The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural WorldThe Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World
What it's about
The serviceberry is a shrub whose berries ripen all at once, more than any one creature could eat. Robin Wall Kimmerer, a botanist and member of the Potawatomi Nation, uses it to think about gift economies, where wealth means having enough to share, and how we might live more by them: in gardens, in libraries, in our neighborhoods.
Why it's worth reading
It spent months on the New York Times lists. It's a hopeful, gentle short book from the author of Braiding Sweetgrass.
You'll love it if you liked
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
Walden
An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around UsGood to know
It's very short, about a hundred illustrated pages. It's more reflection than economics.
By the numbers
- Readers78 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller53 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz36 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
- #38 of the 119 science and ideas books we rank
- #102 of the 481 new books we rank
- #568 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Thought-provoking
More by Robin Wall Kimmerer
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The Anxious Generation
The Tainted Cup
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Quick answers
Is The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World worth reading?
Yes. It spent months on the New York Times lists. It ranks #568 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 77.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World about?
The serviceberry is a shrub whose berries ripen all at once, more than any one creature could eat. Robin Wall Kimmerer, a botanist and member of the Potawatomi Nation, uses it to think about gift economies, where wealth means having enough to share, and how we might live more by them: in gardens, in libraries, in our neighborhoods.
How long does it take to read The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World?
About 3 hours (113 pages), or about 6 days at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World?
If you liked it, try Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard, Walden by Henry David Thoreau or An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong.