Plants of the Gods: Their Sacred, Healing, and Hallucinogenic Powers Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Plants Of The Gods is a comprehensive reference work on psychoactive plants. It provides a definition of plant hallucinogens and information on phytochemical research on sacred plants, geography of usage and botanical range, the chemical structures of these substances and the use of hallucinogens in medicine.
The plant species discussed include the Amanita (Fly Agaric) mushroom, Atropa (Deadly Nightshade), Yellow and Black Henbane, Mandrake, Cannabis Ergot, Datura, Iboga, Yopo beans, Ayahuasca, Yage, Brugmansia, Peyote, the San Pedro cactus, the Morning Glory plus what the authors term "the little flowers of the gods" which include the various types of Psilocybe mushroom.
The text is enhanced by a wonderful variety of color and black & white photographs, illustrations and quite impressive paintings. The section Overview Of Plant Use consists of tables listing every plant's common name, botanical name, historical ethnography, context and purpose of usage, preparation and the chemical composition and effects.
Plants Of The Gods is a great and detailed investigation of entheogenic plants from around the world. This valuable reference book concludes with a bibliography and index.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Plants of the Gods: Their Sacred, Healing, and Hallucinogenic Powers

World-renowned anthropologist and ethnopharmacologist Christian Ratsch provides the latest scientific updates to this classic work on psychoactive flora by two eminent researchers.
' Numerous new and rare color photographs complement the completely revised and updated text.

' Explores the uses of hallucinogenic plants in shamanic rituals throughout the world.

' Cross-referenced by plant, illness, preparation, season of collection, and chemical constituents.

' First edition sold 33,000 copies.

Three scientific titans join forces to completely revise the classic text on the ritual uses of psychoactive plants. They provide a fascinating testimony of these "plants of the gods," tracing their uses throughout the world and their significance in shaping culture and history. In the traditions of every culture, plants have been highly valued for their nourishing, healing, and transformative properties. The most powerful of those plants, which are known to transport the human mind into other dimensions of consciousness, have always been regarded as sacred. The authors detail the uses of hallucinogens in sacred shamanic rites while providing lucid explanations of the biochemistry of these plants and the cultural prayers, songs, and dances associated with them. The text is lavishly illustrated with 400 rare photographs of plants, people, ceremonies, and art related to the ritual use of the world's sacred psychoactive flora.

Get 34% OFF

Click here for more information about Plants of the Gods: Their Sacred, Healing, and Hallucinogenic Powers

Read More...

Chinese Medical Herbology & Pharmacology Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a modern pharmacology text on herbs and prescriptions. Unlike some older texts this fine reference book includes many features not found elsewhere. It includes photographic pictures of each herb and provides in both simplified and traditional Chinese characters. The chemical composition is badly needed as both modern pharmacists and patients alike need to know what they are dealing with, other than just exotic PinYin names. The pharmacological interactions and author's comments are also welcomed as the effectiveness from modern clinical studies are required in any modern medical book. The only inconvenience I found is that the constant use of this 1200+ page book caused sore on my thumb and fingers. As more and more updates are added, frequent users would prefer a digital source (e.g., XHTML, XML etc) to get the latest update. The advantage of hypertext will allow one to navigate quickly with the click of a mouse without having to flip through pages or using indices. At present, 23% of medical professionals are now using an online source and it is expected more and more will do so to stay current. In sum, this is a highly useful book which will get to its place.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Chinese Medical Herbology & Pharmacology

Chinese Medical Herbology and Pharmacology integrates contemporary understanding of the ancient practice of Chinese herbal medicine with essential safety information for a context in which use of pharmaceutical and traditional medicines is increasingly integrated in the treatment of illness. In 1,266 information-packed pages, this text offers healthcare practitioners, researchers, educators and students information for a lifetime of learning and practice: 670 in-depth herb monographs; 1150 photographs, classic line drawings, and chemical structure diagrams; far-reaching insights from academic, clinical, research and regulatory professionals; traditional uses and combinations, dosages, toxicology, cautions and contraindications; safety index, herb-drug interactions, clinical studies and research; and more.

Click here for more information about Chinese Medical Herbology & Pharmacology

Read More...

Western Herbs according to Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Practitioner's Guide Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)It's a beautiful book, in fact it seems to me more like a coffee table book than a real practitioner's handbook. There are lots of beautiful full page color photos but not as much information as I'd hoped. The text and approach are good, certainly authoritative, but I expected to find many common western herbs listed. I live in Europe and most of the herbs in the book are specific to north America. Lovely book but not as useful as I'd hoped.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Western Herbs according to Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Practitioner's Guide

The first book to exclusively use Chinese medical theories and terminology to guide practitioners of Chinese medicine in the use of Western herbs • Written entirely according to the theory, diagnosis, and treatment paradigm of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) • Explains how to combine and modify the standard TCM formulas to non-Chinese herbs suitable for Western practitioners • Includes 58 monographs of common Western healing herbs, detailing how each plant is used clinically The ever-growing number of Chinese medicine practitioners in the West has brought about an amalgamation of many styles of Chinese medicine and various other forms of medicine from around the world. This book addresses the increasing demand for knowledge of how to integrate plants from outside the standard Chinese materia medica into the fold of Chinese medical practices in the West. It is the first in-depth guide to using Western herbs exclusively according to the theories, diagnoses, and treatments of traditional Chinese medicine that harmonizes the unique terminology and theories of TCM with other botanical medicines.The book contains 58 monographs, illustrated with full-color photographs, of herbs commonly used by Western herbalists. Each herb is grouped by the basic categorization for medicinals in Chinese medicine, such as Herbs that Resolve the Exterior and Herbs that Regulate Blood. The monographs detail the energetics, function and indication, channels entered, dosage and preparation, and contraindications of each plant. The author also explains how to use the herbs to modify standard formulas used in everyday Chinese herbal medicine, based on his own clinical experience. An appendix of Western Analogs for Chinese Herbs further highlights 40 Chinese medicinals that have related species growing in the West.

Get 31% OFF

Click here for more information about Western Herbs according to Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Practitioner's Guide

Read More...

Plant Intoxicants: A Classic Text on the Use of Mind-Altering Plants Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)First of all the Notes section of the book is written by Jonathan Ott and that alone makes this book a valuable purchase, especially considering the prices of Mr. Ott's other works.
As the back cover goes..
Plant Intoxicants is a pioneering study of psychoactive plants and their role in society. Initially pusblished in Nuremberg is 1855, it is one of the first books to examine the cultivation, preperation, and consumption of the world's major stimulants and inebriants. Drawing on his own travel experiences as well as the writings of his predeccessors, Baron Ernst von Bibra (1806-78) devotes a full chapter to each of seventeen plants, ranging from such mild stimulants as coffee and tea, through tobacco and hashish, to powerful narcotics and hallucinogens such as opium and fly agaric mushrooms.
Written in a lively style, Plant Intoxicants paints a fascinating panorama of the worldwide use of psychoactive plants in the nineteenth century. Von Bibra brings to the subject a keen intellect, an engaging sense of humor, and a refreshing open-mindedness unusual for his, or any, time. While frankly acknowledgeing and describing in vivid detail the depravities of the opium den, he holds the opinion that intoxicants, when used in moderation are "gifts bestowed by the gods on man to alleviate his misery and reconcile men with one another." His findings, unhampered by the restrictive morality of his era, are a testemant to the intellectual freedom enjoyed by wealthy private researchers in the nineteenth century.
Complementing and enhancing von Bibra's work is a full annotation by his modern-day counterpart Jonathan Ott, an ethnobotanist and the author of Pharmacotheon along with many other great books. A foreward by Martin Haseneier, the world's foremost authority on von Bibra's life and work, supplies a biographical sketch and places Plant Intoxicants at the vangaure of popular scientific writing on the role of plants in human culture.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Plant Intoxicants: A Classic Text on the Use of Mind-Altering Plants

This pioneering study of psychoactive plants and their role in society, initially published in 1855, is one of the first books to examine the cultivation, preparation, and consumption of the world's major stimulants and inebriants. It presents a fascinating panorama of the world-wide use of psychoactive plants in the nineteenth century.

Get 25% OFF

Click here for more information about Plant Intoxicants: A Classic Text on the Use of Mind-Altering Plants

Read More...

The Traditional Healer's Handbook: A Classic Guide to the Medicine of Avicenna Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)An indispensible work on Unani medicine
Fulbright Research Scholar and naturopathic physician Hakim Chishti studied traditional healing in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India, and, in addition to this present work is also the author of "The Book of Sufi Healing" (Healing Arts Press, 1991).
While conducting research in Kabul, Afghanistan, the author found himself afflicted with a severe form of dysentery and - without access to Western medicine - availed himself of the care of a traditional Unani practitioner, Dr. Hajji Muhammad Sherif, whose traditional treatments were successful and to whom Dr. Chishti eventually became an apprentice. Whilst in Kabul, the author obtained a Persian language edition of Avicenna's Mizan-ul-Tibb (Canon of Medicine) and Rabat-ul-Atfal (Pediatrics) and translated both volumes into English. These form the basis of the present work.
This comprehensive guide to healing synthesizes the principles and practices of that amalgam of Greek, Chinese, Ayurvedic, and Persian medicine that today is practiced throughout the South Asian subcontinent under the name `Unani al-tibb' (i.e., Ionian or Greek medicine). It includes his translation of the two works cited above of Avicenna (Ibn al Sina, born ca. 980 CE), whose writings have been classics in herbal and dietetic medicine for more than a thousand years. Unani Medicine as a healing system was established and institutionalized by Avicenna (known as the "Prince of Physicians") yet because it is a comprehensive system encompassing virtually all of the known healing systems of the world of his day, the threads which comprise Unani can be traced uninterruptedly all the way back to Hippocrates and his disciples.
Based on the philosophy that "food is the best medicine" and that "Allah never sends a disease to humankind without providing its cure," Avicenna's Canon of Medicine provides simple and effective diagnostic techniques and therapies for maintaining and restoring health and strengthening the human organism, in particular its immune system. The book includes a detailed botanical guide for the hundred most commonly used medicinal herbs and recommended treatments for four hundred conditions, including diet and nutrition, lifestyle management, herbal therapy, and aromatherapy. Medicine and health care were perhaps the highest scientific achievements of the Muslims during the Middle Ages and the reason for such an achievement is directly related to Islam itself, both the Qur'an and the Hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) strongly encouraging the gaining and scientific systematization of medical knowledge.
Chishti builds on Avicenna's approach, bringing extensive knowledge of the original Persian texts to his own twenty years' experience in Unani medicine. Included is a wealth of information on the metabolic value of foods, principles of hygiene, the prophylactic and curative roles of physical exercise and rest, the cycles, natures and classification of fevers, the classification of pain syndromes and the scope and methods of pulse diagnosis.
Subtitled "A Classic Guide to the Medicine of Avicenna," the Traditional Healer's Handbook includes a detailed introduction to Unani medicine's history, philosophy and ethics, theoretical scietific underpinnings, observations on the general practice of traditional medicine, and a materia medica of Unani botanicals along with a formulary.
Avicenna's healing system is explained and elaborated with recipes to maintain optimal immune functioning and includes protocols for the specific treatment of insomnia, depression, influenza, obesity, hemorrhoids, erectile dysfunction, dental pathologies, gastrointestinal disorders, asthma, bronchitis, and arthritis, among others.
Hakim Chishti has distilled the essence of this venerable and quite effective lineage of the healing art into a comprehensive text, clearly and engagingly written. It is an indispensable work for anyone interested in the field and I strongly commend it to anyone engaged in the study or practice of natural medicine, herbalism or any of the great healing lineages of Asia and the Middle East, and as well to students of Islam and Islamic contributions to world civilization.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Traditional Healer's Handbook: A Classic Guide to the Medicine of Avicenna

This comprehensive guide to healing synthesizes the principles and practices of Hippocratic, Chinese, Ayurvedic, and Persian medicine, and includes the first English translation of one of the handbooks of Avicenna, whose writings have been classics in herbal and dietetic medicine for more than 1,000 years. Based on the philosophy that "food is the best medicine," Avicenna's canon provides simple and effective diagnostic techniques and therapies for maintaining health and strengthening the immune system.
Includes a botanical guide for the 100 most-used healing herbs and recommended treatments for 400 conditions, including diet and nutrition, herbology, and aromatherapy.

Get 31% OFF

Click here for more information about The Traditional Healer's Handbook: A Classic Guide to the Medicine of Avicenna

Read More...

Planting the Future: Saving Our Medicinal Herbs Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Planting The Future provides a different focus on the botanical market, featuring works by the herbalists of United plant Savers and discussing strategies to save and preserve medicinal herbs. Chapters provide an A-Z listing of herbs and their history, uses and propagation.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Planting the Future: Saving Our Medicinal Herbs

Get 27% OFF

Click here for more information about Planting the Future: Saving Our Medicinal Herbs

Read More...

Of People and Plants: The Autobiography of Europe's Most Celebrated Healer Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)maurice messegue was a healer in Europe who without the benefit of modern medicine, captured the attention of Europe by his healing powers and like another healer, E. Cayce, was a humble unassuming man. Get this book if you need to remember and validate the non-ordinary which is not always valued in this culture

Click Here to see more reviews about: Of People and Plants: The Autobiography of Europe's Most Celebrated Healer

Of People and Plants is a combination of colorful anecdotes from Messeque's life and detailed information about the use of specific plants in treating a wide variety of ailments. Its comprehensive appendices describe Messeque's preparations for the principal chronic diseases and provide recommendations for the seasonal and nutritional use of plants for optimal health. Instructions are also given for growing beneficial herbs and vegetables and for gathering wild medicinal plants. This autobiography, flavored both by Messeque's rich French heritage and by the depth of his knowledge of native plant medicine, will be a fascinating addition to any herbal library.

Get 15% OFF

Click here for more information about Of People and Plants: The Autobiography of Europe's Most Celebrated Healer

Read More...

Medical Herbalism: The Science Principles and Practices Of Herbal Medicine Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a great text for learning terminology such as herbal actions it's easy to read and understand. The discriptions are just long enough so that it does not include excess/repetative words. The materia medica is also written the same way, precise, it may be too brief for more advanced herbalists however for beginners it is perfect. The materia medica is not that big. For a more elaborate "indication" section you will probably have to read research. I use this as a text as a Herbal Science major, I don't think it is very readable for the layman trying to learn herbal medicine or if you are just interested in herbal medicine. It's written like an encyclopedia, so you jump to sections that you want. The first part of the book has plant constituents with drawings of organic molecules. The second part is organized according to body systems. It's very user friendly, the index has pretty much everything you want to find. Fantastic book as a text, I'll be using it for a long time.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Medical Herbalism: The Science Principles and Practices Of Herbal Medicine

A foundational textbook on the scientific principles of therapeutic herbalism and their application in medicine' A complete handbook for the medical practitioner' Includes the most up-to-date information on preparations, dosage, and contraindications' By the author of The Complete Illustrated Holistic HerbalMedical Herbalism contains comprehensive information concerning the identification and use of medicinal plants by chemical structure and physiological effect, the art and science of making herbal medicine, the limitations and potential of viewing herbs chemically, and the challenge to current research paradigms posed by complex plant medicines. It also includes information on toxicology and contraindications, the issues involved in determining dosage and formulation types for an individual, guides to the different measurement systems and conversion tables, and the pros and cons of both industrial and traditional techniques.With additional sections devoted to the principles of green medicine, the history of Western Herbalism, the variety of other medical modalities using medicinal plants, an extensive resource directory, and a discussion of treatments organized by body system, Medical Herbalism is the comprehensive textbook all students and practitioners of clinical herbalism need to develop their healing practices.

Get 37% OFF

Click here for more information about Medical Herbalism: The Science Principles and Practices Of Herbal Medicine

Read More...

An Elders' Herbal: Natural Techniques for Health and Vitality (Healing Arts Press) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)easy to read and understand, this book is filled with information on herbs, their use and formulas. Good book for any one interested in alternative medicene.

Click Here to see more reviews about: An Elders' Herbal: Natural Techniques for Health and Vitality (Healing Arts Press)

Click here for more information about An Elders' Herbal: Natural Techniques for Health and Vitality (Healing Arts Press)

Read More...

Miracle Medicines of the Rainforest: A Doctor's Revolutionary Work with Cancer and AIDS Patients Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)As always, product came in great condition, in a rapid fashion and I am appreciative!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Miracle Medicines of the Rainforest: A Doctor's Revolutionary Work with Cancer and AIDS Patients

A doctor's astounding story of promising new treatments from the rainforests of Brazil for diseases that compromise the immune system.
During a working visit to Brazil, Dr. Thomas David was given a packet of leaves and bark by a native patient as thanks for his work, and a shaman gave him a recipe for a tea used by the rainforest people to treat a variety of ailments. Dr. David began using these plants in his clinical research in Europe and soon discovered that they were producing amazing results among patients suffering from cancer, AIDS, and other diseases that compromise the immune system.
Preliminary studies performed at Stanford and Harvard have substantiated his findings, bringing Dr. David international attention for his groundbreaking work.
Dr. David's story is significant not only for its account of research that may herald a major breakthrough in curing diseases that have been the scourge of the modern world, but also for its emphasis on the vast and largely unrecognized pharmacopoeia of the rainforest that is in imminent danger of being lost forever.

Click here for more information about Miracle Medicines of the Rainforest: A Doctor's Revolutionary Work with Cancer and AIDS Patients

Read More...

A Russian Herbal: Traditional Remedies for Health and Healing Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I'm sorry I don't have time to review this book in depth, but seeing that it hasn't gotten any reviews yet, I want to recommend it as a very well put-together herbal, with good introductory chapters (one of which includes the use of the "water banya" in the Russian preparation of medicinal herbs, and how to make one), and an extensive materia medica. Most of the herbs listed are quite familiar, and some include pertinent folklore. The materia medica is followed by "Complex Herbal Formulas" relating to the various organ systems.
The fact that it is a Russian herbal does not, by any means, make it obscure. (I only wish that, beneath the Latin name given for each herb, a translation of its Russian name were given.) I highly recommend it to anyone interested in herbalism.

Click Here to see more reviews about: A Russian Herbal: Traditional Remedies for Health and Healing

The first guide to the ancient traditions of Russian herbal medicine and their extensive medicinal applications today.
Drawing on a wealth of oral and written traditions, the authors examine the best-known Russian herbs (all of which are widely available in North America and Western Europe) and explain their folkways, properties, and uses. Offering time-tested advice for using herbs to maintain general well-being, they also give clear and simple recipes for treating specific health problems from asthma and migraines to influenza and high blood pressure. Blessed with a wide variety of climates, geography, and flora, early Russians developed a rich folk tradition of herbal healing that ranks among the most sophisticated in the world. Nearly every Russian medical school offers courses of study on the knowledge and application of herbs, and many maintain a special research department that investigates the properties and practical modern applications of herbal medicine.

This is the first book to examine the traditions of Russian herbal medicine.

Click here for more information about A Russian Herbal: Traditional Remedies for Health and Healing

Read More...

The Herbal Handbook: A User's Guide to Medical Herbalism Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This book lays the foundation for working with herbs especially for newbies. It puts the herbs into categories base on the actions they produce example demulcent, and then Hoffman tells you how a demulcent works on different parts of the body. He gives a basic overview of how to make tinctures, salve and ointments ete. A great book to have if you are starting out. Great info and how to use herbs for healing. I found great help on how to help my daughter ezcema.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Herbal Handbook: A User's Guide to Medical Herbalism

Well-respected herbalist David Hoffmann's comprehensive and practical guide to herbal medicine.
' Discusses the history and modern practice of herbalism, including Chinese, Native American, and Welsh influences.

' Includes a practical reference section listing the effects of various herbs, with prescriptions on how to use them for a wide range of illnesses.

' Covers the fundamentals of growing, drying, storing, and cooking with herbs.

' Over 45,000 copies of previous edition sold.

This compendium of medical herbalism by one of the most eminent herbalists practicing today is both comprehensive and practical. Answering basic as well as complicated questions about herbal medicine, it provides both the novice and the experienced practitioner with a reliable framework in which to develop their herbal skills.

A discussion of the history and modern practice of herbalism, encompassing the influences of Welsh, Chinese, and Native American herbal medicine is followed by a practical reference section that lists the various actions herbs have on the body (carminative, anti-inflammatory, etc.), with examples of herbs and their mode of activity in each category. Herbal prescriptions for various illnesses are also organized under the main systems of the body so that information can be quickly and easily referenced. A final section covers the fundamentals of growing, drying storing and cooking with herbs, as well as the making of infusions, decoctions, oils, and ointments. The author also provides helpful introductions to aromatherapy and plant medicines.

Get 32% OFF

Click here for more information about The Herbal Handbook: A User's Guide to Medical Herbalism

Read More...