Customer Reviews

The New Age Herbalist: How to Use Herbs for Healing, Nutrition, Body Care, and Relaxation

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When a friend of mine handed this book to me, I looked at the title and groaned. It looked like another flaky little herb book. However, when I flipped through the pages I found full-color photos, detailed write-ups, and Latin names. This book gives the chemical constituents of each herb, lists its uses (medical, culinary, etc.), and even warns of any sort of interaction with others. The quick reference section in the back makes it fast and easy to find a treatment for many common ailments.

From novice to well-learned, every herbalist should have a copy of this book in their personal library.

Why is this my favorite?

* Full-color illustrations of all herbs listed (200+)
* Actual scientific information, including chemical constituents & the results of scientific research to back/refute claims made for herbs
* Excellent information on various potential dangers
* Information on many uses: Medicinal, culinary, dyeing, etc.
* Information on cultivation and growing of various herbs
* Advice on companion planting

If you're into herbalism in the least this book is absolutely and totally essential. It has full-color photographs of most of the major herbs in both their natural and harvested (dried/powdered) states. It also lists a wealth of information on each herb from it's Latin name, common names, basic plant and chemical characteristics, homeopathic uses and quite a bit more. There are priceless reference charts in the back of the book with outstanding information about herb harvesting and cultivation in other sections. It's a bit pricey but it's full-color and WELL worth it. I NEVER loan my copy out. It's that valuable to me.

I believe that anyone caring for themselves ought to have at least 3 books on herbal actions. For studying the herbs more broadly, one would need a number of herbals (herb books) A general book is good for an overview, or quick reference, but doesn't give enough depth on any subject. "New Age Herbalist', for me, is the best for herbal indentification because it contains actual colored photos of herbs, not tiny drawings. It has an impressive amount of color plate pages for the price.
I don't think of it as a "new age" book because it would impress a scientific mind with its listing of active chemical ingredients of each herb. The rest serves as a fine overview guide also, and has a great section on homemade bath products.
I feel a need to have a book for quick reference,several for deeper knowledge on each herb, several for identification, several for historical uses, at least one for gardening and drying, a mini quick reference for traveling. When you have a headache, you don't want to be reading about how to get rid of soil bugs. Hope this helps.

This was the first book I ever got on herbs almost ten years ago. It's definatly time worn. I still use it has a helpful reference, and recommend it. As others have mentioned, it has color photos and illustrations, as well as accurate information on the uses of plants and possible side effects. It also has information on how to use the plants, and general information on the human body and what plants are useful in specific instances. It's not a handy pocket size field guide, for that, I suggest a Petersons.

I have found this book to be very useful and well designed. The glossary of herbs is detailed and informative, combining age-old wisdom and newer, medical information. Each herb is also included on a photo page and referenced from the glossary, so you can see what the herb you are studying looks like in real life. The sections on home use, health and body care were interesting and had recipes for a variety of uses. I would have liked a few more pet care recipes, but overall, I'm very happy with this book.

This book was first published in 1988 -- and that's the year I first bought it. I wore out the first copy, gave 3 as gifts, and I'm now handling my second copy gingerly as it is close to falling apart.

I have a library of herbals starting with one published in the 18th century, and including some wonderful books from the 21st. But this is the book I always go to first. It has the clearest and most organized presentation -- and the most beautiful illustrations of any herbal I've ever encountered.

Since it was written, there have been a dozen or so additions to the "must have" list of modern herbs, so it is far from exhaustive --and with the ongoing research and discovery of useful botanicals, every herbal is eventually incomplete. Additionally, a few of the herbs referenced here have fallen into disuse due to legitimate research into side effects and potential for harm among certain populations -- so do your homework. Never (NEVER) take one book's or one person's word for anything as complex as your health.

And there is no political agenda to this book. The "New Age" in the title is a sign of the time when it was written -- There is no heavy handed political agenda here. No treatise on why you should never listen to an M.D. or take an aspirin. I simply does what an herbal is supposed to do -- it describes the botanicals and talks about their possible usefulness, their history, and groups and regroups them in ways we now expect from a well crafted database.

And excellent book for beginners and a great shelf reference for the experienced. The top of the list.

I took an herbology course online and have certification, and along the way I ordered this book. Fantastic herb pictures, general uses, how to make dedoctions, infusions, tinctures. The book had me experimenting with a number of items I was paying high prices at the health food stores, and I had excellent results. Loaned the book out, it never came back so I reordered it. Chock full of info not found in other books I read!

The new age herbalist is a great book. It has a ton of different herbs and tells the uses of each one. They also warm you about anything dangerous about all of the plants. Very useful book perfect for anyone from beginner to advanced herbalist. I use this book all of the time!

What I really like about this book, The New Age Herbalist, is the wonderful lay-out of photos it includes regarding plants. Many books that I have seen reference finding and using herbs, but include very few pictures. In The New Age Herbalist, every chapter has a two page, large picture with lots of plants shown, at times, seeds and powders as well as the plants are shown and in color. With each herb listed in the book there is a little illustration as well so you can get an idea of what the plant looks like from those too.

This is a wonderful herb book packed with herb uses and information that is easily read and understood.

Chapter One - Understanding Herbs
Two - Using Herbs
Three - Herbs for Natural Living
Four - Herbs for Nutrition and Health
Five - Herbs for Healing
Six - Herb Gardening

These are the headings under each chapter and each chapter has in inself things like: body care, herb drinks, harvesting and storage, using fragrance and dyeing with plants and many other sub topics.

This book is almost 300 pages and the book is a very large paperback so it's easy to read the print and find things you are looking for. It's laid out very well and is wonderfully informative. I would highly recommend this book if you are interested in starting an herb garden or in learning about herbs and their uses. It's Spring so it's the perfect time to start learning.