Recommended Books

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Starting Out with Herbal Medicine

 

These books are practical, useful and accessible and are a good place to start if you are just learning about Herbs.

 

Gladstar, Rosemary. Herbal Healing for Women. Fireside Press (1993)

 

All of Rosemary Gladstars books are excellent. She is a Herbalist and writes accessible, easy to use books packed with information.

 

Hoffmann, David. The Holistic Herbal. Findhorn Press (1986)

Good book for starting out with herbs.  David is a Herbalist and this book is an excellent starting point for learning how to use herbs.

 

 

Reference Books

 

These books have great information about plants and are written by people with extensive knowledge.  The information is not set out in as easily accessible and practically usable format for the beginner Herbalist as the books above.  But nonetheless the information is interesting and sound.

 

Grieve, M. A Modern Herbal, Jonathon Cape, London, (1975)

 

This book was written by Maud Grieve and Hilda Leyal 1930’s and is a wonderful reference book about the medicinal uses, folklore, horticultural and agricultural information about the herbs and information about the herbs in commerce.  It’s focus is on Herbal Medicine and herbs used in the UK but includes knowledge about the herbs from Europe and North America.

 

 

Juliette de Bairacli Levy. The Illustrated Herbal Handbook. Faber and Faber 1974

And all Juliette de Bairacli Levy’s books.

 

James Green, The Male Herbal: Health Care for Men and Boys. The Crossing Press. 1997

 

 

For More Advanced Students and More In depth Information

 

 

David Hoffmann – Medical Herbalism – The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine, 2003, Healing Arts Press, Vermont,

 

Mills S, Bone K. Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy. Churchill Livingstone, 2000

 

Mills, Simon Y. The Essential Book of Herbal Medicine, Arkana Books, 1991

 

Matthew Wood,  The Earthwise Herbal: A Complete Guide to Old World Medicinal Plants. The Earthwise Herbal: A Complete Guide to New World Medicinal Plants,  2008, North Atlantic Books

These are not beginners books. They are packed with incredible information and are a great resource.  I find that the medicinal uses are not referenced in a useful way, so it is impossible to know if the use is by one person or one patient, or is a use that has been documented for hundreds of years.  This makes these books tricky for beginners to use.

 

Thomas Bartram – The Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine, Grace Publishing

 

Phytochemistry

 

Ganora, Lisa.  Herbal Constituents – Foundations of Phytochemistry, HerbalChem Press 2009

 

Schauenberg,P and Paris,F. Guide to Medicinal Plants. Lutterworth Press 1977

 

 

Ayurvedic Herbal Medicine for the Western Herbalist

 

The Yoga of Herbs by Dr. David Frawley and Vasant Lad, Lotus Press (1992)

This book explains the use of Ayurvedic herbs in laymans language.

 

History of Western Herbal Medicine

 

Griggs, Barbara, Green Pharmacy. Norman and Hobhouse 1982

 

 

Energetics of Western Herbal Medicine

 

Graeme Tobyn, A Practice of Western Holistic Medicine. Element 1997

Written by a Herbalist this books explains the four humours and the traditional energetics of western herbal medicine.

 

Chishti, Hakim G. M. The Traditional Healers Handbook. Healing Arts Press 1991

 

Wood, Matthew. The Practice of Traditional Western Herbalism. North Atlantic Books 2004

 

Medicine Making

 

Green, James. The Herbal Medicine Maker’s Handbook, Crossing Press, 2000

There are many good medicine making books, but this book is the best.

 

 

Botany

Harris, J. Woolf Harris, M. Plant Identification Terminology Spring Lake Publishing 1977

 

Pacific Northwest Botany

 

Plants of Coastal British Columbia by Pojar and Mackinnon - excellent plant identification book

 

 

Ethnobotany for the Pacific Northwest

 

Nancy Turner from University of Victoria, BC, has spent the last 40 years collecting and recording information about First Nations uses of plants in healing and technology.  All her books are excellent.

 

Growing and Harvesting

 

Whitten, G. Herbal Harvest- Commercial Organic Production of Quality Dried Herbs. Bloomings Books 1997

This is an excellent resource book with detailed practical information without parallel.

 

Miller, R. A. The Potential of Herbs as a Cash Crop. Acres USA 1985

 

 

Movie

 

Juliette de Bairacli Levy - here is the link to a you tube clip of a film about this amazing woman.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_VRj1RMTXU

 

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