Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants
Who Would Like This Book:
Dive into a beautifully woven collection of stories and science! Robin Wall Kimmerer blends her expertise as a botanist with her Indigenous heritage, sharing deep reflections on our relationship with the natural world. This book is a treat for anyone who loves thoughtful nature writing, wants to explore ecological philosophy, or is curious about the intersections between traditional wisdom and modern science. Its gentle and poetic style will appeal to readers looking for inspiration, mindfulness, or simply a new way to observe the world around them. Perfect for fans of Lab Girl, eco-enthusiasts, and those seeking hope and connection in environmental writing.
Who May Not Like This Book:
Some readers found the book a bit slow-paced or repetitive, especially if read straight through rather than in small doses. If you prefer fast-moving narratives or are not into reflective, philosophical essays, you might feel it drags in places. Anyone looking for a purely scientific or technical approach, or wanting less focus on spirituality and indigenous perspectives, might not connect with the themes. The book’s advocacy for reciprocal, non-materialist relationships with nature may feel idealistic or preachy to those seeking more pragmatic solutions.
About:
'Braiding Sweetgrass' by Robin Wall Kimmerer is a blend of indigenous wisdom and scientific knowledge, focusing on the interconnectedness between nature, culture, and humanity. Through a series of essays or stories, Kimmerer shares her personal journey as a Potawatomi person and a biology professor, exploring themes of reciprocity, gratitude, and sustainability. Her writing style is described as poetic, reflective, and meditative, offering a unique perspective on environmentalism and indigenous philosophy.
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From The Publisher:
A New York Times Bestseller
A Washington Post Bestseller
A Los Angeles Times Bestseller
Named a Best Essay Collection of the Decade by Literary Hub
A Book Riot Favorite Summer Read of 2020
A Food Tank Fall 2020 Reading Recommendation
As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these two lenses of knowledge together to take us on "a journey that is every bit as mythic as it is scientific, as sacred as it is historical, as clever as it is wise" (Elizabeth Gilbert).
Drawing on her life as an indigenous scientist, and as a woman, Kimmerer shows how other living beings-asters and goldenrod, strawberries and squash, salamanders, algae, and sweetgrass-offer us gifts and lessons, even if we've forgotten how to hear their voices. In reflections that range from the creation of Turtle Island to the forces that threaten its flourishing today, she circles toward a central argument: that the awakening of ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world. For only when we can hear the languages of other beings will we be capable of understanding the generosity of the earth, and learn to give our own gifts in return.
Ratings (89)
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5 comment(s)
Truly a top tier book deserving of the highest praises. In a time of broken bonds, climate chaos, dwindling biological diversity; this treatise offers a hope for tomorrow and a better way to be and behave on this fragmented earth we call home. Anyone that thinks themself human ought to read it.
First read excerpts of this book in a Liberal Studies course with the theme of the Natural World. "Asters and Goldenrods" was the chapter we read for class, and I always loved it. Over the last few months I've read through the rest of the book. Really enjoyed the whole structure that Kimmerer sets up with the five parts. Very beautiful book with a great message about living responsibly and reciprocally. This author shares a lot of personal stories, and I loved how vivid most of them were. Each chapter almost feels like an individual essay or short story. Some more of my favorites, along with "Asters and Goldenrods," were: "Burning Cascade Head," "
Umbilicaria: The Belly Button of the World," and "The Sacred and the Superfund." Each of these are great pieces on their own. The second and third parts had some of the slower points for me. Mostly due to an increasing feeling of repetitiveness toward the end of the third. Overall, I really enjoyed the book, and I think it is deserving of all the hype and praise it has gotten.
Post election balm
Kimmerer shares her personal journey as a Potawatomi person and a biology professor, exploring themes of reciprocity, gratitude, and sustainability. Her writing style is described as poetic, reflective, and meditative, offering a unique perspective on environmentalism and indigenous philosophy.
The weaving narrative and scientific writing was compelling
What can you read after
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants?
About the Author:
Robin Wall Kimmerer is a mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. She is the author of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teaching of Plants and Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses. She lives in Syracuse, New York, where she is a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental Biology, and the founder and director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment.
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