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Title details for The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer - Wait list

The Serviceberry

by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Robin Wall Kimmerer
Audiobook
0 of 4 copies available
Wait time: At least 6 months
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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.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    November 19, 2024

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781668116692
      • File size: 55776 KB
      • Duration: 01:56:11

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      September 23, 2024
      “All flourishing is mutual,” according to this rousing treatise on the benefits of communal values. Potawatomi environmentalist Kimmerer (Braiding Sweetgrass) explains that the Potawatomi root word for “berry” (min) is also the root word for “gift,” illustrating how in the tribe’s “culture of gratitude,” natural resources are seen as offerings that carry with them “responsibilities of sharing, respect, reciprocity.” Such principles are needed to counter the concentration of resources in the hands of the few, she contends, calling for “gift economies” in which “the practice for dealing with abundance is to give it away.” By way of example, she discusses how Native peoples of the Pacific Northwest mark life milestones with celebratory potlatches at which individuals “enhance their prestige and affirm connections with a web of relations” by giving away possessions. Kimmerer is clear-eyed about the challenges of transitioning to a gift economy, acknowledging that it’s susceptible to bad actors and will require a drastic change in mindset. However, she observes that modern examples of successful gift economies abound, from public libraries to open-source software and Wikipedia. Kimmerer doesn’t attempt to outline a practical plan for vanquishing self-centeredness borne of capitalism, but she nonetheless succeeds in bringing attention to the fact that alternatives are possible. It’s an eloquent call to action. Illus. Agent: Sarah Levitt, Aevitas Creative Management.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      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. N.M. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      March 1, 2025

      Ecology meets economy in Kimmerer's (environmental biology, SUNY Coll. of Environmental Science and Forestry; Braiding Sweetgrass) latest, creating a call to action through inspiring nature writing. Kimmerer notes that the Potawatomi word for serviceberry is "bozakmin;" within this word is "min," or "berry," which is the root word for "gift." Kimmerer explains that serviceberries, and indeed, all of nature's offerings, are gifts to be shared and reciprocated. Taking this idea one step further, she argues for the necessity of moving away from current market economies toward a gift economy that could create environmental and interpersonal advantages and a better world. Narrating her own work, Kimmerer employs a calming voice and cadence to discuss sharing abundance and cultivating gratitude. The pure joy of nature is reflected through her tone, then gifted to listeners as a sense of hope. Kimmerer's gift-exchanging theme and culture of gratitude are expressed with warmth and generosity--much like a warm hug--even while discussing weighty topics such as environmental science and economics. VERDICT Fans of Braiding Sweetgrass will find equal value in this short but impactful audiobook.--Kristen Shaw

      Copyright 2025 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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