The Serviceberry
An Economy of Gifts and Abundance
Published on 7. May 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
128 pages
978-1-80206-746-0 (ISBN)
Description
'This book will nourish your soul, heart, and mind' Anthony Doerr
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."
NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE AUTUMN BY THE NEW YORK TIMES, GUARDIAN, TIME, OPRAH DAILY, LIT HUB, PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, BOOKPAGE
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."
NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE AUTUMN BY THE NEW YORK TIMES, GUARDIAN, TIME, OPRAH DAILY, LIT HUB, PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, BOOKPAGE
Reviews / Votes
The time you'll spend reading this book will, like the time spent picking wild berries, nourish your soul, heart, and mind. I hope to give this book to everybody -- Anthony Doerr Compelling ... A moving meditation on what a giving tree can teach us about building a fairer society * TIME * The Serviceberry is a gem of a book. It invites us to think again about economics, and imagine another way of relating to one another based on generosity, kindness, interconnectedness, and restraint. The book reminds us that how we think, and the stories we tell, shape how we live - and it's high time we thought and lived differently, with new stories, about our place in nature. -- James Rebanks A meditation on communing with nature and cultivating connections with one another ... Kimmerer makes a convincing argument, wrapped in beautiful language and vivid imagery * Washington Post * A sweet reminder of our interdependence * The New York Times Book Review * A gorgeous meditation on reciprocity and abundance in nature ... a lyrical call to action * Oprah Daily * An uplifting, open-hearted little book that asks us to reframe our relationships in the world as ones of easy generosity. To be wealthy, explains Robin Wall Kimmerer, is to have enough to share: give all that you have, and take only what you need -- Cal Flyn A masterful reflection on ecology and culture ... startling in its simplicity. Kimmerer invites readers to envision a life that embraces the gift economy-one built on reciprocity, collective well-being, and care ... Her beautiful and hopeful prose leaves readers feeling sated, galvanized, and keenly aware of the world around them * Kirkus * Vivid and poetic, and also fierce... An elegant distillation of Kimmerer's political ideas * Guardian * This wise little book asks us to escape our doomed extractive economy, learning from the cooperative circularity of living systems and the sustainable stewardship of indigenous cultures -- Gaia VinceMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Penguin Books Ltd
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 130 mm
Thickness: 12 mm
Weight
104 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-80206-746-0 (9781802067460)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
11/2024
Penguin
€9.49
Available for download
Book
11/2024
Allen Lane
€19.00
Available immediately
Persons
Robin Wall Kimmerer (Author)
Robin Wall Kimmerer is a mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. She is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants as well as Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses. Kimmerer is a 2022 MacArthur Fellow. She lives in Syracuse, New York, where she is a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental Biology, and the founder of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment.
John Burgoyne (Illustrator)
John Burgoyne is a member of the New York Society of Illustrators and an alumnus of Massachusetts College of Art. John has won over 100 awards in the United States and Europe, including from the Society of Illustrators, Communication Arts, Hatch Awards, Graphis, Print, One Show, New York Art Directors Club, and Clio. His work can be found at JohnTBurgoyneIllustration.com.
Robin Wall Kimmerer is a mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. She is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants as well as Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses. Kimmerer is a 2022 MacArthur Fellow. She lives in Syracuse, New York, where she is a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental Biology, and the founder of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment.
John Burgoyne (Illustrator)
John Burgoyne is a member of the New York Society of Illustrators and an alumnus of Massachusetts College of Art. John has won over 100 awards in the United States and Europe, including from the Society of Illustrators, Communication Arts, Hatch Awards, Graphis, Print, One Show, New York Art Directors Club, and Clio. His work can be found at JohnTBurgoyneIllustration.com.