This is the first book with seasonal color photographs of all five North American Toxicodendron species: poison ivies, poison oaks, and poison sumac. It discusses more fully than any other the history, botany, pathology, and control of these troublesome shrubs. Full of often surprising information, it may also provide a rare chance to have some fun with them.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"...Anderson provides valuable and often surprising information about the plants and our allergies to them. The plants of his title are of one genus, Toxicodendron, but of several species; the information includes natural and social history, medical data from reliable sources, advice on treatment of rashes, and a thorough account for the layman of urushiol, the toxic principle, and its dermatitis. It is an entertaining and informative book, indispensable for those who enjoy the outdoors, especially those who may be sensitive to urushiol -- and that, apparently is almost all of us." -- Pacific Horticulture, Spring 1997
Anderson's title is intriguing, telling of a biogenetic control for poison ivy, oak and sumac which may soon hit the market. The synthetic oil provides a resistance to the effects of these poisons: this book provides insights on its development and a compendium of current, often-effective ways of relieving the plants' problems. -- Midwest Book Review
Detailed, and sometimes surprising, information about these plants and our allergies to them. Time magazine, June 1, 1998 If you are among the great majority of humans who are allergic to members of this plant complex, this book might well inform, entertain, and save you some suffering. It documents the social history, botany, chemistry, prevention, treatments, and myths of this notorious family. Portraits of the sometimes problem relatives, such as cashew and mango, are included. Useful in the east, west, and at the edge of your yard. Maybe you won't need that ocean of calamine lotion. Kat Harrison
Anderson's title is intriguing, telling of a biogenetic control for poison ivy, oak and sumac which may soon hit the market. The synthetic oil provides a resistance to the effects of these poisons: this book provides insights on its development and a compendium of current, often-effective ways of relieving the plants' problems. -- Midwest Book Review
Detailed, and sometimes surprising, information about these plants and our allergies to them. Time magazine, June 1, 1998 If you are among the great majority of humans who are allergic to members of this plant complex, this book might well inform, entertain, and save you some suffering. It documents the social history, botany, chemistry, prevention, treatments, and myths of this notorious family. Portraits of the sometimes problem relatives, such as cashew and mango, are included. Useful in the east, west, and at the edge of your yard. Maybe you won't need that ocean of calamine lotion. Kat Harrison
Whole Earth magazine, Spring 1998 -- Kat Harrison
About the Author
The author is a small-town lawyer and sometime editor who was "bitten" by the poison ivy/oak rash after a lifetime of supposed insensitivity to it. Failing to find a book in the library about the affliction, he spent the next few years researching the literature, and interviewing physicians, chemists, biologists, botanists, and pharmaceutical firms about the plants and the rash. He found a number of surprising things about the plants and gained a grudging respect for them .
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Engaging, a much needed handbook *why no longer available?!*,
By Elizabeth A Triano "lizziewriter" (In Transition, NY (watch this space)) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE)
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This review is from: The Poison Ivy, Oak and Sumac Book: A Short Natural History and Cautionary Account (Paperback)
Update: I had ordered several more copies of this book, to share, and while two of them arrived a while ago, the third had been delayed, and I have just (2 Nov 2008) received notice from amazon that they will not be able to acquire it for me. I cannot find the publisher online, yet, and am concerned that this very useful book may become unavailable. It is the sort of book -- an accessible mixture of fact, science, history and anecdotes, with illustrations -- that is both useful to the public and all too rarely seen.
I live in the woodsier part of suburban NY, and while I've always known about poison ivy and its cousins, I'm constantly surprised by how many of my neighbors and acquaintances can't recognize it on sight. It's become a sort of part-time mission to point it out to people, and show them its different guises and seasonal looks. I stumbled across this book in the library, and it's really marvelous. It might be more information than some people need, who just want to be able to get a basic ID of the stuff, and go buy something for the itch -- but once you get interested, it's like any other gory subject, you find yourself wanting to know more. This book has lots of detailed line illustrations, and a number of interesting photos. The text varies from anecdotal and amusing (did you know that there is a town in California with an annual poison ivy festival?) to challenging and scientific (discussions of the body's immune response to poison ivy -- which may surprise you) and mostly opens with engaging science history (discovery and taxonomy). Good luck, and if you got anything out of this review please tick the box. (Ticks, now, they are another matter entirely.)
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best book on the subject,
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This review is from: The Poison Ivy, Oak and Sumac Book: A Short Natural History and Cautionary Account (Paperback)
I was weed whacking poison ivy and throwing the oil onto myself, mainly my legs. I was out in Kansas City MO at the time and found this book at the Public Library and ordered it as soon as i moved back to Cincinnati, Ohio. This book is the best out of many poison ivy books because it really goes into lots of details and facts about not only poison ivy,oak and sumac but into other plants and trees such as the Cashew Tree and it's effects on the skin. Get this one, you will love it. I learned so much from it. Top Notch work.
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Great Outdoors and its dangers....,
By Peachy (South Jersey) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Poison Ivy, Oak and Sumac Book: A Short Natural History and Cautionary Account (Paperback)
The author does NOT recommend the only poison ivy remedy that works for me - Prednisone. Yes, it's a steroid. Yes, it has side effects. But I don't care. It's a miracle drug.This book blew me away as it listed all the different shapes these plants can take. I'll never learn them all. I guess the only solution is to use caution and "live with it" as the author suggests. Poison ivy will never keep me from venturing into the great outdoors. I feel much better prepared to recognize it after reading this book. I don't want to ever have to take another round of Prednisone if I don't have to.
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