The Serviceberry Audiobook By Robin Wall Kimmerer cover art

The Serviceberry

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The Serviceberry

By: Robin Wall Kimmerer
Narrated by: Robin Wall Kimmerer
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About this listen

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 insures 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.”

©2024 Robin Wall Kimmerer (P)2024 Simon & Schuster Audio
Biological Sciences Botany & Plants Editors Select Indigenous Studies Science Social Sciences Specific Demographics Inspiring Thought-Provoking

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Engaging and optimistic

Engaging and optimistic, as the author's writing always is. I'm intrigued by the comparisons between the market economy and the gift economy and how those may even be able to coexist. Kimmerer also made one point that seems very obvious but was clarifying for me: an economic model founded on the assumption of scarcity (the market economy) is going to create scarcity artificially. It requires a mindset shift to recognize that we have enough and that excess can and should be shared.

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The Serviceberry

Beautiful thought experiments and examples of how we break our addiction to scarcity and vulture capitalism.

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Food for thought

Very much appreciate the message of the book. The gift economy is a very intriguing concept. I can see how it would work in small tight communities. I have a lot more trouble seeing it working in a large country like ours. I will spend a lot more time thinking about it though. I hate to say this, but I just didn’t like her narration. It was too sickly sweet for me sorry but that’s how I felt.

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Inspiring!

Just wait until the end of the book! It gave me goosebumps in the best possible way!

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Excellent and Thought Provoking

I loved the premise, the writing and the narrator. There was nothing that I did not like.

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So many good things!

Love this very good book - will listen many times to catch all the gems of wisdom written here.💚

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A must listen

Beautifully written and narrated. Both a warning and a guide to a sustainable future. A true gem.

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Delightful read

The story, the narration, everything was simply delightful. I may read again soon. So informative about gift economy. I wish more would read it.
Thank you!

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Simply beautiful

Robin Wall Kimmerer writes with gratitude, love, and hope about our natural world. She invites us to bring plant wisdom into our everyday lives. Her voice is sweetly gentle, a favorite of mine in the autumn and winter seasons.

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A beautiful and delicious examination of the sustainability of gift economies and capitalism.

This is great for everyone, would be especially great for students in a classroom. Wado!

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