The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World

Botanist Kimmerer (environmental biology, SUNY; The Democracy of Species) is an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and is the founder of Center for Native Peoples and the Environment. Her latest book is an expansive work that deepens her call for renewing the reciprocal relationship between people and plants. What’s unique about this title is its consideration of the serviceberry, an appropriately named plant. (It also goes by the names juneberry and saskatoon, among others). The serviceberry is known for its sweet, juicy berries, which not only meets the human community’s needs but helps the plant itself survive. Kimmerer sees the serviceberry as a model for an ideal human society, but she is candid when in saying that she is unsure whether or how gifting and reciprocity could function as economies of scale, though the economists she interviews for this book agree that it’s an interesting and worthwhile idea. If readers accept the premise that the commodification of the earth’s gifts turns into resources and that makes human beings become consumers—which can lead to some pretty bad outcomes for both the planet and people—then Kimmerer’s gentle invitation to explore another way has undeniable appeal.