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A review by dejnozkova
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
This is easily one of my favorite books ever, as it has fed both my mind and my soul. I definitely teared up at several points, and I also spent a lot of time reflecting. Truly a gift to read and I’m very very grateful.
I think Robin Wall Kimmerer’s voice is a refreshing one in the discussion of environmental awareness and the future of the human race on this planet. In this book of essays she weaves together wisdoms from indigenous tradition, scientific study, and personal experience to provide a holistic view of what our relationships with our planet are and could be. She makes the case that sometimes the most important teachers in this world are the beings some societies mark as simply resources for consumption. Throughout “Braiding Sweetgrass” she emphasizes the importance of gratitude and acknowledging the gifts of abundance we are so naturally blessed with, and highlights the reciprocity required between us and other living things so that we all may thrive.
What was especially exciting to me was that Kimmerer reinforces the validity of indigenous practices with the support of her extensive knowledge of botany as a science. She explains why specific methods of harvesting, controlled fires, and alternative methods of agriculture are genuinely successful in not only sustaining humanity in the short-term, but also ensuring the prosperity of the plants and animals we rely so heavily on for life —ultimately feeding into a reciprocal cycle, a give-and-take, that continues to feed us for generations to come. This, of course, also becomes a critique of our consumption-motivated culture which seeks to hoard resources to depletion.
I also thoroughly loved how Kimmerer contrasts western and indigenous philosophies when she explains relationships between humans and other members of the natural world. She introduces mythologies, etymologies, and traditions to demonstrate that it’s not only a logistical issue but an issue of the mind and the heart. That a certain set of values can lead to destruction, while a different mindset might contribute to long-term sustainability and balance. So not only is this a book about the environment, it is also a book about humanity; the legacies and fates of humans and plants and animals have been, and always will be, inseparable.
Robin Wall Kimmerer bundles this presentation together with a poetically flowing writing style that gives enough attention to detail to place you in her memories without muddying the image. Every essay plays in your head like a movie, especially her more personal ones.
My only negative critique with this book is its organization. She has a few different essays that might cover the same plant or subject but she chooses to place them in entirely different chapters. And this is probably because these essays touch slightly different themes, but with such a variety of subjects it’s hard to see the relationship or theme of each chapter or how they’re related? But honestly in the grand scheme of things it really did not impede my ability to understand her points and the greater picture so I think this book still deserves its full five stars for being such a well-rounded book tackling so many different angles and layers.
I am enthusiastic to recommend this book to anyone who cares about indigenous people, our plant and animal neighbors, and the future of our species as a whole. It’s intelligent without being too intimidatingly academic for the average reader, written to reach as many people as it can. And for as scary and depressing as the issues Kimmerer touches on, this manages to be a truly wholesome book regardless. It’s clear that these essays were written with a lot of thought, hope, and love.
I think Robin Wall Kimmerer’s voice is a refreshing one in the discussion of environmental awareness and the future of the human race on this planet. In this book of essays she weaves together wisdoms from indigenous tradition, scientific study, and personal experience to provide a holistic view of what our relationships with our planet are and could be. She makes the case that sometimes the most important teachers in this world are the beings some societies mark as simply resources for consumption. Throughout “Braiding Sweetgrass” she emphasizes the importance of gratitude and acknowledging the gifts of abundance we are so naturally blessed with, and highlights the reciprocity required between us and other living things so that we all may thrive.
What was especially exciting to me was that Kimmerer reinforces the validity of indigenous practices with the support of her extensive knowledge of botany as a science. She explains why specific methods of harvesting, controlled fires, and alternative methods of agriculture are genuinely successful in not only sustaining humanity in the short-term, but also ensuring the prosperity of the plants and animals we rely so heavily on for life —ultimately feeding into a reciprocal cycle, a give-and-take, that continues to feed us for generations to come. This, of course, also becomes a critique of our consumption-motivated culture which seeks to hoard resources to depletion.
I also thoroughly loved how Kimmerer contrasts western and indigenous philosophies when she explains relationships between humans and other members of the natural world. She introduces mythologies, etymologies, and traditions to demonstrate that it’s not only a logistical issue but an issue of the mind and the heart. That a certain set of values can lead to destruction, while a different mindset might contribute to long-term sustainability and balance. So not only is this a book about the environment, it is also a book about humanity; the legacies and fates of humans and plants and animals have been, and always will be, inseparable.
Robin Wall Kimmerer bundles this presentation together with a poetically flowing writing style that gives enough attention to detail to place you in her memories without muddying the image. Every essay plays in your head like a movie, especially her more personal ones.
My only negative critique with this book is its organization. She has a few different essays that might cover the same plant or subject but she chooses to place them in entirely different chapters. And this is probably because these essays touch slightly different themes, but with such a variety of subjects it’s hard to see the relationship or theme of each chapter or how they’re related? But honestly in the grand scheme of things it really did not impede my ability to understand her points and the greater picture so I think this book still deserves its full five stars for being such a well-rounded book tackling so many different angles and layers.
I am enthusiastic to recommend this book to anyone who cares about indigenous people, our plant and animal neighbors, and the future of our species as a whole. It’s intelligent without being too intimidatingly academic for the average reader, written to reach as many people as it can. And for as scary and depressing as the issues Kimmerer touches on, this manages to be a truly wholesome book regardless. It’s clear that these essays were written with a lot of thought, hope, and love.