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Rating: 
Summary: Lots and lots of info on 80 essential oils.
Review: This is a really great reference book for 80 different essential oils! Each plant is described in terms of what it looks like, where it thrives and history of use. Often, ancient magical uses and properties are listed. The saying, "to keep evil at bay" refers to the power of bay laurel, Laurus Nobilis to protect from evil. No current magical uses are listed and the emphasis is upon current medicinal and beauty applications and uses in cooking. Before refrigeration, meat was stored in highly aromatic marinades to help prevent putrefaction. Each essential oil is described by color, odor and viscosity; from what part of the plant it is distilled; principal constituents and dangers are listed. Apparently, aromatherapy has been in use throughout Europe even after modern medicines began to be widely used and is only "new" in the United States. Each essential oil has a list of many common ailments for which it is recommended. I wish these were indexed! There is also a section of A-Z common ailments that is helpful. I found the recipies for cooking especially intriguing as most of the aromatherapy books I've read don't specifically focus on cooking. Aromatherapy is a great alternative to traditional western medicine, especially for self treating conditions for which one would normally go to the drugstore. In Europe, aromatherapists provide primary health care and are medical doctors, but the United States has not yet moved to license aromatherapists and they are not generally trained in medicine. This is a great book to have on hand as a reference when using essential oils for self-treatment
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