> The biggest barrier to entry into the gift economy is the fear of not getting anything in return.

I have spent a lot of time thinking on this. I visited an Amish town many years ago and this happened:
As my friend and i drove through the town, we found a sign that said, "free tomatoes". We decided to stop, and check it out. An Amish family came out to greet us and handed us some tomotoes. I couldn't take the gift, and began to fumble for something to give them in return. I asked if she wanted money. She shook her head, then said this,
"This is the problem with modern people. They don't know how to accept a gift."
She was right. I learned something big that day, for i knew my culture was not worth holding onto. I have a different worldview than most people, as I have lived in many countries, including Japan. The Amish, my community,  and Japanese have instructed me to how to live better than anything i've learned from mainstream in  the United States.