“The next stage of human economy will parallel what we are beginning to understand about nature. It will call forth the gifts of each of us; it will emphasize cooperation over consumption, it will encourage circulation over hoarding, and it will be cyclical not linear. Money may not disappear anytime soon, but it will serve a diminished role even as it takes on more of the properties of the gift. The economy will shrink and our lives will grow.” - Robin Wall Kimmerer
Wowee. We love Robin Wall Kimmerer’s new book, Serviceberry: Abundance and reciprocity in the natural world.
So what are serviceberries and what do they have to do with the economy? Also known as Saskatoon berries, June berries or shadbush berries, serviceberries are sweet little packets of juicy delectability.
Deliciousness aside, serviceberries are the perfect poster-berry for the Gift Economy. They give away ample food and shelter, and all they ask in return is that the recipients of these gifts eat their berries and deposit the seeds elsewhere.
The Gift Economy is a welcome respite from business-as-usual, extractive capitalism and our disconnect from the natural world. This alternative economy model does not revolve around money, but instead around reciprocity, sharing and generosity.
In this book Robin invites us to channel the wisdom of the serviceberry and create “a system where wealth means having enough to share. Where the currency of exchange is kindness.” Because “thriving depends on more than meeting basic physical needs and includes goods like a sense of community, mutual support, and equality. Wealth is much more than what GDP measures, and the market is not the only source of economic value.”
Why we love this book:
It’s short and sweet (the hardcover edition is only 112 pages).
It gives us hope that there is a better way for our society going forward.
It helps us reimagine how we can show up in the world (more as sharers than consumers).
This book is for you if:
you loved Robin’s other book “Braiding Sweetgrass”.
you are fed up with “business as usual” and extractive capitalism.
you know our current economic model is fundamentally flawed and that there has to be a better way.
you are drawn to nature solutions and Indigenous wisdom.
Thank you for listening today! We really appreciate you 💜. Next time we will dive deep into the second chapter.
Your friends,
Katherine and Manon
P.S. Have you read Serviceberry yet? If so, what do you think about the gift economy? Do you think it’s a viable model?
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