social media share rejuvenating experiences in nature through daily walks or hikes into the wilds， views from windows from homes in cities and woods and moors， experiences with fox frolicking in suburban yards or wild birds landing on outstretched palms offering seed and suet。My brother walks every weekend with his girlfriend， through every weather。 They seek out the lonely places， the empty dirt roads， the parks only populated in sunshine。 I have the local city park filled with towering oak trees and black squirrels hopping across the grass， a hawk watching overhead， or the protected woods were trillium carpet the forest floor in spring。Even my own patio， sitting under the apple trees， offers a daily respite， watching the robins joyously splash in the bird bath， the sparrows flitting in and out of their nesting box， while bee and butterfly visit the herb garden and zinnia， perhaps oblivious to the rabbit who sneaks in to steal leaves from the rose bush。How does anyone get through a week without communing with nature？ A glimpse of flowering tree or autumnal glow of color across the grass？ The raucous call of the Blue Jay or the hoot of an owl in the night？Lyanda Lynn Haupt writes that being rooted in nature is a spiritual practice。 She shares her personal stories of walking barefoot and alone in the forest， camping and walking blind at night， healed， and sometimes afraid， by the experience。 The spirituality of oneness with all the earth is ancient， the constructiveness of all life part of religious experience found in many faiths， including Christianity。 But modern humans live in houses and work in rooms and Western society buys and uses and discards; we have lost wonder and respect and stewardship for Earth。Haupt's witness shows us how to regain the sacred， how to claim sisterhood with all living things， how to embrace the darkness， and how to heal the earth and ourselves。I received a free galley from the publisher through NetGalley。 My review is fair and unbiased。 。。。more
Sora Lin
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This book landed on my desk from an acquaintance who was given an advanced copy。 Otherwise， I wouldn't have read。 Figured I had nothing to lose but a few hours， however， if time is a commodity， this proved too costly。 I'm not a fan of Haupt's books as they are meandering， pointless， and speculative。 This one proved no exception。 A coddled housewife muses about nature with a bit of science thrown in， although very little。 Where she lost me in her other books was the disingenuous nature and double This book landed on my desk from an acquaintance who was given an advanced copy。 Otherwise， I wouldn't have read。 Figured I had nothing to lose but a few hours， however， if time is a commodity， this proved too costly。 I'm not a fan of Haupt's books as they are meandering， pointless， and speculative。 This one proved no exception。 A coddled housewife muses about nature with a bit of science thrown in， although very little。 Where she lost me in her other books was the disingenuous nature and double standards。 She'd be at once alarmed the last polar ice cap would melt by the time her daughter turned 35 yet had no qualms about making multiple international flights for either pleasure or what she deemed research。 （The research being a trip to Austria to ponder about Mozart and his pet bird， however the research added nothing to the book）I was also put off by her capture and keeping of a wild bird for her last book。 Granted the bird because somewhat of a pet， but this wasn't the intention。 What kind of naturalist captures any breed of wild animal for a speculative， non-scientific book of personal essays？ 。。。more
The Reading Potato
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Rooted tells of the interconnectedness of our world， relating stories from science， artists， philosophers and the author’s own life to the ways in which nature and humans impact each other。 Through each section of the book， Haupt urges us to be more aware of our surroundings， to listen and wander， grow and create。 Each section is elaborated upon through a series of short chapters containing anecdotes， research， stories and poetry。 Haupt provides a strong perspective throughout the course of this Rooted tells of the interconnectedness of our world， relating stories from science， artists， philosophers and the author’s own life to the ways in which nature and humans impact each other。 Through each section of the book， Haupt urges us to be more aware of our surroundings， to listen and wander， grow and create。 Each section is elaborated upon through a series of short chapters containing anecdotes， research， stories and poetry。 Haupt provides a strong perspective throughout the course of this book， and I enjoyed the variety of resources and perspectives that she shares。 The book is well-researched in easily digestible chapters with thought-provoking ideas。 There were times， however， when I felt there were too many stories and quotes being used， as I wanted more balance between the research and the author's own perspective。 I also found myself wanting certain areas of the book to go even deeper， elaborating further on what we can do to better support the natural world around us。 Overall， this is an enjoyable read， reminding us of the importance to connect and relate to the nature around us。 Especially for readers of Peter Wohlleben and Robin Wall Kimmerer， look for this book hitting the shelves in May。Thank you to Net Galley and Little， Brown and Company publishing for this ARC。 。。。more
Aimee
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