[.ca] Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs (ISBN 087596964X)

Very good informative resource:
Well, I must say that this book is good value. I like the very detailed descriptions of the plants, the details on the plant including history, uses, medicinal, and the folklore. It does seem a bit odd that the other sections like "herbal baths", "Dangers of Herbs", and "Gardening with herbs" etc are also sorted alphabetical with the plants themselves but whats wrong with a differnt style. I like how they label certain plants on the first page as toxic, or possible carcinogen etc clearly. The one thing I'm a bit dissapointed with is that there isn't a really big push for the precautions with each herb. There is a section warning about the use of herbs and how someone shouldn't just take herbs at home for ailments, but for each individual herb there doesn't seem to be a real caution with them unless its considered a real toxic herb. But as far as the others I felt there wasn't enough of a sense of this plant can cause harm if its used impoperly or mistaken for something else. Though I suppose they just mentioned that all in the one section. However, over all I am absolutely amazed with the book and the information contained within. Definitly worth it.

Excellent for the beginner, and useful for the experienced:
This book has *fabulous* illustrations of the plants it details - something usually lacking from herbal books by way of plant identification. The plant descriptions and suggestions for use, as well as the old lore associated with each one are all very useful, and well formatted for easy lookup. The only thing it doesn't have is the same thing most herbal books lack: complete and comprehensive information on the dangers of certain herbs - although I understand that the reason is that since this isn't a licensed medical text, they're not allowed to present thier information as actual medical advice, and so some of the precautions fall under that umbrella. As with any book on herbs, the reader must remember that the information, especially the warnings, are not necessarily complete. That said - this is a really useful book with lots of great information, that you'll be glad to add to your herbal library at home.

best herbal guide there is:
And I've looked over quite a few The illustrations and writing are very good and tasteful, and the information provided by the book are very valuable and interesting, and very very thorough. Each plant in the book has its attributes described, an illustration that gives you an idea of what it looks like, its history, its uses, and very thorough notes about propogation and cultivation. There are very interesting topic sections on dyes, fragrance, and so on. The only complaint I might have is that they didn't include enough plant.

Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs:
Book arrived in just a few days and in very good shape. Most pleased with the service!

Extremely Helpful:
This book is perfect for the beginner and a great reference for the experienced herb gardener..I couldnt imagine not having this book in my collection..I use it almost everyday..