Braiding SweetgrassBraiding Sweetgrass
Score Modern
What it's about
Robin Wall Kimmerer is a botanist trained in the tools of science and a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, raised on the idea that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. In these linked essays she braids the two ways of knowing together, from strawberries and pecans to the sweetgrass of the title, to show how much the natural world gives us and what we owe it in return.
Why it's worth reading
Published by a small press in 2013, it found its readers by word of mouth and went on to spend more than 130 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. Readers describe it as one of the most quietly life-changing books they've read.
You'll love it if you liked
The Overstory
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History
When Breath Becomes AirGood to know
It's a book to read slowly, an essay or two at a time. It's reflective rather than plot-driven, and it's beautifully written.
By the numbers
- Readers98 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller72 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz69 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #5 of the 119 science and ideas books we rank
- #31 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #62 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking, True story
More by Robin Wall Kimmerer
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The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression
How to Be an Antiracist
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Maybe You Should Talk to SomeoneExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Science and ideas booksTop 25 · 119 ranked
Modern booksTop 25 · 1,573 ranked
Books of the 2010sTop 25 · 736 ranked
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 459 ranked
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 ranked
Literary novelsTop 25 · 309 ranked
Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 ranked
Science fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedQuick answers
Is Braiding Sweetgrass worth reading?
Yes. Published by a small press in 2013, it found its readers by word of mouth and went on to spend more than 130 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It ranks #62 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 88.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Braiding Sweetgrass about?
Robin Wall Kimmerer is a botanist trained in the tools of science and a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, raised on the idea that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. In these linked essays she braids the two ways of knowing together, from strawberries and pecans to the sweetgrass of the title, to show how much the natural world gives us and what we owe it in return.
How long does it take to read Braiding Sweetgrass?
About 10 hours (391 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Braiding Sweetgrass?
If you liked it, try The Overstory by Richard Powers, The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert or When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi.