Part natural history, part scientific inquiry, but most of all a deeply thoughtful human meditation on how we walk through life, Moor’s book is enchanting.
...let me assure you that Moor mixes these and other ingredients into a highly satisfying whole, neatly avoiding the pitfall of pretentiousness. On Trails is an engaging blend of travelogue, sociology, history and philosophy that might be summed up as a meditation on the centrality of trails to animal and human life.
Moor is a boots-on-the-ground empiricist of trails. No armchair explorer, he has hoofed the Appalachian Trail ... Moor doesn’t moon about as he seeks the meaning — the soul — of trails. His is a serious endeavor. Occasionally his writing will become painfully dry to appropriate science in making a point ... Better to walk along with Moor as he reads trails, offering esoteric wisdom.
...his quest to unravel a deceptively simple question is both fun and intriguing, an exploration filled with both learning and missteps, like any journey ... Following Moor’s trails in this book opens many fascinating vistas.
Mr Moor’s narrative is grounded by his passion for the story of the Appalachian Trail ... the author returns again and again to the tale of this meandering, flawed and yet alluring path. In doing so, he leads the reader on page by page. A wanderer’s dream, even from an armchair.
Moor’s book is a hiking trail itself, wandering from place to place, stopping like a good trail guide to explain the nuances and ecologies of each place he visits ... but On Trails is not quick or breezy. It requires good pair of hiking shoes and has the hard-earned stink of a through-hiker. It is a book determined to walk from one end of an idea to another ... Each idea is so carefully portrayed and deeply fascinating that I had to stop and catch my breath often ... It’s a beautiful trek through the human and natural landscapes of modern life.
...a wonderfully rich and human book. It is a trail all on its own, marked by the procession of internal contemplation and idea-spinning that a long solitary walk in the woods can produce. Moor is interested in everything, with a knack for communicating that curiosity to the reader, and he has lined up a chorus line of experts that are as one-of-a-kind as their various specialties ... Thru-hikers be warned: you’ll be ditching some essentials to make room for On Trails in your pack.
