Because I enjoyed Kimmerer's book Gathering Moss (it forever changed how I see moss), I started this book expecting another insightful exploration of plant life. Wrong expectations - it's actually a treatise on environmental economics, short and meaningful but also repetitive and lacking complexity.

I agreed with the overall sentiment and appreciated her viewpoint, but I wanted either a concise, powerful essay (not a rambling, botany-adjacent book), or else more perspectives. Perhaps this book would've been better as a collection of essays, including some essays from economists who specialize in sustainability.

A more collective approach would've also hammered home Kimmerer's main point about relationships being essential in sustainable economies. She criticizes private ownership, yet this book feels "privately owned": her own voice rather than the voices of a whole community, thinking together.

Even if the book profits are all donated in the spirit of a gift economy, she's still the one who decides which organization gets that money. Gift-giving isn't just an act of generosity that builds community. It can also be an act of power with potential for abuse. Just ask anyone who's been on the receiving end of charity or gifts with strings attached.

For example, whenever I received something free as a woman from a man in college, like a car repair or box of chocolates, it often came with weird vibes and an attempt at "reciprocity" that I didn't want. Similarly, there were plenty of ads for young women offering a nice apartment close to the university, totally for free! How kind! The only caveat? You have to live with a creep and get sexually assaulted.

Gifts-as-coercion can also happen in the close-knit communities celebrated in this book. Although I love strong communities, I also know that abuse is challenging to expose in a web of relationships exactly because the bonds are so strong. Especially if the abuser is a skilled manipulator and respected leader, victims might decide to simply take the "gifts" (paid for with their silence and acquiescence) rather than fight to be heard and believed.

As much as Kimmerer laments transactional relationships, there are situations where a simple transaction provides safety. She didn't acknowledge that or explore the weaknesses of a gift economy with real seriousness, leaving holes in her arguments and weakening the book despite its good premise.

I listened to the audiobook, so I missed out on all the lovely illustrations, but even so, I don't think an economic manifesto should rely on pretty drawings to make itself impactful. For botany, yes - give me all the illustrations, and I'll give you an extra star. But for economy, I want solid ideas, scrutinized from different perspectives, so we can build a sustainable society that actually works.