The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World—4.5 Stars
- Jun 11
- 3 min read
06/02/2025
“How we think ripples out to how we behave.” p. 25 “Thriving is possible only if you have nurtured strong bonds with your community.” p. 73 — Robin Wall Kimmerer in The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World
Ramsey County garden volunteers appreciated many concepts and ideas in The Serviceberry. The ideas of a gift economy, reciprocity among humans, animals, and plants, and the exchange of gratitude were frequently referenced, as were the “guidelines of the Honorable Harvest” described by the author. As a volunteer organization with a goal of helping community members, we can spark interest in people, provide information, and be a positive enlightenment for people about how we can reciprocally interact. Readers asked thoughtful questions like, “How can we keep the concept of gift economy as part of our volunteer work?” and “How do we reconcile the gift economy with the market economy?”
The discussion included the myriad ways garden volunteers and community members already support and participate in a gift economy: Little Free Libraries, sharing seeds, offering plants and pots to others, the Fix-It Clinic at the Ramsey County Environmental Center, teaching others about growing, sharing food that has been grown and harvested, and strengthening relationships with others and our environment.
Reader Poll
Enjoyable - 4.4 out of 5 stars
Educational - 4.5 out of 5 stars
Recommended - 4.5 out of 5 stars
Reader Comments
“I loved the entire concept of 'service economy.' I believe as gardeners we actually live this and need to continue spreading the concept in our communities and volunteering.”
“Detailed but yet simple black pen and ink illustrations added a lot to the explanation of the chapter without being so breathtaking as to take away from the importance of the words. Gave me real but simple ways to incorporate gift economy into daily ”
“This book made me reflect on how I live my life.”
“Kimmerer gives us a framework to use for honoring the plants, soil, and "more-than-human things" of this world that we can incorporate into the many ways of being a garden volunteer.”
“The book does an excellent job explaining and expounding on the idea of a gift economy and the reciprocity it generates. I liked Braiding Sweetgrass more, as it had a more personal hands-on experience-based narrative, but this was a great quick read.”
“Kimmerer reminds us of a softer, kinder world that we can access and promote at any time.”
“I really enjoyed The Serviceberry. I loved the examples of how the serviceberry provides gifts to others (humans, birds, insects, etc) and how we can give gifts back to Mother Earth and to others. I bought several copies of this book to share with friends.”
“I loved the author's discussion of a gift economy and the interconnectedness between gratitude and reciprocity. She shows another way of living in the world that encourages the distribution and sharing of our wealth and bounty.”
“I liked the idea behind the book—we have abundance and enough for all if we approach things differently.”
Next Book Club Discussion – July 29, 2025
The selection for July 2025 is Brave the Wild River: The Untold Story of Two Women Who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon by Melissa L. Sevigny.
