Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Informative and enchanting, April 26, 2000
This "Modern" Herbal is anything but, and thank god for that. A lay herbalist for many years, I've thumbed through countless books that censor themselves for fear of legal action. Their listings for certain "toxic" herbs saying nothing more than two sentences on how a particular herb should be avoided at all costs.In A Modern Herbal, we get a peek at a pre-litigious era, where herbs were used and studied with caution, but certainly not discarded entirely. I particularly enjoy cross-referencing herbs I enjoy (melissa, st. john's wort) in both this book and modern books (Susun Weed, Michael Tierra, et al) to get a fresh perspective on the tried and true. Beyond the wealth of information, I've also enjoyed the writing style. I've read passages out loud to my sweetheart for a good chuckle.
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24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A necessary book for herb growers and users, October 5, 1999
By A Customer
The name sounds good. You are looking for today's information on herbs. After all, only the latest and greatest will do. And, here it is on Mountain Valley Growers recommended book site. What could be better? Not much! But, this is not a book hot off the presses. This two volume encyclopedia goes back 60 years, when two women put their individual skills together to create a work that should be on every herb gardeners shelf. The writer Maud Grieve and her faithful editor Hilda Leyel created a work that has not been duplicated since. We use this book at least once a week here. Each plants many common names are listed as well as the part used and its habitat. They give us a growth description, talk about the chemical components of each herb and advise us on the medicinal action of these components and how they are used. If other species of the same genus are used that is included. Every time I pick these books up I learn something new and I have been reading and studying herbs for 20 years. Two of my favorite sections are on lavender and hops. See for yourself why.
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33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Historical reference...Vol.2, September 22, 2000
I ordered "A Modern Herbal" by Mrs. Grieve, and then realized when it arrived I had ordered only A-H (Vol.1). This is Vol.2. of the original book. The volume #'s are indicated but I did not read the description carefully, so I did notice the paperback version had been published in two volumes. "Modern Herbal" contains much information about the "old" ways. Traditional approaches may be dated according to some folks, but for many of us, they do not have the "sell-by" date which permeates modern society. Many of the old remedies have never been subjected to the "scientific" testing of modern times or USDA approved. However, the curative and/or prophylactic properties of herbal substances have been known for centuries, and information about their uses has been handed down from one woman to another. I have been fortunate because I have had relatives who knew the old ways, and passed them along. (Like passalong plants.) And, while modern pharmaceutical companies will not tell you this, they are 1) using old methods--only now you must pay big bucks and buy the plant extract over the counter as a perscription drug -- for example, Valium is derived from the root of the Red Valerian, Digitalis from the Fox Glove, and Poppy juice--well--you can still buy that on the street--it's called heroine; 2) testing the properties of plants used in folk remedies and marketing the stuff as fast as they can--Echinacea, and Ginger for example. So, read the information in this REFERENCE book and form your own opinions.
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