Most of us have grown up watching the market economy work, and we take it for granted. However, this approach makes people value less food, clothing, and other goods, which causes the current tendency and problem of overconsumption. Robin Kimmerer, in “The Gift of Strawberries”, offers the concept of “gift economy” as a different perspective on the processes of receiving and exchanging goods. Although it cannot replace the modern market economy system, it can change the way people perceive consumption. My childhood on a farm allowed me to understand Kimmerer’s position on “gift economy”, since I grew up in an environment similar to the author’s that shaped my worldview. In “The Gift of Strawberries”, Kimmerer reveals some of her life experiences to explain the principles of the gift economy. First, the author talks about picking wild berries that were meant only to be eaten, as well as a gift to her father in the form of a berry shortcake (Kimmerer 1). In these descriptions, Kimmerer explains the first principles of the gift of the economy, such as everything that people receive is a gift from the land, but a present they can give is their time, attention, and work. These descriptions are close to me, since I grew up on a farm and my family also have a tradition to pick fruits and cook for one’s birthday and the dishes that he or she likes the most. For this reason, I understand the feelings that Kimmerer talks about, namely the value that nature’s gifts carry in the hands of people. I also like the phrase that Kimmerer would probably steal wild strawberries if she saw them in the store (3). I understand that these strawberries have a price to justify the efforts of the person who picked them from the point of market economics. However, just like Kimmerer, I believe that this strawberry is a gift from nature and, therefore, can only be given away for free. Another principle that is of great importance in the gift economy is that gifts create a feeling of responsibility in the recipient. A simple example of socks knitted by a grandmother, I think, is close to any person who received homemade gifts (Kimmerer 3). While they are free to recipients and probably less expensive than a present from the store to the giver, they are of significantly greater value. This value is created by the intention of a person to express their love or respect. For this reason, people value gifts more than the things they buy because of the sense of special connection. However, I observe that the market economy also causes people to depreciate this connection when people choose “any” gifts or accept them by thinking of their prices. This behavior is a consequence and disadvantage of the market economy, which exacerbates the problem of consumption. Therefore, as someone who has had the good fortune to observe both economies, I can clearly see these differences. Another principle that strikes me as key in the chapter is that gifts are not free. Kimmerer demonstrates that although presents have no actual economic value to the recipient, they have a significantly higher cost of responsibility (4). The person who receives the gift feels a responsibility to give something in return to the same person or others. This culture exists not only in the market that Kimmerer describes but also in other organized or self-existen