Complementary-Therapy Books

In THE HERBAL ALMANAC, Linda Ours Rago gives us 366 days (includes Leap Year) of ancient herbal folklore, historic information and some lovely prose. This small book of calendar days is beautifully illustrated by Marjorie Stodgell and can be used year after year. Herbs are plants that can be used in medicines, seasonings, flavorings, and decorations. In this book, the author tells us which herbs are associated with the various days of the month. She also gives us the history or legend that is linked to the plants.

The best way for me to review this book is by quoting some of my favorite passages.

"JANUARY 26 - Wear a scarlet nightcap stitched up with lavender to shun winter melancholy.

FEBRUARY 3 - St. Blaise Day - The saint miraculously cured a boy with a bone in his throat so the day was named after him. Herbs to soothe a sore throat are hyssop, horehound, and sage.

MAY 9 - Violets are in bloom. Add them to your salads today.

JUNE 2 - St. Elmo's Day - St Elmo is the patron saint of sailors. Parsley and violets are special herbs to prevent scurvy --they are both rich in vitamin C.

AUGUST 4 - Sunflowers are in full bloom now. The sunflower is the symbol of constancy as its face follows the path of the sun.

OCTOBER 9 - The last herb stalk in the garden after harvest harbors the spirit of the garden. It should be tied up with ribbon and hung in the kitchen.

DECEMBER 11 - St. Andrew's Day - Serve fish today with dill, fennel, tarragon or bay".

This is a perfect addition to a gardener's library.

Absolutely GREAT addition to any herbal library. Buy this book! This lady knows her stuff

This is a well written and organized basic reference of herbal knowledge applied to emergency injuries, infectious diseases, and a variety of bodily ills and conditions. Written by a naturopathic physician who founded a leading manufacturer of organic herbal remedies (Western Botanicals, Inc.), this is a no frills source book. The section on creating your own custom-made preventive formulas is especially valuable, including recipes for female balancing, sinusitis snuff, nerve repair, and lung strengthener. You will also appreciate information about how to grown your own medicines and how to boost nutrition with herbs. A chapter called "The common cold is the cure" introduces intriguing concepts as well as an amazing "cold sheet treatment'. Finally, Dr. Christensen's "Rules for Getting Well from ANYTHING" says it all.

The Herbal Handbook by David Hoffmann is a great source of definitions of actions of the most commonly used herbs. Also of interest is the chemistry of plants, the body systems and their recommended herbs, which include methods of preparation for medicinal and cosmetic use.

The incredible amount of information in this book is easy to read. The section on actions is the most comprehensive I have read yet!

This title should be in every Herbalists personal library!

Beth Anne Haigler, Medicial Herbalist

This book is beautiful and perfect for those who are actually into the religion and not just looking for some stupid love charm.

I've found HERBAL MEDICINALS to be a frequently-referenced book in my library. The many tables with dosage information, contraindications, potential drug interactions, and herbal recommendations for specific illnesses are most helpful. A very useable and practical guide for both allopathic and natural health practitioners.

Herbal Medicine: Chaos In The Marketplace by Rowena K. Richter deftly examines the confusing tangle of herbal medicine regulations throughout the United States. Informatively explaining how the present business and regulation system came to be, comparing America's approach to that of other industrialized countries, and offering ways to improve United States policy, Herbal Medicine: Chaos In The Marketplace illuminates its relevant points with illustrative examples, and is a highly recommended and eye-opening expose and survey of the morass that is the regulation of health and medicine products that is dominated by an entrenched pharmaceutical business sector and exacerbated by America's complicated and sometimes contradictory legal system.

If you want to learn how to make infusions, decoctions, tinctures, herb vinegars, oils and/or salves, this is the book for you: a basic herbal for the kitchen. A few garden herbs are included, even if you will mostly be using what's in your spice rack. All the recipes are tried (how very seldom you find this to be the case!) and work. The book is 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.

Awesome book and authors! This book is a invaluable asset to Lumbee Culture and helpful to anyone. Highly recommend as a must have!

This was a lucky purchase for me, as it was a text that went right to the medicines and their usage, not a history of every character from the beginning. Quick referance for knowledge in research and writing.
Any student of homopathy will appreciate this text.
I found this on Amazon, however, I now notice that this is unavailable, it is worth looking into.
Lucky purchase .