This book is a short but profound book that uses the act of harvesting serviceberries as a starting point to explore themes of respirocity, gift economies and abundance in nature.



Robin Wall Kimmerer, an Indigenous botanist, combines personal storytelling with Indigenous lore and ecological insights to show that natural resources should be viewed as gifts rather than commodities. She focuses on the importance of community and relationship to achieve true abundance, as it is built on mutual care and sharing. This book compares this worldview with the modern economic systems while advocating for a shift toward gift economies that align with nature's principles.



Opinion: a super nice and easy-to-understand book to get started with the field of respirocity and gift economies. Since it is pretty short in pages, it is a good book for people who usually don't read as often, but still want to learn about how economies are built and the importance of community.

Braiding Sweetgrass, I would say, is similar to The Serviceberry but with a much deeper insight to these topics, plus some more in addition. It is a poetic blend of science, Indigenous wisdom and personal stories. It teaches that humans should live in harmony with nature, giving back as much as we take and never taking too much from the earth than it provides. Through stories like the Haudenosaunee creation myth of the Skywoman, she shows how we are all connected and that true abundance comes from gratitude and respirocity with the earth.



Opinion: I am not finished with this book yet, but it already has my (almost) full attention. Every time I start reading it, I get more excited about what next topics there might be that enlighten me more and more. It is a bit more scientific I would say, compared to The Serviceberry, but it is totally readable for people who do not come with a scientific background. Recommend 10/10!