Leaves in Myth, Magic & Medicine [Hardcover]

Alice Thoms Vitale (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 7, 1997

From biblical, Greek, Roman, Arabic and Orie ntal sources to more modern European, Native American and No rth American cultures, the voices of folk-healers, herbalist s and physicians mingle with superstition, irrational belief s, recipes and poetry. '

Editorial Reviews

Review

Truly original and unique, Leaves is the visionary life work of Alice Vitale who has devoted almost 30 years to researching and creating authentic portraits of living leaves. This historical herbal is an appreciative salute to the wonder, beauty, and utility of leaves, as well as a visual guide to their identity. Throughout recorded history, leaves have graced and scented gardens, homes, and altars, provided nourishment and drink, healed the sick, enriched the flavor of food, added color to fabrics, and been the source for powerful poisons and exhilarating but sometimes harmful drugs. From ancient sources (Biblical, Greek, Roman, Arabic, and Oriental) to more modern cultures (European, Native American, and North American) here are the distant voices of folk-healers, herbalists, and physicians mingled with superstitions, irrational beliefs, myths, medicines, recipes, and poetry. Included are over 100 specimens, all grown in American soil, illuminated with fascinating information in botany, horticulture, medicine, history, literature, food, folklore, and handicraft. Leaves is a unique and valuable contribution to any horticultural and gardening reference shelf collection. -- Midwest Book Review

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Stewart, Tabori and Chang (March 7, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556705549
• ISBN-13: 978-1556705540
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 6.6 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,310,033 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A True Work of Art!, December 29, 1999

By 

amrdmr "amrdmr" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Leaves in Myth, Magic & Medicine (Hardcover)

Good Lord, this book is absolutely stunning! What a find! Getting this book as a holiday gift is indeed a good argument for writing an accurate self-description on one's wish list - I said I loved leaves and I got this amazing book which I never even knew existed. The ink autoprints are so finely detailed, it's hard to believe they are really printed off living leaves. Meeting the woman/artist/botanist who so lovingly (obviously) and painstakingly created these prints would be an honor and truly fascinating. This is a case of art imitating yet surpassing nature by making you really SEE and understand its wonder.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful handprints of leaf forms & enchanting anecdotes, October 8, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Leaves in Myth, Magic & Medicine (Hardcover)

What do you do with a 4-hour layover in the Denver airport? Well, you browse the book shop and if you're lucky you find this gem on the shelf. The hand printed leaf forms are perfection in every way, and each page brings magical anecdotes about the plant forms, odd myths, medicinal uses, and sweet little graphics to enhance the overall feel of the book. From it's square hefty shape, right down to the dusting of soft green tones on the page edges, this book is a delight and I'd recommend it to anyone who loves and appreciates natural botanical forms and enjoys the unusual information this insightful writer has gathered over the years. In the very back on the dust jacket, there is a photo of the author, a lovely woman, who at age 87 declares this is her first book! I love owning this and have bought several copies for friends as gifts. At $20 plus some change here at Amazon.com you can't go wrong. A superb value!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly unique, September 8, 2000

By 

Leah N. Smith "library wench" (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Leaves in Myth, Magic & Medicine (Hardcover)

This original and unique book was written by an 87 year old retired librarian. Ms. Vitale devoted 30 years to researching and creating this wonderful portrait of leaves. The 110 leaf specimens are all grown in American soil. The author includes fascinating information on tree lore, medicine, botany and so much more. This book brought me hours of pleasure and is also a great reference book. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest and love for trees and/or all aspects of nature.