Dr. Duke's Essential Herbs: 13 Vital Herbs You Need to Disease-Proof Your Body, Boost Your Energy, Lengthen Your Life

This is a handy reference guide to 13 popular herbs and their functions. It is written for the average person, so you do not have to sift through scientific jargon. I like the way that Dr. Duke bluntly describes what each of his favorite herbs does, some of the possible side effects and certain contradictions. He also mixes a bit of humor in his writing and describes his own experiences. Maybe these herbs will not totally disease-proof your body, but they are a cheaper and safer alternative to expensive drugs. You also have to give Doc Duke credit for keeping up his lifestyle while in his 70's. Now, in my 50's, I have personally followed his recommendations and found that they worked. Doug Setter, Bsc. author of Stomach Flattening and One Less Victim: A Prevention Guide

This is a handy reference guide to 13 popular herbs and their functions. It is written for the average person, so you do not have to sift through scientific jargon. I like the way that Dr. Duke bluntly describes what each of his favorite herbs does, some of the possible side effects and certain contradictions. He also mixes a bit of humor in his writing and describes his own experiences. Maybe these herbs will not totally disease-proof your body, but they are a cheaper and safer alternative to expensive drugs. You also have to give Doc Duke credit for keeping up his lifestyle while in his 70's. Now, in my 50's, I have personally followed his recommendations and found that they worked. Doug Setter, author of Stomach Flattening.

To put it simply: three stars? Give me a break! There is no-one who can claim the same level of proven factual knowledge about ethnobotany, medicinal herbs, or herbal medicine as James A. Duke. Check his online ethnobotany database if you want some solid evidence. Investigate his outstanding background. Even Consumer Reports, the perennial skeptic when it comes to alternative medine claims, has touted James A. Duke as a reliable authority for those who wish to explore herbal alternatives. As a professional biologist with a lot of biomedical experience, I am skeptical, too, by profession and nature; but my skepticism extends to ordinary allopathic medicine as well. Standard medicine is much more expert at the PR game, but its sad record in treating many diseases is there for anyone to see. Try reading Limits to Medicine: Medical Nemesis, the Expropriation of Health by Ivan Illich. Once you see the ENTIRE medical situation in perspective, you might uderstand why many smart people seek to benefit from Dr. Duke's unique honesty and expertise.

This is the first book I've read concerning herbs and I was impressed by James Duke's knowledge. THe book is very readable and in-depth. The first two chapters do a nice job of summarizing the book so if you're in a hurry you can just read them. Two concerns i had: 1) Duke occasionally would vacillate between recommending taking a herb in its natural form versus taking a standardized extract. Sometimes he seemed in favor of either but occasionally would first favor one but then the other. 2) W.r.t kava-kava in particular Duke stated there was not any need to be concerned about becoming addictive to it. Yet he stated that one should not take it for more than a few (i think it was 3-6 months) months consecutively. If my memory is correct (help gingko help!) he also stated that Germany's Commission E suggested a 6 month limit on taking it. But he gave no reason why one should limit the length of time one takes this herb; in other instances he would give a reason why this should be done (e.g. regarding echinacea he suggests limiting it to when you are about to get a cold or perhaps just to the cold/flu season; otherwise, with longer use, your body will not continue to respond to its effect). I was left wondering if he didn't give a reason because he doesn't really believe one needs to limit the use of kava kava over time. Perhaps he put it in the book out of litigation concerns. But i really don't know.Anyhow though - i was quite impressed by the book.