An Instant New York Times Bestseller
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Braiding Sweetgrass, comes a bold and inspiring vision for orienting our lives around gratitude, reciprocity, and community, drawing wisdom from the natural world.
Join Indigenous scientist and author Robin Wall Kimmerer as she harvests serviceberries with the birds and contemplates the ethic of reciprocity inherent in the gift economy. She challenges us to consider how Indigenous wisdom and the plant world can reshape our understanding of value. Our current economy, built on scarcity, competition, and resource hoarding, has led us to prioritize a system that harms what we cherish. In contrast, the serviceberry's relationship with nature exemplifies reciprocity, interconnectedness, and gratitude. The tree generously shares its sweet berries, meeting the needs of its ecosystem and ensuring its own survival. Kimmerer explains that "Serviceberries show us another model, one based upon reciprocity, where wealth comes from the quality of your relationships, not from the illusion of self-sufficiency."
Elizabeth Gilbert hails Robin Wall Kimmerer as “a great teacher, and her words are a hymn of love to the world.” The Serviceberry offers solace for our fractured relationships and misdirected ambitions, reminding us that “hoarding won’t save us, all flourishing is mutual.”
In a powerful act of reciprocity, Robin Wall Kimmerer is donating her advance payments from this book to support land protection, restoration, and justice.
Details
- Author: Robin Wall Kimmerer
- Publisher: Scribner; Illustrated edition (November 19, 2024)
- Page Count: 128 pages
- Print type: Hardcover
- ISBN: 978-1668072240
