Customer Reviews

The Meaning of Herbs: Myth, Language & Lore

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Who doesn't like herbs? THE MEANING OF HERBS is not at all about actually growing herbs. So, if your looking for a gardening book try THE COMPLETE BOOK OF HERBS by Lesley Bremness or RODALE'S ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HERBS.

THE MEANING OF HERBS is filled with fun factoids and trivial tales that may or may not be true. For example, "Early herbalists prescribed oregano to those who 'are given to too much sighing' and enraged bears were believed to calm themselves by chewing on oregano bushes." This may be, but knowing where bears come from and the origin of oregano, I suspect the bears in question discovered the oregano cure quite by accident in someone's cultivated herb patch (probably right over there in the Great Smokies). And of course, some human must have been around to observe and record the enraged bear as he became becalmed by chewing oregano leaves. (Wonder what enraged him to begin with? Could it be he got into the gardener's bee hive and tried to eat oregano flower honey?).

THE MEANING OF HERBS will make a nice party favor, thank-you gift, or a small present for a friend. Filled with somewhat amusing and interesting anectdotes about herbs (and bears) as well as lots of pretty drawings, it's sure to send a warm and positive message.

This book is not for someone who actually wants to know how an herb has been used in the past, despite the fact that it promises to provide this information in the title. Not organized alphabetically, no glossary, and the information is as incomplete and inaccurate as possible while still using up valuable paper. Most of us know something about the lore of the Mustard Seed and spiritual faith, these authors didn't even mention that, but instead said, "mentioned in the bible," without even one specific reference. The photos and nice binding are the best part, but not even good enough to be clipped for another use. Don't buy this book unless you are looking for a greeting card for someone named Rosemary that doesn't have above a 6th grade education.