The Serviceberry

De: Robin Wall Kimmerer

Narrado por: Robin Wall Kimmerer

An Instant New York Times Bestseller

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Braiding Sweetgrass, a bold and inspiring vision for how to orient our lives around gratitude, reciprocity, and community, based on the lessons of the natural world.

As Indigenous scientist and author of Braiding Sweetgrass Robin Wall Kimmerer harvests serviceberries alongside the birds, she considers the ethic of reciprocity that lies at the heart of the gift economy. How, she asks, can we learn from Indigenous wisdom and the plant world to reimagine what we value most? Our economy is rooted in scarcity, competition, and the hoarding of resources, and we have surrendered our values to a system that actively harms what we love. Meanwhile, the serviceberry’s relationship with the natural world is an embodiment of reciprocity, interconnectedness, and gratitude. The tree distributes its wealth—its abundance of sweet, juicy berries—to meet the needs of its natural community. And this distribution ensures its own survival. As Kimmerer explains, “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.”

As Elizabeth Gilbert writes, Robin Wall Kimmerer is “a great teacher, and her words are a hymn of love to the world.” The Serviceberry is an antidote to the broken relationships and misguided goals of our times, and a reminder that “hoarding won’t save us, all flourishing is mutual.”

Robin Wall Kimmerer is donating her advance payments from this book as a reciprocal gift, back to the land, for land protection, restoration, and justice.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Author and narrator Robin Wall Kimmerer, who is Potawatomi, gently guides listeners through this thoughtful exploration of gift economies and cultures of reciprocity. Using the framing device of an outing to gather serviceberries, which are also popular with the local birds, Kimmerer traces the pathways of mutual obligation and abundance seen in nature and in many traditional and Indigenous cultures. She adeptly contrasts these with the ideas of capitalist consumer culture and scarcity mindsets that dominate formal economic theory. Kimmerer’s narration is both analytical and casual, combining her background in botany with history and sociology while discussing ways that gift economies can operate in small groups and at a larger scale. Listeners will feel transported to a berry patch amid sun and birdsong."

Praise for Braiding Sweetgrass
“Robin Wall Kimmerer is writer of rare grace. She writes about the natural world from a place of such abundant passion that one can never quite see the world the same way after having seen it through Kimmerer’s eyes. In Braiding Sweetgrass, she takes us on a journey that is every bit as mythic as it is scientific, as sacred as it is historical, as clever as it is wise. She is a great teacher, and her words are a hymn of love to the world.” —Elizabeth Gilbert

“Robin Wall Kimmerer has written an extraordinary book, showing how the factual, objective approach of science can be enriched by the ancient knowledge of the indigenous people. It is the way she captures beauty that I love the most—the images of giant cedars and wild strawberries, a forest in the rain and a meadow of fragrant sweetgrass will stay with you long after you read the last page.” —Jane Goodall

"I give daily thanks for Robin Wall Kimmerer for being a font of endless knowledge, both mental and spiritual." —Richard Powers, New York Times

“Robin Wall Kimmerer opens a sense of wonder and humility for the intelligence in all kinds of life we are used to naming and imagining as inanimate.” —Krista Tippett, host of On Being

Very good contrast between service economy and market economy

Absolutely essential is remembering gift economy works on a SMALL scale. But I like the ideals very much. I think some of the analogies to the natural world were a bit of a stretch, but I see the point. The only thing I disliked was the use of a given name as a put-down. I never liked calling people Brandon or Karen and find using Daryl just as childishly offensive. It also seems contrary to the generous spirit of gift economy. Like the author, I see all kinds of gift and exchange economies around these days, and they are genius ways of reusing things that would otherwise end up in landlords. It reminds me when I was a kid and neighbors would trade clothes and furniture when their own kids grew out of them. I also HATED getting hand-me-downs, but more I wear used clothing with pride.

Gift economy

I enjoyed the authors emotion and passion behind her work. I want to be apart of the gift economy

A great story with an important message.

I loved learning about the serviceberry and a gratitude economy. This is a quick read filled with wisdom that is timeless.

Delightful book - back to nature and essence of life

This book offers a delicate link between the the modern and thoughtless abuse of nature, and the indigenous respectful view on the natural world - the way we ALL should treat it, for it is our survival on this planet that is at stake if we keep disregarding nature.
Delightfully spoken from the heart, full of vibrant emotion, letting me FEEL I am there with the birds and the trees and LIFE. It pulled me right back to my Sundance visit in Canada with the Cree people who tought me so incredibly much. Thank you Robin for this beautiful book and valuable insights. Yvonne

simple and profound

I didn't realize just how hopeless I have felt about the economy, the world,and my place in it, until I witnessed myself crying every 15 minutes during this audiobook. a must read for everyone. All thriving is mutual.