For 20 years, Rebecca Alexander was a mainstay of the Elisabeth C. Miller Library staff. Rebecca retired at the end of June 2025, but before she went, I asked about her favorite books in the Miller Library collection. I was not surprised that the list of books “that have made 
a lasting impression” she provided was extensive and quite varied. Many are in her personal collection.
I share Rebecca’s appreciation of anything by the British author Richard Mabey. The Miller Library has 13 of his books; he has also contributed to several others. Rebecca owns “Weeds: In Defense of Nature’s Most Unloved Plants” from 2011. Mabey has especially keen abilities of observation of both the plant world and human history, and how they interact.
Reviewed by: Brian Thompson on May 23, 2025
Excerpted from the Summer 2025 issue of the Arboretum Bulletin