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"Grow Your Own Drugs: Easy Recipes for Natural Remedies and Beauty Fixes"
by
James Wong

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"Whether you're struggling with insomnia, the kids have eczema, or your partner is feeling under the weather, this book could have the answer.

With easy recipes ethnobotanist James Wong shows how to make simple creams, salves, teas and much, much more from the stuff growing in your window box, the local garden centre or in the hedgerows.

Using the flowers, fruit, roots, trees, vegetables and herbs that are all around us James provides preparations to help relieve a whole range of common conditions, including acne, anxiety, cold sores and general aches and pains - plus great ideas for beauty treats such as bath bombs and shampoos.

Inspired by his grandmother in Malaysia who taught him about the health-giving properties of plants, James uses his top class academic knowledge to show how easy - and cheap - it is to make creams, lotions, lozenges and more which can help relieve the symptoms of a variety of common complaints.

He reveals how many plants contain the same active ingredients as over-the-counter drugs and chooses his Top 100 plants to grow or buy, complete with ideas for a whole range of uses.

So unleash the power of plants and soothe the symptoms of everyday ailments the natural way."

James Wong grew up in Malaysia and Singapore. He trained at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew and gained an MSc in Ethnobotany from the University of Kent, graduating with distinction.

His research has taken him to highland Ecuador, as well as to China and Java. He now lectures at the University of Kent and has also co-designed and built two RHS medal-winning gardens (in 2004 and 2008), which were designed to show that there is more to plants than ‘looking pretty’.

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"Millions of vitamin and mineral supplements are sold every day across the globe. Many get left in the back of the cupboard, some are unsuitable and/or sub-standard, and very few are needed!

The human species has evolved this far without cupboards full of pills and potions, but with the environment in which he or she lives.

Our environment has everything we need to produce the vitamins and minerals for healthy bodies, minds and souls. A little exercise is required to put this theory into action. But physical exercise is part of the human make-up and we need to move everyday, to keep joints supple, muscles strong, and ultimately stress-free.

The book lists recommended daily vitamins but doesn't rest there. Each separate vitamin or mineral has it's own checklist to show at a glance what foods are required to fulfill the daily need.

These foods in turn are each given a whole chapter on how to grow them, and use them."

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"Britain's hedgerows abound with forgotten remedies for countless health problems.

Julie Bruton-Seal, practicising medical herbalist, together with her co-author, the editor and writer Matthew Seal, have responded to the growing interest in natural medicine by aiming this book at the amateur who wants to improve his or her health in the same way that mankind has done for centuries around the world: by using local wild plants and herbs.

There are clear instructions about which plants to harvest, when, and over 120 recipes showing how to make them into teas, vinegars, oils, creams, pillows, poultices or alcohol-based tinctures.

As well as being packed with practical information on using 50 native plants, Hedgerow Medicine also gives a fascinating insight into the literary, historic and worldwide application of these herbal remedies."

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"The Herbal Medicine-Makers Handbook blends the herbalist author's natural home remedies with his perspectives on the art of herbal medicine's applications, with recipes for folk extractions including plenty of recommendations for usage.

The result is far more in-depth than your usual herbal recipe book, packed with insights on how to extract herbs, make tinctures, and apply them properly."

"I have lots of great herb books, but this one is the first that gives me detailed and practical information about how to MAKE the preparations myself.

Green's gentle sense of humor make it approachable, but he also is responsibly thorough. The book is fun to read and I've made my first tincture. I very highly recommend the book to someone who actually wants to USE herbs for healing."

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"'The Earthwise Herbal' is one of very few books derived from direct experience in the actual use of medicinal herbs, in tens of thousands of cases, over a twenty-five year career.

The description of herbs and their uses therefore grows organically out of experience, extensive study of literature and plants in the wild, and conversations with knowledge peers and teachers.

The book is holistic, unlike an approach restricted to scientific research alone. Focusing on Old World medicinal plants of Western herbalism, author and registered herbalist Matthew Wood seeks to explain the use of the whole plant-not just 'active ingredients' - in the treatment of the whole person.

Organized as a material medica (names and descriptions of herbs/plants are listed alphabetically), the book describes characteristic symptoms and conditions in which the plant has proved useful in the clinic, often illustrated with interesting case histories.

In addition, it is historical, Wood being one of very few writers who has systematically and extensively studied ancient and traditional herbal literature, rather than the occasional text.

The context and writing style of this book is intended to appeal to the imagination and intuition, and to help both the student and practitioner gain insight into the 'logic' of a plant: how it works, in what areas of the body it works, how it has been used in the past, what its pharmacological constituents indicate about its use, and how all these different factors hang together to produce a portrait of the plant as a whole entity."

"In 'The Earthwise Herbal', Matthew Wood has revived the richness, depth, and dignity of the herbal medicine of the old masters, while at the same time endowing it with a new cosmopolitan, cross-cultural flavor that lifts it to a genuinely planetary level."

"How refreshing it is to find a new herbal that explores the depths of each plant's contribution and does not attribute its powers solely or even mainly to its chemical constituents."

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"This is a fully revised and updated edition of an indispensable guide for patients as well as for natural therapists and doctors working in the area of women's health.

It provides comprehensive and practical explanations of menstrual complaints from adolescence through menopause. Common ailments such as pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS), period pain, and menopausal symptoms are addressed, including all the latest information on hormone replacement therapy.

Complex disorders such as endometriosis, ovarian cysts, and the many causes of amenorrhea are also discussed.

Wide-ranging treatment options are explained, including specific drugs and surgical procedures used in orthodox medicines, as well as natural therapies and self-help suggestions. Where possible, the focus is on natural remedies, from simple lifestyle changes to complex herbal prescriptions."

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"Until herbalist James Green introduced the principles of "The Male Herbal" more than 15 years ago, there was virtually no information about using herbs specifically in men's health.

With sensitivity toward men's reluctance to focus on health matters, the trusted advice and wisdom is as vital today as it was then.

Introducing a new constitutional model, this revised edition provides every man with a personalised plan geared to his individual body type, lifestyle, and needs.

* The long-awaited update of the best-selling herbal handbook specifically for men and boys, covering physical and emotional health. Organized alphabetically by herb for easy reference.

* Includes 28 recipes for herbal tonics; life-changing information about common plants and herbs; and a new section on herbal alternatives to Viagra.

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"One of America's foremost herbalists provides concise, simple-to-understand, and practical information for using herbs for health and well-being. Each book contains profiles of specific herbs, cautions, contraindications, and easy-to-make recipes to relieve common ailments.

With guidance from Rosemary Gladstar -- internationally known herbalist, mother, and grandmother -- you'll learn how to use herbs such as chamomile, echinacea, and lemon balm to create gentle baby care products and safe treatments for childhood colds and flus, diarrhea, constipation, earaches, and fever.

Gladstar also includes safety precautions, dosage information, and guidelines for when to seek medical help."

"This is an excellent resource book. Rosemary gives you natural remedies to common ailments that children suffer from."

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"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. Medical 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."

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"In this important book, Stephen Buhner offers conclusive evidence that plant medicines, with their complex mix of multiple antibiotic compounds are remarkably effective against drug-resistant bacteria.

You will learn how antibiotic herbs such as aloe, garlic and grapefruit seed extract represent our best defence against bacteria such as Straphylococcus aureus, E-coli and Salmonella -- and how their use will ensure that, in the future, antibiotic drugs will still be there when we really need them.

In response to mounting evidence of an increase in antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria, scientists around the world are studying the effectiveness of using herbs such as garlic, echinacea, grapefruit seeds extract, licorice, onion, red clover, St. John’s wort, and others. In easily accessible language, Herbal Antibiotics presents all the current information about the major antibiotic resistant microbes and the herbs that are most effective in fighting them."

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"During recent years herbal medicine has become an increasingly scientifically based system of healing.

Due to demands from both the public and medical establishments, studies leading to the scientific explanation of plant therapeutic capabilities are allowing this practice to gain increasing credibility and acceptance within the medical community.

This book draws on the recent research and provides an introduction to the complex area of plant constituents and the therapeutic activities associated with them.

Recent studies on the scientific basis for plant therapeutic capabilities are establishing credibility and acceptance for herbal medicine in the medical community.

This book provides an introduction to the complex area of plant constituents and the therapeutic effects associated with them."

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"There's still a lot to learn about the healing power of plants, James Duke points out, but what we do know is already prodigious.

Much of that knowledge is gathered in The Green Pharmacy, an A-to-Z guide to that relies on plant-based medicines to cure what ails us. Between the listings, Duke crams personal anecdotes from a lifetime of studying herbs, berries, and bark.

For example, he relates how he worried about telling a pregnant niece that ginger could help alleviate her morning sickness because he'd learned from a pharmacologist that ginger could also induce miscarriage.

Then he solved the mystery: he'd recommended ginger tea, which contains about 250 milligrams of ginger.

The Chinese, he learned, use about 80 times that much to end pregnancies -- another testimony to the amazing versatility of these natural medicines."

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"An organic gardener and noted herbalist presents detailed instructions on how to grow 101 medicinal plants, along with organic approaches to propagation, soil preparation, natural pest management, harvesting, and garden design, and features profiles of each herb and directions on how to prepare a range of herbal remedies and healing foods.

The author's care and concern for healthy plants and people are evident on every page, and there's an astonishing amount of detail in every section.

Simple plant listings cover multiple pages, outlining everything from drainage preferences to the size and color of blooms. The different garden styles presented range from formal knot gardens to carefree wild gardens, with lots of choices for raised beds and containers. Organic methods for fertilizing and pest control are emphasized."

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"Mabey draws on a national survey to bring together the local voices of many who wrote in with their oral traditions.

Like Harry Potter, this book is full of weird facts that can be stored up in a mental magic herbal, but these facts might be more useful, just sometimes.

Thanks to Richard Mabey, I now know that the dog's mercury that grows in our front garden in with the mint really can poison you; that garlic mustard and the next door neighbour's allotment sorrel are nice stir-fried; that what we saw growing on the Welsh border moors were bilberries; and that the sweet cicely that grows in our back garden tastes of aniseed.

I have grazed on sprigs of marsh samphire as I strolled along a Cumbrian beach. And I've dug a good lot of compost into my mint patch to revive it."

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"Often radical and controversial, Buhner has clearly and beautifully explored the mysterious universal beliefs between ancient arid indigenous cultures as to the spirituality and healing power of plants and fermentation.

In the spirit of Carlos Castenada, he forges a quest in pursuit of the experiential. Highlights of comprehensive information never presented in one volume include: mead, honey and hive products; heather ale; psychotropic beers; and beers and ales from sacred and medicinal trees and plants.

Beer moved into a new dimension in ancient Europe where those ancient brewers learned to ferment herbal infusions to help heal the troubles of the human condition.

Little known is that many of these herbal fermentations were also highly inebriating and sexually stimulating. In reaction the protestant reformists fought for 250 years to pass laws forcing beers to use only hops as an herbal additive."

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"Exquisitely illustrated with full-colour paintings of all the plants and herbs in the book, ranging from dandelion and sorrel to sea beet and samphire. There are almost 400 recipes covering nearly 100 different plant varieties and the illustrations, drawn from life by one of the country's leading botanical artists, show the edible parts of the plants at their peak time for picking.

In addition there is a calendar indicating what plants to look for at each season of the year, information on where the plants are found and how to identify them.

In the past the home kitchen provided a family with all its medicines and cosmetics as well as its food, wine, pickles and preserves.

Our ancestors were resourceful and imaginative and very much in tune with nature; this book recaptures their harmonious, sustainable way of life by setting down for the modern reader all that knowledge and lore."

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"We all deal with stress every day, and every day our bodies strive to adapt and stay balanced and healthy.

In "Adaptogens", authors, David Winston and Steven Maimes, provide a comprehensive look into adaptogens, non-toxic herbs such as ginseng, eleuthero, and liquorice, that produce a defensive response to stress in our bodies.

Formerly known as rejuvenating herbs or tonics, adaptogens help the body to "adapt" to the many influences it encounters. They increase stamina and counter the normal effects of aging and, thus, are becoming important tools in sports medicine and in the prevention and treatment of chronic fatigue and other stress-related disorders.

This work reveals how adaptogens increase the body's resistance to adverse influences and provides a history of the use of these herbal remedies and the actions, properties, preparation, and dosage for each herb."

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"There are many fine herb books written by our country's great herbalists gracing the shelves these days. But only once in a while does a classic arise. The Book of Herbal Wisdom is surely that. Written with grace, intelligence, and warmth, this book is richly infused with the gift of wisdom and earns its title at every turn.

Drawing on the healing traditions of Native Americans, Quakers, and the English, as well as botanical literature and his own observations, the author explains the medicinal uses of thirty-six herbs for alleviating a variety of ailments. Original.

Above all else, this book is a book of powerfully written stories about herbs. Each herb discussed in the book has its own story and it is told through the lens of experience of previous herbalists, the vast herbal literature from the dawn of Western history to the present day, as well as the authors' own insights and experiences and those of his patients and colleagues."

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"This indispensable guide to the Medicinal Plants of Britain and Europe is part of the new Black's Nature Guide series.

Over 350 species of plants are covered, each beautifully illustrated with detailed paintings and clear photographs.

The images not only show you what the medicinal plant looks like in its habitat, but also focus in on specific features such as the leaves, flower head or berries to aid identification.

Clear and concise information is provided, such as when the plant is in flower, the approximate petal size and preferred habitat."

"Packed with information, this guide aims to turn us all into amateur herbalists."

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"This book presents the first updated, readable translation of medical reference work that was used in Western Europe from the 5th century well into the Renaissance.

Listing 185 medicinal plants, the uses for each, and remedies that were compounded using them, the translation will fascinate medievalist, medical historians and the layman alike.

Van Arsdall's translation is lucid, idiomatic, and captures the matter-of-fact tone of the original.

A welcome contribution to the study of medicine in Anglo-Saxon England and will be very useful for both reference and teaching."

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"Assembled by two of the most distinguished botanical and ethnological scholars in Britain, this book chronicles the medicinal uses of more than 400 species used by the plain folk of Britain and Ireland.

The history of these plants’ usages has been mined from rich firsthand accounts captured by surveys, from more than 1000 manuscript volumes of the Irish Folklore Commission, and from close to 300 other published and unpublished sources.

The book includes chosen illustrations from herbals such as those by Bock, Fuchs, and Brunfels, and a selection of color photographs by Deni Bown.

A fascinating look at a large body of information on medicinal plant use by "common folk," representing traditions going back hundreds of years. Will interest readers from many subject backgrounds."

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"At a time when people are increasingly interested in natural medicine and holistic remedies, this book traces the history of folk medicine in Ireland and examines its continued popularity.

It reviews a comprehensive range of country cures, both for people and animals, and looks at how many remedies go back to early pagan times and before the rise of medical science in the 19th century, while others arose in the 20th century as an alternative to modern medicine.

With often lighthearted humor, this guide examines how folk medicine has always been a curious blend of common sense and nonsense.

From attempts to cure a child of dropsy by tying it up in a rope used to hang an innocent man, to driving away whooping cough with medicine made from sheep droppings boiled in milk, this book looks at how practical observations and natural cures often went hand in hand with useless and often dangerous remedies."

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"Polish Herbs, Flowers & Folk Medicine captures the unique history of the plant life once essential to the Polish people.

It leads the reader on a guided tour through monastery, castle, and cottage gardens, providing details on the history and healing powers of over one hundred herbs and flowers.

Beautiful line drawings and woodcuts illustrate the garden patterns and various plants important to Polish tradition. Home remedies for everything from weight loss to arthritis, relaxants to rejuvenators, and heartache to heartburn are noted in the over fifty herbal recipes listed throughout the book.

Sophie Knab provides balms for ailments such as stress, insomnia, slow metabolism, perspiring feet, limp hair, and oily skin.

Filled with illustrations and fascinating information, it is a veritable treasure trove of history, how-to, and inspiration."

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"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.

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."

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"This could be the most important book you will read this year. Well-known author, teacher, lecturer, and herbalist Stephen Harrod Buhner has produced a book that is certain to generate controversy.

It consists of three parts: A critique of technological medicine, and especially the dangers to the environment posed by pharmaceuticals and other synthetic substances that people use in connection with health care and personal body care.

A new look at Gaia Theory, including an explanation that plants are the original chemistries of Gaia and those phytochemistries are the fundamental communications network for the Earth's ecosystems.

Extensive documentation of how plants communicate their healing qualities to humans and other animals. Western culture has obliterated most people's capacity to perceive these messages, but this book also contains valuable information on how we can restore our faculties of perception."

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"By the time Europeans arrived in the Americas, they possessed a long list of medicinal plants. They also began looking for new plants to use in medicine.

The "Badinus" was the first manuscript to bring New World botanical medicine back to Europe in the 1550s. It was based on the work of an Aztec physician.

However, Flannery pointed out, the "Badinus" disappeared, moving from one library to another, until it surfaced in the Vatican in 1929, so it had no effect on the way botanical medicines were used in Europe.

It is very comprehensive and aside from a listing of each herb and its properties, it has several sections teaching the fundiments of medicine of the time. It covers how a herb is assigned to a planet, and how a degree of strength is determined and what it means."

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"Medieval Herbals: The Illustrative Traditions is a new, wide-ranging and generously illustrated study of manuscript herbals produced between 600 - 1450.

The book examines the two principal herbal traditions of Classical descent: the Dioscorides manuscripts in Greek, Arabic, and Latin and the Latin Herbarius of Apulcius Platonicus.

It shows how, from 1300, the illustrations of the de herbis Traetatus treatises, the first of which was British Library, MS. Egerton 747, showed a new observation of nature, paving the way in the fifteenth century for French Livres des Simples and the magnificent plant paintings of later Italian Herbals.

Medieval Herbals provides one of the few syntheses in English of existing research on the subject and also addresses issues of dating, location, production and ownership of the individual codices. Minta Collins demonstrates how many herbals were not only codices for medical scholars but expensively illustrated books for bibliophiles, of equal interest to students of manuscripts, to historians of medicine and botany, and to art historians."