Scan barcode
lilbanne's review against another edition
4.0
Braiding Sweetgrass is a dense, meandering read about the author, Robin Wall Kimmerer, and her life and relationship with her indigenous heritage and the natural world. Kimmerer is a botanist who delves into her connection with nature from an indigenous and scientific perspective. The story is eloquently written, and Kimmerer's writing draws you into her world.
I loved learning about her Potawatomi heritage and the creation stories about Skywoman. However, I wish Kimmerer had spent more time on that side of the pendulum instead of repetitively using a large part of the book to complain about overconsumption and resource depletion. I was here for her insights on how we, as a people, are killing the earth, but her messages felt like a shameful nagging finger that was repetitively saying the same thing. There is a chapter where she goes into a paper store and feels sad about buying paper to write on; it feels a bit much. I understand the intended message. Let's be mindful of what we use and consume, and I am here for it, but it took 30 pages of an already dense book to tell us how she feels sad about using paper.
As a whole, nothing explicitly draws you into wanting to read chapter after chapter because each chapter is a vignette that is digested independently. The book is divided into sections, such as Growing Sweetgrass, with chapters meant to align with the content under that section, but I could not follow why a specific chapter was in its respective section. The stories are intended to weave beautifully together like braiding sweetgrass, but Kimmerer does not successfully deliver the final product in this fashion. The book ends up feeling disorganized, like rambling ideas. That all said, I loved the book. Many chapters felt like a warm hug. Notable mentions are the chapter on Witch Hazel, when Kimmerer attempts to salvage the pond at her property, tapping maple syrup with her daughters and when she learns to weave a basket from black ash trees. I also enjoyed learning about the plants she talks about. I had no idea that fungi are a product of a symbiotic relationship between two other organisms!
What was missing from Braiding Sweetgrass? More history and stories about sweetgrass! I was left wanting to learn about the history of this plant. Take your time reading the book. It is a lot to digest and isn't meant to be a quick read.
I loved learning about her Potawatomi heritage and the creation stories about Skywoman. However, I wish Kimmerer had spent more time on that side of the pendulum instead of repetitively using a large part of the book to complain about overconsumption and resource depletion. I was here for her insights on how we, as a people, are killing the earth, but her messages felt like a shameful nagging finger that was repetitively saying the same thing. There is a chapter where she goes into a paper store and feels sad about buying paper to write on; it feels a bit much. I understand the intended message. Let's be mindful of what we use and consume, and I am here for it, but it took 30 pages of an already dense book to tell us how she feels sad about using paper.
As a whole, nothing explicitly draws you into wanting to read chapter after chapter because each chapter is a vignette that is digested independently. The book is divided into sections, such as Growing Sweetgrass, with chapters meant to align with the content under that section, but I could not follow why a specific chapter was in its respective section. The stories are intended to weave beautifully together like braiding sweetgrass, but Kimmerer does not successfully deliver the final product in this fashion. The book ends up feeling disorganized, like rambling ideas. That all said, I loved the book. Many chapters felt like a warm hug. Notable mentions are the chapter on Witch Hazel, when Kimmerer attempts to salvage the pond at her property, tapping maple syrup with her daughters and when she learns to weave a basket from black ash trees. I also enjoyed learning about the plants she talks about. I had no idea that fungi are a product of a symbiotic relationship between two other organisms!
What was missing from Braiding Sweetgrass? More history and stories about sweetgrass! I was left wanting to learn about the history of this plant. Take your time reading the book. It is a lot to digest and isn't meant to be a quick read.
brnnbrn's review against another edition
5.0
beautiful storytelling, grounded in both indigenous tradition and modern science and culture. we have a lot to learn from the ancient keepers of the land and Kimmerer makes it applicable and accessible. an incredibly poignant and timely read!
souldentist's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
Too many repeated story beats, and at times the tone dips into "why can't we all just get along" territory. But the writing is pretty and it's a unique perspective on ecological preservation.
cpersin's review against another edition
4.0
I think I would rate this 3.5 stars. The advice to treat this book as a series of essays is good advice. I listened to this as an audiobook and it could be frustrating at times. I loved the themes Kimmerer talked about, we have similar world views and a deep love for nature, but her prose and I did not get along. It was too flowery at times. I really did appreciate Kimmerer's stories. They are a delight, I just wish there were slightly less descriptions because sometimes it felt like rambling. Overall this is a good book and listening to it, you can feel the authors passion and reverence for biology and the natural world. I would love to take one of her classes because they sound like an absolute blast. She is a good teacher.
careycarpenter's review against another edition
2.0
I liked this book at first and it has some great info and insights but I kept putting it down and picking up other books to read instead of finishing this one. The writing was truly beautiful in places and very repetitive in places. It didn’t flow well as a story or a book and felt like it needed to be edited more thoroughly. Eventually I just decided that I wasn’t going to finish it after 6 months from starting it. Just didn’t hold my interest anymore.
estrela_starpower's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
„Breathe it in and you start to remember things you didn't know you'd forgotten.“
Der Blick auf die Natur durch die indigene Bevölkerung Amerikas ist voller Weisheit und Schönheit.
ellis459's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, what a beautiful, wonderful book. I cried at so many chapters because the words clung so close to my heart. Honestly, I think this should be required reading for everyone who isn't already somewhat knowledgeable about Indigenous wisdom. And maybe still required then, too.
mgforcier's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
monicadery's review against another edition
5.0
Whenever people ask me what my favorite book is, I wouldn’t have one that would come to mind. Now, I say, “Braiding Sweetgrass.” This book has touched me spiritually and changed my outlook on various facets of my life. I can not recommend this book highly enough. Please please read and *listen* to this book.
dappledfog's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0