I have to say something right up front. I am not a beginning herbalist. I have been studying and using herbs for years. And I am a teacher, helping others to learn how to incorporate herbs into their lives for health and well-being. Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner's Guide satisfies both the herbalist and the teacher in me. It is an excellent guide for learning about herbs, a treasure trove of practical recipes and ideas as well as a priceless gift of wisdom and insight from one of the leaders of the herbal movement in America.
There are a lot of herbals available, many of them written by Gladstar herself. Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner's Guide outshines any number of them on a number of levels. The book is beautifully done, a true feather in Storey Publishing's cap. The pictures are rich and vibrant and the material is presented in a clear and helpful way. There are four main sections. The first is a simple introduction to herbs and herbal medicine in which Gladstar's enthusiasm is immediately apparent. The second section, an introduction to making your own herbal remedies, provides step-by-step instructions for making the most basic and practical of herbal preparations, including teas, tinctures, and salves, among other things. In the third section Gladstar discusses nine herbs that most of us are familiar with, revealing uses for them that may not be so familiar at all. The fourth section presents twenty-four herbs that are safe and beneficial for most people to use regularly, but which readers may not find familiar.
As I read through the book, I was pleased to see many new recipes and ideas mixed in with some of Gladstar's tried and true recipes, such as her Fire Cider and Gypsy Cold Care Remedy. I had been afraid that perhaps the book would rest on the laurels of its predecessors. It does not. Gladstar's text is fresh and warm, making you feel as though you have a wise friend in the kitchen with you, urging you to try something new and take charge of your health in any way you are able. This warmth and wisdom is indeed a trademark of Gladstar's. She shows us the way back to the Wise Woman inside of all of us and encourages us to rediscover our ancestor's connection to the plants, honoring our own inner wisdom and ability to be healthy.
Years ago, I met Rosemary Gladstar at the Women's Herbal Conference that she founded, and which takes place every summer. After delivering her opening address, she stepped off the platform and waded through the people straight to where I stood, feeling like an alien in my Islamic hijab, in the midst of gauze skirts and tube tops. She embraced me, and welcomed me like an old friend. This book does the same thing. It envelops the reader in warmth and welcome, teaching her the way of herbs with wisdom, experience, and confidence.
by Khadijah Lacina
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
Rosemary Gladstar's latest work is a great kindle book. It has a table of contents that is complete enough to help you get started, but it also has an index. Finding the exact herbal recipe you want is easy, and there are plenty to choose from. The book covers all the basics for a beginner. It has just about everything a home herbal medicine chest would need. The plants used are easy to obtain, common plants, not rare things from Asia or South America. Ms. Gladstar covers all the basic ways of applying herbs in health care such as tea, syrup, oil, salve, tincture, pills, baths, poultices, and compresses.
I have been using herbs to treat my family for 20 years, and wanted a reference to have on my kindle that would allow me to easily find things. This book fits that need nicely.
Buy Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner's Guide: 33 Healing Herbs to Know, Grow, and Use Now
The minute I saw this book I had to pick it up. It was on one of my favorite subjects, herbalism. The book is about home-grown medicine and more specifically about herbal medicine. The book is beautifully illustrated with color pictures of each of the 33 herbs discussed, tips on how to grow the herb and it's medicinal uses.
She starts the book with a introduction to medicinal herbs, their benefits, starting a medicine garden and general introduction to the world of herbs. In chapter 2 she talks about how to make your own remedies. Herbs can be used in the forms of teas, syrups, oils, salves, tinctures, herbal pills, baths, poultices, and compresses. There is also information on the dosage and duration of herbal treatments.
She talks about herbal gardening in the ground and in pots, and makes a distinction between herbal tea for pleasure and herbal tea for medicine. Generally the medicinal herbs are steeped longer and have a stronger taste. Each of the 33 herbs has it's own beautifully illustrated section and recipes for that herb. For example, in the secation on Thyme there is Thyme Syrup, and Thyme Honey.
This book is very comprehensive and a superb begnners guide as well as a good source for more advanced students of herbalism. I plan to buy a copy of this book for my library. -Valerie Lull, Author, Ten Healthy Teas
Read Best Reviews of Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner's Guide: 33 Healing Herbs to Know, Grow, and Use Here
I am new to the use of herbs and find that many of the more "encyclopedic" books tend to be heavy on the academics of herbs and less informative about the common sense aspects of herbal uses. I love that this book explains not just when to harvest the herbs, but why. It is perfect for those of use who are just starting our herbal garden and learning about a more natural way of healing. It is also informative enough that the more experienced herbalists will find this book useful.
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Rosemary.. I LOVE YOUR NEW BOOK! The layout and information is so so easy to follow. I want
to buy one for all my clients and my 6 siblings.. very exciting and so affordable. Just had to tell you!
BRAVO!!! this is going to be a best seller.
Thank you for getting this out there for us!
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I have used this recipe four times. The first time I used the recipe was my first experience making soap. We were thrilled with the results. The mixture is easy to pour, making a nice, neat slab of soap to cut 24 hours later. The bars cured and became nice, hard bars of soap. The soap bars last a long time, too. One batch of this soap lasts me 10 months! I use these bars as shampoo bars, too, and it leaves my hair clean and soft. I have tried other soap recipes too, and some of them are very nice, but this recipe is my favorite. I cannot find it lacking in any respect, and have had no trouble with it whatsoever.
