A Woman's Book of Herbs: The Healing Power of Natural Remedies

Rating:
Summary: A Woman's Book Of Herbs
Review: This book is a rare thing. By that I mean that although there are many, *many* herb books on the market, and a goodly percentage of those books are categorized as female-specific, this particular book doesn't feel like mere repetition of basic material, or intent subverted by its personalized approach and themes. I purchased it because there was an elegant little drawing of poppies on the cover, and the price was low enough that I thought to take the risk despite a lack of review. It was a good choice. The book has an accessible feel to it; as an ethnobotanist I appreciate the veracity of information. As a very UNscientific scientist, I appreciate the humanistic "real people" kinda tone which doesn't lose its impact on individual readers by being *too* specifically personal. It reads well and easily. Many of the inclusions are very catalytic in terms of promoting one's own experiences to experiment and pick up where the book leaves off. I'm also very grateful for the overall "tone" of the book. It does not preach or advocate a specific, tightly defined lifestyle. It is not boring. It doesn't get tangled up in its own self-conscious attempt to fuse good writing and good reading. You don't *have* to know a lot about herbs in order to appreciate it, but I believe the more you do know, the more you actually *will* appreciate it. I don't think you have to be female to get something useful from this book. And I definitely believe you don't have to be a specific type of female, or in a particular age group, in order to find great relevance and value. In a perfect world, we give books like this one very freely -- we give them to our daughters when they first start their monthly bleeding cycle. We give them to our sisters and friends when they're pregnant or new to motherhood. We give them to our mothers on mother's day or as croning gifts. We learn. We grow. So do the herbs in our gardens and our knowledge and experience.