Episode · People I (Mostly) Admire · 2025-06-07
Books mentioned on 159. Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Manifesto for a Gift Economy
She’s a botanist, a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, and the author of the bestselling Braiding Sweetgrass. In her new book she criticizes the market economy — but she and Steve find a surprising amount of common ground.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Braiding Sweetgrass
Robin Wall Kimmerer's acclaimed book Braiding Sweetgrass weaves indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge, and the teachings of plants to highlight our relationship with the natural world.
Discussed“Your book Braiding Sweetgrass has had just an incredible social impact. It entered the New York Times bestseller list in 2020”
Where to get it
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Gathering Moss
Discussed“But my favorite of her books, the one that totally enthralled me, is called Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses.”
Where to get it
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The Serviceberry
Discussed“Now, you sound as we talk like a very kind and gentle person, but I'm going to say your latest book, which is entitled The Serviceberry, is really fun to read, but at the same time, I'm going to call it a manifesto for social change.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (2) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
Passing The Serviceberry
“Robin's newest book is called The Service Berry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World.”
Own book Braiding Sweetgrass
“And that was very much the motivation behind writing breeding sweetgrass whose subtitle is indigenous wisdom scientific knowledge and the teaching of plants.”