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Medicinal herbFAQ Part 6/7 |
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Short notes on the medicinal use of a lot of herbs. Also tables you
can look up things in. Some black-and-white plant drawings.
* Susun Weed: Healing Wise - Wise Woman Herbal.
312 pages, 8.44 x 5.52". Ash Tree Pub., Jul 1989. ISBN 0961462027,
listprice USD 13.
In-depth information on seven very common herbs. Some black-and-white
plant drawings.
* Michael Tierra: The Way of Herbs.
416 pages, 9.31 x 6.19". Pocket Books, Aug 1998. ISBN 0671023276,
listprice USD 17.00.
A beginner's herbal. No pictures.
Michael Tierra is online at: http://www.planetherbs.com/
* James Green: The Herbal Medicine Maker's Handbook - A Home Manual.
384 pages, 10.62 x 8.48". Crossing Press, Dec 2000. ISBN 0895949903.
Listprice 23 USD.
(I have his 40-page booklet on the theme, and find that the allround
beginner's herbals cover the topic distinctly better. This almost 400
page treatise might cover ground not found elsewhere, though.)
* Igor Vilevich Zevin: A Russian Herbal.
250 pages, 8.97 x 6.06". Inner Traditions Intl Ltd., Feb 1997. ISBN
0892815493. listprice USD 15.
For a different view on how to use herbs (still beginner's level) get
this book. Some black-and-white plant drawings.
* No longer in print (my but time flies!):
o Penelope Ody: The Complete Medicinal Herbal.
192 pages, hardcover, 11.75 x 8". Dorling Kindersley Publishing,
Jun 1993. ISBN 1-56458-187X. Listprice USD 30.
A good allround book for the beginner, with one-page articles on
120 plants, charts that tell you which herbs to use for which
problems, and the obligatory history and making your own remedies
bits. A very visual book.
o Penelope Ody: Home Herbal - a practical family guide to making
herbal remedies for common ailments.
144 pages, hardcover or paperback, 9.75 x 7.75". Dorling
Kindersley Publishing, Jun 1995. ISBN 1564588637. listprice USD
20.
A short introduction to making your own herbal remedies, and the
ailments to use them for. Lots of clear plant and how-to color
pictures.
o Christopher Hedley and Non Shaw: Herbal Remedies - A beginner's
guide to making effective remedies in the kitchen.
96 pages, 12.25 x 9.5". Parragon Jan 1999. ISBN 075252416X.
Listprice GBP 7 or so.
Very good recipes. It's down to earth and well-written, and
you'll get to know (and probably expand) your spice rack in ways
you didn't expect when you bought your spices. Lots of clear
plant and how-to color pictures. I have both the original
hardcover and a later smaller paperback; the content is
identical.
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Often mentioned, but perhaps not really worth it:
(If you feel I'm wrong in my assessment of these books let me know why you
disagree - my email address is hetta@spamcop.net.fix (no fix)).
* James A Duke: The Green Pharmacy Herbal Handbook - Your Everyday
Reference to the Best Herbs for Healing.
352 pages, 6.74 x 4.16". St. Martin's Press, Jun 2002.
ISBN 0312981511. Listprice USD 7.
I have the 1997 edition of this. It's a book written by a researcher,
not by a practitioner, and it shows in some of the herbal
recommendations. Don't trust it, get one of the books written by a
practitioner instead.
* David Hoffmann: Medical Herbalism - The Science and Practice of Herbal
Medicine.
672 pages, 10.9 x 8.68". Inner Traditions Intl Ltd., Aug 2003. ISBN
0892817496. Listprice USD 60.
I'm told (I don't have this book) that this is a reprint of the usual
Hoffmann database with scientific research thrown in. If that is
indeed the case it's not all that much use to the practising herbalist
(scientific research on herbs being mostly theoretical), at least if
you already have a couple of Hoffmann's works. Add to that that it's
very expensive - well, it's not on my list of books to buy anytime
soon. If you have this book, are a herbalist, see clients, and
disagree with this assessment, let me know.
* Varro Tyler. Read Jonno's review of Tyler's "Honest herbal" and "Herbs
of choice" to see why Tyler's writings aren't respected by
professional herbalists:
http://www.herbological.com/deconstructing.html .
If you want a good scientific book on herbs try Rudolf Fritz Weiss,
MD, Herbal Medicine (don't buy the "updated" version, stay with the
original from 1988) (listed in entry 6.1.3, In-depth books, by organ
system)
* The Complete German Commission E Monographs - Therapeutic Guide to
Herbal Medicines
This is a very expensive set of committee summaries (380 monographs,
Listprice USD 189). Jonno has reviewed the monographs; find his
comments here: http://www.herbological.com/understanding.html
* Simon Mills, Kerry Bone: Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy -
Modern Herbal Medicine.
448 pages, 9.96 x 7.75". Churchill Livingstone, Nov 1999. ISBN
0443060169. Listprice USD 83.
I'm told this book constantly praises the use of 1:1 extracts as made
by Kerry Bone's company MediHerb. If that's indeed the case it should
be given away for free, not sold for rather too much money.
Whatever, you're probably distinctly better off buying Simon Mill's
earlier work, "Out of the Earth" (also called "The Dictionary of
Modern Herbalism"). And stay away from other books by Kerry Bone,
unless he's writing with co-authors who have the guts to put their
foots down about hidden marketing.
* Volker Fintelmann, Rudolf Fritz Weiss: Herbal Medicine - second
edition, revised and expanded.
448 pages, 9.25 x 6.75". Thieme Medical Publ, 2nd ed., Aug 2000. ISBN
0865779708. Listprice USD 59.
Stay FAR away from this rewrite.
Read Jonno's review if you want to know why:
http://www.herbological.com/weiss.html
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Field guides
* Steven Foster, James A. Duke: A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and
Herbs of Eastern and Central North America. (A Peterson guide).
424 pages, 7.22 x 4.48". Houghton Mifflin Co, 2nd revised ed., Dec
1999. ISBN 0395988144, listprice USD 19.
I have the 1990 edition, and it really has very little in the way of
text. It's possible that the 1999 edition is distinctly better.
* Jim Pojar, Andrew MacKinnon: Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast.
528 pages, 8.53 x 5.57". Lone Pine Publishing, Dec 1994. ISBN
1551050404. Listprice USD 20.
You'll find the most common plants of the PNW USA, including photos,
drawings, maps, and short paragraphs on usage. It's an excellent field
guide - we need more of this caliber. One peeve: botanical works
should always mention Genus species auct.; there's no auct in this
book.
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Diving deeper
* Michael Moore: Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West.
351 pages, 9.30 x 6.14". Museum of NM Press, Aug 2003. ISBN
0890134545. Listprice USD 25.
Michael has rewritten the 1979 Mountain West book; it's now in the
same format, with the same depth of detail and with as many funnies as
his extraordinary Pacific West book. Go buy it.
* Michael Moore: Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West.
359 pages, 9.23 x 6.14". Red Crane Books, 1993. ISBN 1878610317,
listprice USD 22.5.
The single best book on medicinal plants I have seen to date. Don't
let the title throw you, it's got universal appeal. I use it, and I'm
rather far away from the Pacific west.
* Michael Moore: Medicinal Plants of the Desert and Canyon West.
200 pages, 8.48 x 5.48". Museum of NM Press, Apr 1990. ISBN
0890131821. Listprice USD 15.
A good book on the medicinal uses of some southwestern herbs.
Michael Moore's books on medicinal herbs are very good and fun to
read, too. You're in for a treat if you haven't visited his homepage
yet - he's got some good practitioner-level booklets online, free for
downloading: http://www.swsbm.com
* Michael Moore: Los Remedios - Traditional Herbal Remedies of the
Southwest.
108 pages, 8.47 x 5.48". Red Crane Books, Oct. 1990. ISBN 1878610066.
Listprice USD 10.
If you ever decide to do a book on traditional medicinal uses of your
local flora, check this book to see how it's done. It's the only work
in this genre (that I've seen) that includes a paragraph labelled
"usefulness" with the usual traditional uses.
* Matthew Wood: The Book of Herbal Wisdom
250 pages, 9.05 x 6.05". North Atlantic Books, Sep 1997. ISBN
1556432321, listprice USD 19.
Well worth the price, as Matthew Wood opens a rather different point
of view on plants. His tales are sprinkled with personal experience
and herbal wisdom. Very very good.
* Gazmend Skenderi: Herbal Vade Mecum - 800 Herbs, Spices, Essential
Oils, Lipids, Etc. Constituents, Properties, Uses, and Caution.
496 pages, 8.86 x 6". Herbacy Press, Jun 2003. ISBN 0971320926.
Listprice USD 25 plus shipping. Available directly from the publisher:
herbacy@aol.com . (better buy it there - Amazon wants USD 50 for it -
plus shipping, too, of course.)
Uses are given, dosages aren't - you need to know your plants before
you use this book. It's a very good materia medica for practitioners,
focusing on the essential; beginners might not do all that much with
it, except they'd get solid, practical, sensible cautions for the
listed plants, instead of the usual overblown and overly theoretical
ones. No pictures.
* Janice Schofield: Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, Western Canada,
The Northwest.
355 pages, 10.9 x 8.45". Alaska Northwest Books, 1998.
ISBN 0882403699. Listprice USD 40.
A delightful book, it includes information on a lot of plants found up
here in Finland, too. Great pictures, lots of tried and true recipes,
sensible medicinal uses - you need this book if you live up north.
* Janice Schofield: Alaska's Wild Plants.
95 pages, 8.02 x 4.55". Alaska Northwest Books, 1995. ISBN 0882404334.
Listprice USD 13.
Compared to her excellent Discovering Wild Plants: this one is a tenth
(or less) of the scope and a third of the price. You makes your choice
and you pays your price.
* Thomas Bartram: Bartram's Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine - The
Definitive Guide to the Herbal Treatments of Diseases.
496 pages, 9.10 x 6.12". Marlowe & Company, Sep 2002. ISBN 1569245509.
Listprice USD 18.
A lot, and I do mean a LOT, of short notes on herbs, supplements, and
diseases, listed alphabetically. Very good as a repertory - a work
which gives you treatment options for diverse ailments. No pictures.
* Maud Grieve: A Modern Herbal - Vol. 1, A-H, and Vol. 2, I-Z.
443 + 476 pages, 2 x 9.17 x 6.49". Dover Publ. 1971 reprint of the
1931 original. ISBN 0486227987 (I), 0486227995 (II), listprice USD 13
each.
A fairly good materia medica, especially for its history value. It's
online too, scanned and OCR'd in full by Ed Greenwood:
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/mgmh.html
Thorough but easy to understand descriptions of some plants and/or some
organ systems
* Janice Schofield: Nettles. (A Keats good herb guide).
96 pages, 6.77 x 4.18". McGraw-Hill, Jan 1998. ISBN 087983840X,
listprice USD 5.
Despite the small format you'll get real in-depth information about
that nicest of plants, the stinging nettle. I can personally vouch for
Henriette's Potato Mush, with nettles of course. Excellent work!
* Michael Moore: Herbs for the Urinary Tract. (A Keats good herb guide).
96 pages, 6.77 x 4.18". McGraw-Hill, Jan 1999. ISBN 0879838159,
listprice USD 5.
A short but thorough introduction to the urinary tract and what gets
it out of and back into kilter.
* Aviva Romm: ADHD Alternatives - A Natural Approach to Treating
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
128 pages, 8.49 x 5.54". Storey Books, Jul 2000. ISBN 1580172482.
Listprice USD 13.
* Christopher Hobbs: Medicinal Mushrooms - An Exploration of Tradition,
Healing & Culture.
264 pages, 9.38 x 6.66". Book Pub Co, 2003. ISBN 1570671435, listprice
19 USD.
It's _the_ book on medicinal mushrooms. Go get it, it's good.
* Christopher Hobbs: Natural Therapy for your Liver: Herbs and Other
Natural Remedies for a Healthy Liver. 128 pages, 2002, ISBN1583331328,
listprice USD 10.
* Christopher Hobbs: Vitex, the Women's Herb. 95 pages, 2003, ISBN
1570671575, listprice USD 8.
Accurate and balanced booklets.
He's online here: http://christopherhobbs.com
* Steven Foster's botanical booklets. Web site here:
http://www.stevenfoster.com
* No longer in print - a shame really:
o Paul Bergner: The Healing Power of Garlic
304 pages, 8.25 x 5.50". Prima Publishing, Oct 1995. ISBN
0761500987, listprice USD 16.
o Paul Bergner: The Healing Power of Ginseng and the Tonic Herbs
288 pages, 8.75 x 5.25". Prima Publishing, May 1996. ISBN
0761504729. Listprice USD 15.
o Paul Bergner: The Healing Power of Echinacea, Goldenseal and
other Immune system herbs
336 pages, 8.75 x 5.50". Prima Publishing, Feb 1997. ISBN
0761508090, listprice USD 15.
o Paul Bergner: The Healing Power of Minerals, Special Nutrients,
and Trace Elements.
320 pages, 8.50 x 5.75". Prima Publishing, Jul 1997. ISBN
0761510214, listprice USD 15.
These are very good in-depth books both about the herbs and the
organ systems involved. Get them if you can.
Paul Bergner is the editor of Medical Herbalism (see the
professional level journal list, ch.6.3.2). He has a website at
http://www.medherb.com.
----------------------------------------------
6.1.2 Specialty books: women's herbals, men's herbals etc.
----------------------------------------------
Let's get gender-specific:
* Rosemary Gladstar: Herbal Healing for Women - simple home remedies for
women of all ages.
304 pages, 9.17 x 7.35". Fireside Books, Nov 1993. ISBN 0671767674,
listprice USD 14.
A very good book on herbs and women's health - and at that price it's
a steal.
Rosemary Gladstar's website is at http://www.sagemountain.com
* Amanda McQuade Crawford: Herbal Remedies for Women.
304 pages, 9.23 x 7.41. Prima Health, 1997. ISBN 0761509801. Listprice
USD 20.
A very good book on herbs and women's health.
* Ruth Trickey: Women, Hormones & The Menstrual Cycle - Herbal & Medical
Solutions from Adolescence to Menopause.
680 pages, 9.22 x 6.68". Allen & Unwin, 2nd ed., Apr 2004. ISBN
186508980X. Listprice USD 30.
A good book about the hormonal system and what gets it out of and back
into balance. Learn how to remedy, for instance, endometriosis,
fibroids, or painful menses with diet, herbs and supplements.
My copy of this book (1st ed.) is misbound (parts are upside down and,
obviously, back-to-front), and the publisher promised me a new copy
over a year ago. Haven't seen it yet. Tut tut, bad publisher.
* Amanda McQuade Crawford: The Herbal Menopause Book.
224 pages, 9.10 x 7.08". Crossing Press, Oct 1996. ISBN 0895947994,
listprice USD 17.
Great notes on menopausal discomforts, and how to remedy them.
* Susun Weed: New Menopausal Years, the Wise Woman Way.
304 pages, 8.42 x 5.52". Ash Tree Pub., rev. ed., Nov 2001. ISBN
1888123036. Listprice USD 13.
* Susun Weed: Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year.
196 pages, 8.42 x 5.52". Ash Tree Pub., Jun 1985. ISBN 0961462000.
Listprice USD 10.
* Susun Weed: Breast Cancer, Breast Health, the Wise Woman Way.
380 pages, 8.42 x 5.52". Ash Tree Pub., Mar 1997. ISBN 0961462078.
Listprice USD 15.
Susun has her own very wise way of looking at things. You buy one
first, and then you go out of your way to get the others when you or
somebody close to you needs them.
Susun is online here: http://www.susunweed.com
* No longer in print:
o Anne McIntyre: The Complete Women's Herbal - a manual of healing
herbs and nutrition for personal well-being and family care
287 pages, 10 x 7.75". Henry Holt & Co., Jan 1995. ISBN
0805035370, listprice USD 25.
A very good book on herbs and women's health.
o James Green: The Male Herbal - health care for men and boys
278 pages, 9 x 6". Crossing Press, Apr 1991. ISBN 0895944588,
listprice USD 15.
The only book about herbs for men that I've seen so far.
Kids
* Aviva Romm: Naturally Healthy Babies and Children - a Commonsense
Guide to Herbal Remedies, Nutrition, and Health.
2000, Storey Books, Pownal, Vermont, USA. ISBN 1-58017-285-7,
listprice USD 17.
A good, practical, all-round book for parents.
* Linda B. White, MD, and Sunny Mavor: Kids, Herbs and Health -
practical solutions for your child's health, from birth to puberty.
1998, Interweave Press, Loveland, CO, USA. ISBN 1-883010-53-5,
listprice USD 22.
Another look at herbs for kids, this combines the conventional
approach with the herbal one.
Pets
* Mary L. Wulff-Tilford and Gregory L. Tilford: Herbs for Pets.
1999, BowTie Press, Irvine, CA, USA. ISBN 1-889540-64-1, list price
USD 30.
A blockbuster of a book, this really is worth getting. It includes,
among other things, 200 pages of herbal materia medica for pets with
glorious pictures, and notes on diet for dogs and cats.
Cancer
There are three books on cancer and herbal medicine for the serious
herbalist. These will help you understand the research. They also make it
easy to see what's real and what's hype around herbs for cancer:
* Donald Yance: Herbal Medicine, Healing & Cancer.
1999, Keats Publishing, Lincolnwood, Ill, USA. ISBN 0-87983-968-6,
listprice USD 22.
* John Boik: Cancer & Natural Medicine - A Textbook of Basic Science and
Clinical Research.
1995, Oregon Medical Press, Princeton, Minnesota, US. ISBN
0-9648280-0-6.
* John Boik: Natural Compounds in Cancer Therapy.
2001, Oregon Medical Press, Minnesota, USA, http://www.ompress.com .
ISBN 0-9648280-1-4.
If you want to get some knowledge about TCM, but keep your western
herbalist bias:
* Steven Foster + Yue Chongxi: Herbal Emissaries - bringing Chinese
Herbs to the West.
1992, Healing Arts Press, Vermont, USA. ISBN 0-89281-349-0, listprice
USD 17.
Very thorough description of Chinese plants (with growing
instructions) for us Westerners. (I LIKE books with more than 2 pages
per plant. These guys use about 6 pages per...)
... or the other way around:
* Michael Tierra: Planetary Herbology - An Integration of Western Herbs
into the Traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic Systems.
Lotus Press, Santa Fe, NM, USA. ISBN 0-941524-27-2, listprice USD 18.
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6.1.2.1 Going for broke (and I wish you luck)
----------------------------------------------
There's a very good series of books on how to turn a herb enthusiast into a
cottage industry: the bootstrap guides(at www.bootstraps.com). They're
practical, down to earth, and they tell you not only what plants will sell
but also what kind of American bureaucracies you need to look out for. They
are:
* Lee Sturdivant: Profits from your backyard herb garden
1995, San Juan Naturals, PO Box 642, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, USA.
ISBN 0-9621635-3-8, listprice USD 11.
Starting with a smallish herb garden, this book tells you what you
need to know in order to sell fresh herbs to local restaurants and
markets.
* Lee Sturdivant and Tim Blakley: Medicinal Herbs in the Garden, Field
and Marketplace
1999, San Juan Naturals, PO Box 642, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, USA.
ISBN 0-9621635-7-0, listprice USD 25.
The first half of the book gives a view into successful herb
businesses, the second part tells you how to grow herbs for the bulk
trade - machinery, techniques, hints and tips, and growing and picking
specific plants. At the very end of the book you'll find contact
information of some American tincture and tea makers, including what
plants they need and how to approach them.
* Lee Sturdivant: Herbs for sale
1994, San Juan Naturals, PO Box 642, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, USA.
ISBN 0-9621635-2-X, listprice USD 15.
Interesting views into diverse successful herb businesses.
Not in the same series, this one comes from the other side of the world:
* Greg Whitten: Herbal Harvest
Bloomings Books, The Stables, 21 Isabella Grove, Hawthorn Victoria,
Australia 3122. ISBN 1876473045.
(review by Rosemary Jones:) Just got a copy from the publisher and it
seems to answer most questions on the bulk processing of herbs for
commercial use. How to build drying sheds and so on. The farming
advice is geared towards Australia but could work elsewhere with some
modification.
If you're in the US you can order it from Rosemary (healingpgs.aol.com
or Healing Pages 1-800-561-2909) and save on freight. Or order it
straight from the publisher.
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End of part 6 of 7.
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--
Henriette Kress, AHG Helsinki, Finland
Henriette's herbal homepage: http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed
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