Customer Reviews

Medicine Quest: In Search of Nature's Healing Secrets

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Students in a Psychology of Healing class have this to say about Medicine Quest:

"I really liked Medicine Quest, which wasn't surprising because I liked the first book Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice. Medicine Quest was another well-done, highly informative book about the secrets of the jungle. We could learn a lot from the people of these forests, if only we had the mind to listen to them. What I especially liked was the feeling of being a tourist on adventures following along on all of Mark Plotkin's journeys. He really brings you to the heart of these native peoples' cultures and beliefs."

"I appreciated the hope I felt as I read the entire book. Dr. Plotkin indicated there is so much unexplored wilderness yet to be examined. I liked knowing that there are people like Mark Plotkin who will not stop until answers are found. What courage he has! I liked how he enmeshed his personal life with his 'quest' to find natural healing remedies. I felt some personal emotions as he discussed hope for finding a remedy for brain tumors."

"The book, Medicine Quest by Mark Plotkin, had many features to recommend it. I particularly liked his story-telling style, the way the book exposed new possibilities, the sense of adventure that was portrayed and the way he brought hope in relation to killer diseases such as diabetes. It was a great book that I wouldn't have read if not for this class. I'm glad I did!"

"I felt that the book was simply piled with information. It seems so weird to think that we, the Western 'modern civilization,' really have not even come close to tapping into the natural medicines, resources, techniques, and solutions that are out there in the world as a whole. I thought it was cool (I know I really shouldn't have because of the pain he was in), but I was truly moved and touched how that tribe had him drink the liquid and he was in so much pain he felt he had died and the shaman was able to resolve his pain, viz., the symbolism of the whole event of being reborn and your spirit leaving and running free and returning."

"I enjoyed Medicine Quest very much. I found it was easy to read, much like an entertaining novel--yet it was full of information like a text on science, biology, and sociology. I found that Dr. Plotkin has a great respect for life. It is evident in his work with other cultures and his appreciation of living things. I especially enjoyed the historical information regarding the development of medicines. Dr. Plotkin has a wonderful talent and insight for explanation and making connections between the scientific world and mainstream society. I think Dr. Plotkin is a good voice for the conservation of the rain forest--for helping everyone realize that we are all connected throughout the world and yet we all can learn from each other. I found the information regarding animals and their uses of plants as medicine interesting and truly an indication that we have much to learn."

Medicine Quest is a feast for the mind which I devoured in one sitting. A compelling storyteller, Mark Plotkin interweaves his personal experiences as an ethnobotanist with the most fascinating scientific developments of our day with a clear-eyed view of history. It's something like sitting at the foot of a great teacher, who engages our jaded minds with his vivid and intricate love of creation, and who regales us with outrageous tales of a life spent roaming the jungles of the Americas. Though the material presented here is often scholarly, it is never dense. Most importantly, Plotkin reminds us to be humble in the face of Nature's magnificence. In an era of environmental devastation and mass extinction, we may destroy that which we are looking for even before we find it. Mark teaches us that only a fool throws away something he doesn't understand - and that we, in our arrogance, are behaving very much like fools. After you read this book, give it to a teenager. Who knows what rich life of wonder it might inspire in those just starting their lives?

Mark Plotkin in his new book, Medicine Quest, has provided us with convincing and compelling evidence that pharmacognosy, the study of nature-based medicines, can yield many solutions to our collective human ills. This is a book that should be required reading for all high school and college biology students. As a result, many may be inspired to pursue creative research into the biochemistry of natural products. Such study will foster a more refined view of the importance of ecological balance, and the essential nature of biodiversity. Every creature, no matter how lowly, may provide insight into our own physiology and potential cures for human pathology.

... Medicine Quest was an awesome book that taught me a lot, but was also very interesting. It was the kind of book you pick up dreading to read but then love it. It started out with a story about a medicine man who found a way to help diabetes. Then it went on it talked about different medicines such as penicillin which was produced from fungi, different pain killer from frogs and snakes and antibiotics from plants and even bugs. Overall I thought that it was an amazing book and I recommend it to anyone who is interesting in learning about medicine or even to someone who just wants to sit down with a good book. In this review I will map out the main points and provide an evaluation so you can see whether you want to read this book or not.

Main Points

· Some Poison for Your Pain- Poisonous reptiles and amphibians are knows to have venom that help kill pain for people. Some Scientist studied frogs and snakes and found a new treatment for pain, but a lot of what they found was to toxic for humans so their next task was to try to change the treatment to work. Venom have taught scientist a lot about the body and how medicines function in them.

· The Eternal Quest- Scientist used to think that humans were the only ones who used to use medicine but they were proved wrong after finding a Neanderthal with seven medical species of plants in a ring around his body. Scientist are now looking for answer from other animal to see what kinds of medicines and adaptations they can give us. Also past things are giving scientist clues, such as the discovery of the ice man, and finding myrrh which was an antibiotic used in the ancient world.

· The Fungus Among Us- Fungi is sometimes know to scientist as a "lower organism" but actually it is responsible for 5 of the top 30 medicines. Penicillin is the most well known medicine. It has saved millions of lives though out the world today. It was discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928 when it grew in his petri dish. Then he couldn't figure out how it had grown and couldn't grow it again, but finally someone did. Fungi are known as one of the most ancient lives on earth.

· Drugs from Bugs- Many discoveries have been made from bugs that help with sicknesses. In native tribes they use ants to help with their arthritis pain, bedbugs are used for treating external wounds, beetles are used for the steroids in their glands and spiders not only contribute venom to this world but also other things like their ability to capture their prey. Bees wax from honeybees has been used for medical ointments, plasters and even suppositories.

· Hideous Healers- Scientist estimate that there are over 650 species of leeches all around the world. They have been used in ancient medicines for Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Indians and Chinese. They are used for therapeutic purposes, its saliva is used as a blood thinner that helped with clotting. Maggots are used for the treatment of bone infections and other deep wounds.
· The Snakes in the Caduceus- Snakes have served as fascination to some and fear to other human cultures. Snakes poison has been used as an agent for capital punishment, murder, suicide, torture and even welfare. Snakes medicine also dates back to the ancient times. Snake oil is the most antique term of snake medicine. Some of these oils were ineffective, some were poisonous, and some were addictive. Snakes best quality is its venom used for many medicines. Even though the venom varies form species to species they all serve a great purpose.

· Under the Sea- Scientist believe that over 80% of species will be found under sea due to the fact that 70% of this earth is covered in water and ocean. That give a great chance that the sea is a great place to look for medical advantages. Coral has been know to have a compound that helps with the cure/ treatment of cancer. Its compound is called eleutherobin and scientist have been having a hard time working with it because it is so hard to obtain. The lowly sponge provides us with great things, such as a cleaner to keep patients clean and so no bacteria is around, also it has shown to be a great treatment for leukemia.

· Plants of the Apes- When studying the apes scientist found that some of them have a specific diet with allows them to fight off the bacteria that causes diarrhea. Also from studying animals scientist have discovered that animals themselves give off a poison to their body which helps them fight off snake bites or get rid of diseases. The apes themselves are very picky eaters which helps with the medical research. They found that the reason the apes were being picky is because they plant they were eating actually acts as an antibiotic which mean that to much could be potentially deadly.

This book taught me a lot about our world. It taught me that every creature and plant has a purpose for being here and a lot of their purpose is to help human life. I give this book 4 stars because anyone who reads this book will be amazed at all the different discoveries. Not only did the author do an excellent job at writing it but he made it interesting by adding little details that will astonish you.

I believe the author wrote this book for many reasons, one being to inform people about the uses, discoveries, and new about different medicines, also i believe he wanted to give credit to all the animals and other organisms out there who help us so much. I believe this book is intended more for the older readers or people who are really into the medical field. The point of this book is to help people better understand our world and so people can really appreciate what nature has done for us. This book is a pretty easy read, the chapters are sectioned off as stated above with different organisms being presented. This book is different in a way that is states the truth about things rather than really making a great story out of the whole book. It was a great book and I hope that everyone wants to read it.

My undergraduate class, comprising a wide variety of majors from biology and nursing to psychology and religious studies, read Medicine Quest and provided the following reviews:

"The thing I liked about Medicine Quest was the way it talked about specific animals and the purposes they have. The most impressive thing was the poisonous frog that can fit on the tip of a person's finger--although it is colorful, the birds know they cannot eat it. Even though we have medicines in our Western culture, I believe this book gives much more hope of finding natural cures that will not harm other organs in a person's body while trying to heal something else. The more I read, the less I want to take of our so-called 'cures'."

"Medicine Quest was a fact-filled, eye-opening delight. It discussed medicines of yesterday, today, the future and those still uncovered. The many wonders and treasures the rain forest holds is mind boggling. The oceans, seas and rivers have still to be deeply explored and treasures to medicine and health will continue to be uncovered. The focus on how we, as a whole, are destroying the environment (by cutting down trees or increasing the global temperatures of water) is eye-opening. That we could be destroying precious life and chemicals is heart-wrenching. Everything from the fungi that eats insects' brains to bumblebees to sponges can hold value, even when we do not see it. To think that the cure to AIDS could be sitting 12,000 miles under the sea in some little bacteria on the tooth of a giant squid-like eel makes us aware that things are not always as they seem. Bacteria, for instance, are not the dumb entities we believe them to be. The section talking about penicillin and the bacteria immune to it proves just how capable and smart they can be. Dr. Plotkin has outdone himself again."

"Medicine Quest shows the incredible link between the natural world and our technological world. It teaches how very interrelated they are and how the loss of species of animals and plants could potentially destroy a treasure trove of medicines. From common animals such as rattlesnakes and leeches to those species that are quickly disappearing (cone snails and everything contained in the rain forests), Dr. Plotkin shows what we are doing to the Earth and ultimately to ourselves. And the best part is that through the sometimes depressing news, he still manages to keep his sense of humor."

"This book is very well written and reader friendly. It is full of scientific facts and names but these are presented in a very readable and at times humorous fashion. I found the information in this book fascinating and useful. It is nice to know where some of our medications come from (even if it is gross!). The author gives us hope that there are drugs out there that may be found to help treat some of our most debilitating and deadly diseases. But he does stress throughout the book that we must conserve our natural environment or many of these drugs will be lost to us. This was not a book I would have bought just to read, but I am very glad I read it. It opened my eyes to see the world in a different light, even all its yucky bugs. I now know more about leeches than I ever cared to. P.S.--The way he combines science, ancient cultural practices and modern medicines is excellent. I was glad to read that modern medicine is beginning to look at, if not fully accept, some of the ancient methods of healing with leeches and maggots."

"I like how he says that humans act as if we are the superior beings on the planet, yet we observe animals to see what they use for medicinal purposes. Utilizing the sea and bugs for medicine never occurred to me until reading this. I also enjoyed how the author explained how spirituality plays an important role in healing, like when he talked about the shamans and how they are not only the doctors of their tribes; they also play other important roles, e.g., priest/rabbi. Along with spirituality, I really liked the idea that dreams are a link to something greater. The idea that dreams are teaching us and guiding us has always amazed me. I loved the examples given. Excellent book--I recommend it to my healers. Thanks."

"I was amazed to learn that the monkeys use plants for their medicinal properties, such as to kill parasites. This book shows us that saving the endangered species is not only for their own benefit, but that the creatures can help humans in many ways. I liked this book because it opened my eyes to the big picture. It shows how each species can be dependent on others, e.g., when the fruits depend on the birds to deposit their seeds elsewhere through defecation and the bird uses the fruit for nutrition. I was amazed that elephants in Kenya may consume a tree to induce labor and the women of WaTongwe also use this very same plant to induce labor or abortion. This book shows how similar humans are to other species when it comes to basic needs and survival."

Dr. Mark J. Plotkin's book, Medicine Quest (published in 2000 by Viking Penguin), tells about his research on medicine done all throughout the world. He travels in the North East Amazon rainforest for 15 to research new natural medicines; many times accompanied by native Shamans (tribes medicine men). Dr. Plotkin tells about many medicines used by native tribes that heal thing such as arthritis and why they should be investigated by pharmacologists (doctors studying natural medicines) in the U.S. There where many unknown animals, plants, micro-organisms, and venoms to the United States that could cure common illnesses if used properly.

Dr. Plotkin studied medicines of the Amazon's Shamans for 15 years to help American pharmacologists obtain new natural medicines to cure common illnesses and to help preserve the Amazon from being cut down. He collected venoms, plants, animals, bugs, and microorganisms to bring back to the United States to be researched. Some of the medicines used by the Shamans cure arthritis, heartburn, server pain, and high blood pressure. The catch is that some of the venoms contain toxins that are extremely dangerous to humans and can even kill, for example the poison arrow from has a toxin that can relieve pain but also has another toxin that paralyzes your heart and all other muscles in your body. So he is hoping that pharmacologists can extract that good toxins and use them as a non-addictive and non-side effect replacement for modern day medicines.

One of the first organisms that Mark discovers is a cone snail. "The snail shoots a poison-tipped harpoon into a fish's mouth, instantly killing the fish, which is then quickly devoured... 10 years ago a shell collector saw the shell of the cone snail and proceeded to collect the shell, he stuck it down the front of his pants because he didn't have a bag to put it in. He was later found dead" "A toxin within the poison initially known as MVIIB (now zi-conotide) attaches itself solely to a part of the spinal cord known as the dorsal horn, through which pass the nerve cells that convey pain signals from the body to the brain. MVIIB blocks that signal relieving the patient from pain." There Mark shows how one toxin within a poison can kill you and another can relieve your pain.

Another problem that occurs while trying to extract toxins from sea animals is the very little amount that one organism can make. "The anticancer compound ecteinascidin, from a sea squirt, offers promise as a treatment for melanoma and breast cancer. But a ton of these tiny creatures yields only a gram of the compound. One investigator began research on marine microorganisms forty years ago and needed to grow two thousand liters of the microbe to extract ten milligrams of the toxin being studied."

Dr. Plotkin's research is promising to be successful in helping people live through common day illnesses. I learned that there are many organisms that can help people and are so delicate. I evaluated it like that because people are just cutting down the rainforests and polluting the waters without thinking about the organisms that live there and can help people. I also found out that you can extract certain toxins to do certain tasks within one poison. I just always thought that if the whole poison would kill or harm you that the poison was useless to pharmacology.

Mark Plotkin's book has introduced me to how other organisms can help us. He also made me realize that many chemically made drugs can be replaced buy a natural toxin that is not addictive and has not side effects. And that in order for them to help us, that we need to stop destroying their habitats by not polluting water and cutting down rainforests.

Dr. Plotkin's exciting new book recounts the search for new medicines in previously undocumented plant, animal, and microbial species in places both familiar, fascinating and foreign. With a near infinite amount of skill, passion, and knowledge, Dr. Plotkin gives the reader a glimpse of the new frontier of medicine and pharmacy that is at once both fascinating and horrifying.

Medicine Quest begins by graphically demonstrating the devastation and horror that diseases such as diabetes and cancer wreak upon unfortunate souls. It then leads into the possibility of new hope for cures for this and other Western ailments. Several chapters in the book detail at length the promise potential, and reality of 'bio-prospecting'- or the exploration of diverse environments for novel molecules with beneficial biological and medicinal activity.

Dr. Plotkin takes the reader on a fascinating journey encompassing many unusual aspects of the natural pharmacopoeia. He shows the reader how Western medicine has been and continues to be more dependent on natural products than medical professionals and drug companies would normally like us to believe. Throughout the book, Dr. Plotkin relates many advances in this new frontier with a mix of jaded idealism and practical honesty that is both refreshing and alarming.

His yarn is refreshing because at no point is the reader subjected to a sales pitch or wild claims about the efficacy of natural products. Nowhere in the text is there a comparison of which medicine is better- natural vs. synthetic, Western vs. Eastern, modern vs. shamanistic. This is so because he takes as given that many of our advances in chemical therapeutics take nature as their cue and foundation. He shows us how many researchers and drug companies are using naturally occuring molecules as a basis for developing new and more powerful drugs to combat a variety aches, pains, and diseases.

Dr. Plotkin's book is also alarming because it underscores the real crisis in modern medicine today. In vignets such as 'A Poison for Your Pain', he shows how Western medicine has been reduced to using extremely toxic poisons to cure chronic pain. Dr. Plotkin also points out how greed, fear, and desperation are driving the merging of the knowledge of the shaman with the powerful tools of bio-technology. Dr. Plotkin makes no bones about saving the rainforest and other natural habitats solely for the possibility of profitable bio-prospecting (which many view as a polite way of saying the plunder of diverse genetic resources). Reading Medicine Quest begs the question from the concerned environmentalist and intelligent lay-person: once the biological treasures of the rain forest have been thorougly mined, and the knowledge of the medicine man completely tapped, what real committment will there be to saving and preserving endangered and undiscovered species and habitats? The very real danger here is that using the tools of modern bio-technology, companies only need small amounts of specimens, be it animals, plants, microbes or a molecular extract from any of the three, to make large quantities of chemicals of medicinal and commercial interest. Once this is achieved, what need will there be to protect the species and habitats from which these molecules came?

In a very real sense, with this and other books like it, we have gone from outright ridicule of the shaman and his or her medical practice to an all-out, selfish parasitism of such knowledge. The shaman, until recently, was often dismissed by Europe and the West as a quack. Now the medicine man is being rapidly and conveniently reinvented as a knowledgeable mystic and healer in a sort of New Age version of the Noble Savage. As such, Medicine Quest gives the reader not only a glimpse of forthcoming breakthroughs from Mother Nature's bountiful pharmacopoiea, but also a shocking glimpse in the crisis, desperation, and moral and cultural depravity of Western medicine.

This book is a sort of sequel to "Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice". In it Dr. Plotkin analyses the therapeutic potential of what the shamans know. We are in a race to learn about the creatures of the earth before they are exterminated by our modern world. These creatures can save our lives. We have learned so much, yet we know so little. The book is so well written that once you start, you can't put it down.

While Mark writes with a sense of humor, I prefered the story style of Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice.

Medicine Quest Review

Medicine Quest was an awesome book that taught me a lot, but was also very interesting. It was the kind of book you pick up dreading to read but then love it. It started out with a story about a medicine man who found a way to help diabetes. Then it went on it talked about different medicines such as penicillin which was produced from fungi, different pain killer from frogs and snakes and antibiotics from plants and even bugs. Overall I thought that it was an amazing book and I recommend it to anyone who is interesting in learning about medicine or even to someone who just wants to sit down with a good book.

Mark J Plotkin
Medicine Quest
In Search of Nature's Healing Secrets
New York: Penguin Group
$22.95 pp208

Main Points

· Some Poison for Your Pain- Poisonous reptiles and amphibians are knows to have venom that help kill pain for people. Some Scientist studied frogs and snakes and found a new treatment for pain, but a lot of what they found was to toxic for humans so their next task was to try to change the treatment to work. Venom have taught scientist a lot about the body and how medicines function in them.

· The Eternal Quest- Scientist used to think that humans were the only ones who used to use medicine but they were proved wrong after finding a Neanderthal with seven medical species of plants in a ring around his body. Scientist are now looking for answer from other animal to see what kinds of medicines and adaptations they can give us. Also past things are giving scientist clues, such as the discovery of the ice man, and finding myrrh which was an antibiotic used in the ancient world.

· The Fungus Among Us- Fungi is sometimes know to scientist as a "lower organism" but actually it is responsible for 5 of the top 30 medicines. Penicillin is the most well known medicine. It has saved millions of lives though out the world today. It was discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928 when it grew in his petri dish. Then he couldn't figure out how it had grown and couldn't grow it again, but finally someone did. Fungi are known as one of the most ancient lives on earth.

· Drugs from Bugs- Many discoveries have been made from bugs that help with sicknesses. In native tribes they use ants to help with their arthritis pain, bedbugs are used for treating external wounds, beetles are used for the steroids in their glands and spiders not only contribute venom to this world but also other things like their ability to capture their prey. Bees wax from honeybees has been used for medical ointments, plasters and even suppositories.

· Hideous Healers- Scientist estimate that there are over 650 species of leeches all around the world. They have been used in ancient medicines for Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Indians and Chinese. They are used for therapeutic purposes, its saliva is used as a blood thinner that helped with clotting. Maggots are used for the treatment of bone infections and other deep wounds.
· The Snakes in the Caduceus- Snakes have served as fascination to some and fear to other human cultures. Snakes poison has been used as an agent for capital punishment, murder, suicide, torture and even welfare. Snakes medicine also dates back to the ancient times. Snake oil is the most antique term of snake medicine. Some of these oils were ineffective, some were poisonous, and some were addictive. Snakes best quality is its venom used for many medicines. Even though the venom varies form species to species they all serve a great purpose.

· Under the Sea- Scientist believe that over 80% of species will be found under sea due to the fact that 70% of this earth is covered in water and ocean. That give a great chance that the sea is a great place to look for medical advantages. Coral has been know to have a compound that helps with the cure/ treatment of cancer. Its compound is called eleutherobin and scientist have been having a hard time working with it because it is so hard to obtain. The lowly sponge provides us with great things, such as a cleaner to keep patients clean and so no bacteria is around, also it has shown to be a great treatment for leukemia.

· Plants of the Apes- When studying the apes scientist found that some of them have a specific diet with allows them to fight off the bacteria that causes diarrhea. Also from studying animals scientist have discovered that animals themselves give off a poison to their body which helps them fight off snake bites or get rid of diseases. The apes themselves are very picky eaters which helps with the medical research. They found that the reason the apes were being picky is because they plant they were eating actually acts as an antibiotic which mean that to much could be potentially deadly.