Henna's Secret History: The History Mystery and Folklore of Henna [Paperback]

Marie Miczak (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 11, 2001

Lawsonia inermis ver. alba... "henna". How much do you know about this incredible botanical? Was it sensual Mehndi body adornment or Cleopatra's favorite perfume? An aphrodisiac or a treatment for leprosy? An ancient Roman currency or a last right for the dead? This book takes a fascinating look at one of the most popular botanicals of all time. Never before has a book been devoted to henna as a whole. Drawing on botany, archeology, phytomedicine and folkloric history to define the many ambiguities and misconceptions surrounding it, thus presenting for the first time an accurate and complete history of henna. A portion of the proceeds from this book goes to charity and preservation of henna's history.- In extreme depth, henna's medicinal past is revealed. From the papyrus Ebers to the writings of Galen, discover henna's uses in all of the major Old World medicines.-Did you know henna has some of the most fragrant flowers on earth? Learn why women became addicted to them and the shocking basis for their allure.- Think you know the full story concerning henna body art? Think again. Find out how its history was manufactured in the 19th and 20th century to cover its true origins.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Anakee Miczak has painstakingly sorted truth from the fiction... There certainly is a secret history to henna, a fascinating one. -- The Bloomsbury Review

This is a well researched, accurate and academic portrayal of the henna plant, Lawsonia spp., through the ages. -- Dr. Cindy L. A. Jones, pharmacologist and author of The Antibiotic Alternative & Herbs for Healthy Skin

About the Author

Marie Anakee Miczak has researched and studied henna for many years with the result of two published books covering the subject. In addition to performing henna body art, Ms. Miczak also cultivates henna plants and teaches about its history at area colleges.

Product Details

• Paperback: 356 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (April 11, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 059517891X
• ISBN-13: 978-0595178919
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,133,532 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Rare Find of Truth among so many Assumptions, August 15, 2002

By 

Jinx (OK United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Henna's Secret History: The History Mystery and Folklore of Henna (Paperback)

By far this is my most prized possession in the field of Henna History and Research, and I've only just gotten it! Written by an herbalist as well as a free thinker rather than head nodder, her book turned everything I thought I knew about the plant commonly called 'Henna' upside-down. Taking nothing for 'granted' she takes an entirely refreshing approach to researching the use of this herb, not just as a skin dye, but the entire plant as well as the linguistic archeology that so very precisely traces the plant's roots. With a never ending search for the 'why' she has summarily presented the evidence rather than drawing the conclusions for you! Definitely not for the Hard of Thinking, this book is by far the best piece of research on the subject I have seen to date!!!! A real TREASURE!!!!!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Henna's Secret History from a Pharmacological Standpoint, January 31, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Henna's Secret History: The History Mystery and Folklore of Henna (Paperback)

I was very impressed with this work in that the references were well researched and verified. As a college professor, these are the sorts of course texts that we employ in our studies of pharmacognosy or the study of medicines made from plants & natural sources.

"Henna's Secret History" is just the type of manual I would choose to explain the chemical compounds and medicinal properties of Henna to both the neophyte as well as the advanced student. Excellent work, well founded in clinical study and complete in every way. I highly recommend it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sloppy editing, August 24, 2006

By 

E. Sewall (Washington DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Henna's Secret History: The History Mystery and Folklore of Henna (Paperback)

This is an interesting work with a lot of information, but seems to have had no editing, and for me this takes away from fully engaging and absorbing the content. For example-

"Hailing from Briton..." p. 7
"King Herod's sons wife.." p.48
"Karma Sutra" p.52 (not spelled correctly once throughout the book)
"Buddhisem" p.54

and on and on. A few typos here and there is one thing, but when they add up that much it gets annoying and interrupts the flow of the book (as it is there are many pages with no paragraph breaks). However, I shall continue...and most likely other people aren't as affected by this type of thing. I have to say, though, the last few books I read published in England were blissfully free of typos.