Each year, an open group from within the University of Washington Health Sciences selects a Common Book that serves as a platform for students from across health professions to learn together on topics of common importance. Throughout the school year students have the opportunity to participate in a series of lectures, interactive discussions, advocacy efforts, and seminars focused on the major topic(s) of the book.

This year's selection of Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer will engage the community in exploration of the interconnectedness of our world through the lens of an Indigenous scientist, and spark rich conversations and learning experiences. Learn more about the book.

About the Author

Robin Wall Kimmerer is a mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. She is the author of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants and Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses. She lives in Syracuse, New York, where she is a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental Biology, and the founder and director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment. 

Accessing the book

The UW Library has an e-book of Braiding Sweetgrass (2013 edition) with unlimited users. For purchase, e-copies cost roughly $10 and paperback volumes cost about $20. E-copies are readily available for purchase online and we encourage you to utilize independent booksellers as much as possible. The book was re-released in Summer 2020 with a new introduction, but doesn’t differ substantially from the original release.

We invite everyone to join this community experience of digging into a common book together, and to engage in related discussions and activities throughout the school year. Watch for information about related events on the Common Book webpage. 

Contact: Rachel Lazzar at rlazzar@uw.edu.