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This book is not for someone who just wants a "here, take this herb for your headache" approach, so at first I was quite disappointed by it, and I put it on a shelf and left it. A few years later, when my attitude about medicine had changed considerably, I picked it up again and found it to be utterly engrossing and very rewarding. Its function is to give one a deeper understanding of how plants interact with our bodies and lives to heal us holistically. It inspires one to look at and thoroughly understand the plant before using it.
For example: I am a novice and a mild cynic, but thanks to the clear writing I immediately caught on to the important concept of "the doctrine of signatures," in which plants are said to resemble the organs they treat. The book points directly to real life, and soon I was using my limited understandings of plants to arrive at ideas of how they would work based on their form. Before I read the entire description of the Iris, I guessed that it would be useful for blood sugar problems because I have noticed that Irises smell like grape Kool-Aid. Later I came across some Jimsonweed in my yard and immediately guessed at its poisonous, nerve-affecting and heart-affecting properties based on the four-chambered spiky, head-like seed pod. When I looked up later, there was also a reference to the extreme laxity of its users, just like the laxity of the plant. It is hilariously cartoonish.
I gained a deeper understanding of herbs from this book; but I also gained the understanding that herbalism is a lifetime study just like conventional medicine. You will not become an accomplished herbalist just by reading the book; but you can use it as a map for your journey.
- Paperback: 580 pages
- Publisher: North Atlantic Books; 1st Edition edition (September 15, 1997)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1556432321
- ISBN-13: 978-1556432323
- Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.4 x 9 inches
- Shipping Weight: 4.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
- Average Customer Review: 87 customer reviews
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Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
#167,500 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #80 in Homeopathy Medicine
- #191 in Naturopathy Medicine
- #384 in Herbal Remedies (Books)
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