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Witch-Doctor's Apprentice: Hunting for Medicinal Plants in the Amazon (Library of the Mystic Arts)
 
 
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Witch-Doctor's Apprentice: Hunting for Medicinal Plants in the Amazon (Library of the Mystic Arts) [Paperback]

Nicole Maxwell (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)


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Book Description

0806511745 978-0806511740 January 27, 1998 3
When Nicole Maxwell first visited the Amazon more than forty years ago, she had no idea that she would make a life's work of the people, plants and lore to be found there. Decades before Americans became aware of the riches to be found in the knowledge of plant medicines which native shamans had passed down over thousands of years, Ms. Maxwell, a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, was scouring the Amazon ram forest for clues to this ancient medical tradition.

Now, on the eve of the decade in which mankind will have its last chance to determine the fate of this region and its wealth of traditional knowledge, Citadel Press's Library of the Mystic Arts is proud to bring out a newly revised edition of this classic work. Long hailed as one of the major works of popular ethno-medicine, this book is both an engaging adventure story and an engrossing account of the traditions of plant medicine to be found among the tribes of Amazonia -- and its re-release could not be more timely.

Scientists now fear that one plant species per day is being made extinct by man's ravenous appetite for "progress". Of the plants which are found only in the Amazon rain forest, only a tiny percentage have been tested for their full medical possibilities. Witch-Doctor's Apprentice is an inspiring and amusing plea to modern civilization to save these plants -- and the people who know how to use them -- before they are destroyed forever.

On the occasion of this newly revised edition, Ms. Maxwell has created an appendix which catalogs all of the plants mentioned in the text, with their scientific names, the names by which they are known locally, and their medicinal uses. This edition also includes a newintroduction by the noted ethno-botanist Terence McKenna.

"A spirited and engrossing personal narrative, as much about people and places, discomforts and dangers, the beauty of the jungle and the arc-leap of wordless communication across cultural barriers, as it is about... bringing natu


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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This memoir of travels in the Amazon has an agreeable twist: Nicole Maxwell was hunting for medicinal plants with the triple goal of conserving the jungle, improving the lot of humanity and having a great deal of fun. Her tales span countries and decades, as we watch her mature from an enthusiastic if somewhat naive idealist to a true trouper. Despite setbacks and disillusionment, she never lost sight of her goal, and lived to see others pick up the task of cultivating important medicinal plants and knowledge, and further her cause of preserving the jungle through wiser use.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 412 pages
  • Publisher: Citadel; 3 edition (January 27, 1998)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0806511745
  • ISBN-13: 978-0806511740
  • Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #765,067 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

11 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Witch-Doctor's Apprentice : Hunting for Medicinal Plants in, June 20, 2001
By 
karen beesley (cascadia, oregon and washingto, usa) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Witch-Doctor's Apprentice: Hunting for Medicinal Plants in the Amazon (Library of the Mystic Arts) (Paperback)
This was a great read for me back in '94 when it was presented as a gift and I have often recommended it. Nicole shares her life story when she is in her 80s. One needs to keep in mind the prevalence of ethnocentricity of our society back in the 50's and 60's. And to her credit she tells the WHOLE story, including all her fumbling bumblings of an imperfect human. As one who has ventured a little into the Bolivian and Belizian jungle her misadventures are only to be expected and provide great humor and reading. An example of her humor is while she is deep in the amazon jungle she relates that she wasn't all that concerned because what self respecting warrior would want a meazly female head for a trophy. Nicole was way ahead of her time in two areas: collecting ethnobotanical information and plants, and fighting multinational corporations in the pharmaceutical industry by bringing information directly to the people. I wonder if anyone has ever discovered what that one plant was that given one tbsp a woman was sterile until given a tbsp of another plant and she was fertile again! One may only be able to realize what an adventuresome and hardy soul she is, if you have taken steps into the amazon jungle yourself.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars "Read this book!", February 17, 2000
For anyone interested in medicinal plants and adventure, this book is for you. I can't say enough about it. I've read this book years ago and was so excited to find it at Amazon. I liked it so much, I bought a copy for my library.

Nicole Maxwell tells an extraordinary tale of trying to unlock the secrets of jungle medicine. This book is very informative, but it's not in the least bit dry. Maxwell goes into detail on her encounters with the indigenous people and what it was like to be a white woman in the midst of the jungle. Her strength and courage reinforce the belief that "anything is possible" once you put your mind to it. After reading this book, you will wonder how many other plants from the amazon have been synthesized for use in our modern world.

Many of the medicinal plants and remedies she comes across are discussed from a laymens point of view. If you're looking for a botany textbook, this one isn't it. If you want to read a great story about an unforgettable journey that changed not only a woman's life, but modern medicine as we know it, buy this book!

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent true adventure with hope for health w/out RX's., November 28, 1995
By A Customer
This review is from: Witch-Doctor's Apprentice: Hunting for Medicinal Plants in the Amazon (Library of the Mystic Arts) (Paperback)
Nicole Maxwell takes us on a journey into the Amazon richwith the sense of being there. She is a down-to-earth person sincerely interested in learning the natural herbal care the Amazonian natives know well. Her book is an indictment against the current medical system in the United States as well. What we don't know IS hurting us.
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Inside This Book (learn more)
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
rosewood oil distillery, uña degato, leche caspi, contraceptive plants, jungle medicines
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Don Alfonso, Doña Ana, New York, Mother Superior, Doña Luisa, Frère Magloire, Don Paco, Negro Urco, Don Guillermo, Don Mauro, Padre Plácido, Don Onemio, Don Octavio, United States, Guardia Civil, Don Juan, Don Wenceslaos, Padre Javier, Picuru Yacu, South American, Doña Petronila, Père Victor, Amazon Basin, Doña Juanita, Don Ernesto
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