Duke's Handbook of Medicinal Plants of the Bible [Hardcover]

James A. Duke (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 26, 2007 | ISBN-10: 0849382025 | ISBN-13: 978-0849382024 | Edition: 1

Known for their ease of use, artful presentation of scientific information, and evidence-based approach, James Duke’s comprehensive handbooks are the cornerstone in the library of almost every alternative and complementary medicine practitioner and ethnobotanist. Using the successful format of these bestselling handbooks, Duke’s Handbook of Medicinal Plants of the Bible covers 150 herbs that scholars speculate, based on citations, were used in Biblical times.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I strongly recommend this book."
—Daniel F. Austin, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, in Economic Botany, No: 62(4), 2008, pp. 628-639.

"…superbly organized…provides both academicians and no-specialist general readers with a complete and descriptive listing of herbs that…were utilized by the people of the biblical era. …superbly enhanced with full color drawings…. A superb writer and expert, James A. Duke…has provided a seminal invaluable contribution that should be a part of every academic library reference collection, as well as on the supplemental reading lists for students…"
— Margaret Lane, The Midwest Book Review, February 2008

"…will prove to be of immense interest to medical practitioners, ethnobotanists, biblical scholars, and non-specialists general readers with an interest in this fascinating subject. …handbook is replete with beautifully executed color full color illustrations of individual plants. A seminal contribution to the field of ethnobotony, Duke’s Handbook of Medicinal Plants of the Bible is an important work of impressive scholarship from beginning to end—and a core addition to academic library reference collections."
— Michael Dunford, The Midwest Book Review

"… opens with extensive introductory material, including charts of the many, many abbreviations used throughout the text… deserves a place in university and some professional libraries…"
—Douglas Darnowski, Department of Biology, Indiana University Southeast

"The book describes nearly 200 plant species used in medicine from the biblical times until now. The idea of choosing species of medicinal plants from the Bible is original and intriguing. … the subject matter of the book is an extremely interesting choice of medicinal plants together with references to biblical texts. The choice is special and in view of its originality, it is excellent. Attention is turned to not only medical but also historical and cultural aspects of using plants. The book is elegantly bound and edited, with many illustrations (in colour) and with great meticulousness it collects data concerning common names (very numerous), activities, indications, downsides or dosages."
—G. Marszalkowski, in Actal Physiol Plant, 2008

"A seminal contribution to the field of ethnobotony, Duke’s Handbook of Medicinal Plants of the Bible is an important work of impressive scholarship from beginning to end – and a core addition to academic library reference collections."
—In Midwest Book Review

 

 

About the Author

Green Farmacy Garden, Fulton, Maryland, USA

Product Details

• Hardcover: 552 pages
• Publisher: CRC Press; 1 edition (December 26, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0849382025
• ISBN-13: 978-0849382024
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,174,083 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

JAMES A. DUKE, PHD, held several posts in his more than three decades with the US Department of Agriculture, including chief of the Medicinal Plant Resources Laboratory. He is the author of numerous scholarly and popular books, including the bestseller The Green Pharmacy, and is on the board of advisors for Prevention. He resides in Fulton, Maryland.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A seminal and invaluable contribution, February 2, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Duke's Handbook of Medicinal Plants of the Bible (Hardcover)

Plants are referred to and referenced throughout the books, poetry, and letters that comprise the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. "Duke's handbook Of Medicinal Plants Of The Bible" is a 528-page compendium of superbly organized and presented information on biblical plants that provides both academicians and non-specialist general readers with a complete, descriptive listing of the herbs that, based on citations, scholars and ethnobotanists feel were utilized by the people of the biblical era. Enhanced with an evidence-based scoring system for these plants, "Duke's Handbook Of Medicinal Plants Of The Bible" compares and contrasts citations from different versions of the Bible, presents multilingual nomenclatures providing historical and geographic roots for each featured entry, and even covers dosages that have been used historical for various human and animal ailments. Superbly enhanced with full color drawings of individual plants, each specific entry provides family line information, synonyms, notes, common names, activities, indications, dosages, dosages, downsides and interactions, natural history and extracts. Biblical quotations are provided from various translations of the bible from the King James version to the Revised Standard edition -- along with comments on points of interest. A superb writer and expert, James A. Duke (with the assistance and collaboration of Peggy-Ann K. Duke and Judith L. duCellier) has provided a seminal and invaluable contribution that should be a part of every academic library reference collection, as well as on the supplemental reading lists for students of herbal medicine, alternative medicine, botany, and biblical studies.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous the best, October 10, 2010

By 

piper8 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Duke's Handbook of Medicinal Plants of the Bible (Hardcover)

I have been on Dr Dukes website and there he uses the same format for summarizing plant actions uses and cautions, as in this book, and there is no book (or website) like it. It is so much more detailed than his earlier book on this subject- increasing evidence over time. He has a fire and passion for herbs of this, and other areas in the world, and it sufaces in his writing, and in the care and reverence with which he treats both scientific and traditional knowledge of plants.
He can cut to the quick of what is important vs legal obstructions of plant use- with humor, and dosen't get lost in vast array of detail he presents.
This book really is a "Must Have".
There is so much more coming in plant learning, and he is truly on the front line with sweeping wide vision, looking and ready to catch it!