ON THE TRAILS Robert Moore

A wonderful exploration of how trails help us understand the world, from trails of invisible ants to trails that cross continents, from interstates to the internet. In 2009, while hiking the Appalachian Trail, Robert Moor began to wonder about the trails under our feet: how are they formed? Why do some improve over time while others fade? Does it follow or attack it on our own? Over the course of the next seven years, Moor traveled the globe, exploring trails of all kinds, from the minuscule to the grand. He learned the tricks of the master trail builders, tracked down long-lost Cherokee roads, and traced the origins of our highway networks and the Internet. In each chapter, Moor weaves his adventures with findings from science, history, philosophy, and nature writing. Throughout the book he reveals how the theme of forgotten paths sheds new light on a host of old questions: how did order emerge from chaos? how did animals first crawl from the seas and then settle ashore? across the continents? How has humanity's relationship with nature and technology transformed the world? And ultimately, how does each of us choose a path throughout his life? Moor has the essayist's gift for making new connections, the adventurer's love of the untrodden paths, and the philosopher's knack for asking the big questions.
Translation of Francisco J. Ramos Mena
Winner of the National Outdoor Book Award 2017