On Trails

[An] engrossing meditation on trails in animal and human societies…Moor combines vivid
reportage told in supple prose with lucid explorations of science and history in an
absorbing account of how travelers shape and are shaped by the land they pass through

Publishers Weekly

A sagacious walker and writer guides us on a new journey of discovery, a different kind of
road trip about roads themselves and what they mean… this is a fine guide to places with
better views of the world

Kirkus Reviews

Chockful of historical trivia, philosophical musings, and an unflagging sense of joy in
winding one’s way through both the outdoors and the inner self, Moor’s multi-dimensional
exploration earns him a place on the map of writers to watch. … Moor [is] an elegant
essayist and fastidious researcher. … Whether perambulating or cogitating, if you love to
follow a twisting path, making unexpected connections between Point A and Point B, you’ll
love the literary adventure of nonfiction writer Robert Moor’s compelling debut

Passport Magazine

Spectacular... an example of narrative nonfiction at its finest. Those with a passion for
walking, hiking or exploring will be naturally drawn to Moor's subject, but this is so much
more than a subject-specific story; it is a book that poses big questions about humanity's
place in the world (literally and figuratively) and how we've come to be here—and it's
fascinating to its very end

Shelf Awareness

Hiker and journalist Moor [is] the rare thru-hiker whose philosophical ramblings you’ll
actually want to read. … [A] treatise on how trails—the ones we plan and the ones we
accidentally leave behind—shape our culture

Outside

[Moor] begins as a hiker, wondering why the path he’s on veers this way but not that way, and just who might’ve authored that path’s direction, but ends up subjecting more existential paths–"'spiritual paths,’ ‘career paths,’ ‘paths to wellness’"-to this same inquiry

Garden & Gun Magazine

On Trails teems with scientific and historical anecdotes…little flowers of information bloom on the graceful canes of Moor’s prose. He’s erudite, witty, and relentlessly curious

Garden & Gun Magazine

There are revelations at every turn here, from the nature of shepherding, to the vast network of ancient animal and Native American trails that underlie modern North America, to the very qualities of the best trails—durability, efficiency, and flexibility—and how we learn from them even as we move beyond them....[A] deeply informed study of nature and history of trailmaking

Booklist, Starred Review

[A] fascinating debut … both fun and intriguing. … Following Moor’s trails in this book opens many fascinating vistas

The Seattle Times