Customer Reviews

Herbs and Things

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The good things about this book are wonderful, and the bad things are really, really bad. Like another reviewer mentioned, her ideas about extra weight and what it means to be a round woman, are amazingly offensive. But, she doesn't shy away from certain plants just because of dubious legality, and she directly quotes seriously old texts. Makes for an interesting read.

My biggest problem with this book is, some of the concoctions she proposes are, while effective, so fraught with horrible side effects that the cure is worse than the disease. If you don't know a bit about herbalism going into this, it's going to be difficult to tell the good recipes from the inadvisable ones. Be cautious, reference other books too, just for sanity checking.

Michael Bailes says of the book: "When Jeanne Rose talks about herbs, people listen and it is no wonder after nearly thirty years of study, practice, teaching and writing during which she has become an institution. In this book, she has brought together a tremendous amount of information and whatever you want to know about aromatherapy is probably here. You can find a list of essential oils for treating a certain condition, or a list of conditions treated by a certain essential oil and each oil is described in detail in a subsequent chapter with precautions and instructions for use. These three elements constitute about one third of the book, and may alone justify the very reasonable price. However, it contains an impressive number of recipes which may also be sufficient incentive to buy it. The charts include treatments for conditions such as heart failure, stroke, syphilis and paralysis yet the tone of the book is informal and chatty and obviously intended for a general audience even though at times it is hard to believe that readers would treat such extreme conditions with essential oils. I have never seen a better, easier-to-read, book on fragrance. this is one of the few to give details of distillation, to explain arcane perfumery terms, to list in detail the herbs of perfumery." (Michael Bailes)

The book has a long index and detailed table of contents. It is enhanced by the nice selection of sketches and borders. I really like the various charts and lists like "The Language, Color and Fragrance of Flowers, Herbs and Woods." There are lots of useful recipes (sachets, bug repellants, herbal baths, incense).
The many editions over the years testify to the usefulness of the compiled information. Skip the chapter on Weight Loss, as it is more of a personal rant than useful info. Other than that, I heartily recommend this book. (VA)

i found this book i a parking lot and it was the start of a whole new approach on life. Any reader will find it to be a no nonsence directory to herbalism.

This invaluable book is a wonderful combination of recipes, anecdotal advice, and historical reference. I would recommend this book for the beginner who is interested in herbal history, would like to know how to find herbs, and start dabbling in recipes. For those who are more experienced, it would complete an herbal library.

A combination of anecdotal commentary, practical uses of herbs and medicinals in a beautifully illustrated presentation appealing to the human spirit. Not only a textbook on herbal remedies, but also a delightful journey into recipes for conjuring.

This book is one of the most wonderfully charming ones that I have ever read. It is the first herb book that I was ever given (It belonged to my mother) and I have read it to shreads. Every time I pick it up I find something new. A must see.

I first purchased this book when I was about 17 and had been studying herbalism for about 4 years. I lost my first copy (the one with the purple cover) and bought a second which my mom's dog ate half the index of a couple of years later. Long story short, I have used and abused this book extensively for over a decade. It is hands down the finest herbal I own, though I still cross reference on some of the more questionable stuff, just to make sure. A true classic and as much as I love my copy, I do wish that Ms. Rose would release an update to reflect all of the gains/discoveries that herbalists have made in the past 30 years or so. Highly recommended, but only for intermediate herbalists and above. A good selection of other print herbals is good to use as a supplement to cross reference.

Ok this isn't the reference book to beat all reference books, but its fun, its informational and I have a soft spot in my heart for it. It was one of my first herb books I ever purchased, and to give you a hint without telling you exactly how long ago that was.. the price tag was $2.50-2.75 (can't really read it, its that worn). I have since retired my original volume and I am working on the 2nd one (and if I keep going its gonna need to be retired also). The herbs have good warnings on them, the recipes are simple, some are quirky, some are ancient but the book is informative and great to read and mess with. One of the things I do like about the book (and all the rest of her books) is that if there is a wide variety of things you can do, plus there is a area for diffrent problems and the herbs that can be used for them. So you can look, read up on them and more than likely find a recipe that works too. Enjoy this book, I have over the years

An herbal with backbone. I was fortuenante enough to come across an old copy of this book from the 70's and am pleased to have done so. I disagree with the person who wrote in saying that the chapter on weight loss is offensive. If you dont respect yourself enough to stay fit then of course your going to find the material offensive. The book is not disgusting it is honest, something which is far to hard to come by anymore in metaphysical literature. There is also a fantastic chapter on forbidden herbal lore such as flying ointments and conjuratios of spirits. If you have backbone I reccomend you buy this book, if your a fluffy bunny wiccan then go elsewhere cause this aint for you.

a very good reference for herbal use. The section on witch-craft is a little bit too far out there, but the different spells and recipes are a good laugh, I wonder where she found them or if she just made them up.