Herbs and Things

Jeanne Rose love all her books.

I removed this book from my apothecary shelf immediately after reading just the beginning of the chapter "Fat And How Not To Be". I will not repeat what was written in this chapter but the title speaks for itself. The author has an obvious hatred of people of size and this has no place in herbalism or any healing space. It is absolutely shocking to me to find this kind of language in a book about herbs and healing. There are plenty of books out there that you can learn from that are not infused with hatred. I choose not to learn from folks who spread hatred so the rest of the book is moot. I strongly recommend leaving this book alone.

I first purchased this book when I was about 17 and had been studying herbalism for about 4 years. I lost my first copy (the one with the purple cover) and bought a second which my mom's dog ate half the index of a couple of years later. Long story short, I have used and abused this book extensively for over a decade. It is hands down the finest herbal I own, though I still cross reference on some of the more questionable stuff, just to make sure. A true classic and as much as I love my copy, I do wish that Ms. Rose would release an update to reflect all of the gains/discoveries that herbalists have made in the past 30 years or so. Highly recommended, but only for intermediate herbalists and above. A good selection of other print herbals is good to use as a supplement to cross reference.

Michael Bailes says of the book: "When Jeanne Rose talks about herbs, people listen and it is no wonder after nearly thirty years of study, practice, teaching and writing during which she has become an institution. In this book, she has brought together a tremendous amount of information and whatever you want to know about aromatherapy is probably here. You can find a list of essential oils for treating a certain condition, or a list of conditions treated by a certain essential oil and each oil is described in detail in a subsequent chapter with precautions and instructions for use. These three elements constitute about one third of the book, and may alone justify the very reasonable price. However, it contains an impressive number of recipes which may also be sufficient incentive to buy it. The charts include treatments for conditions such as heart failure, stroke, syphilis and paralysis yet the tone of the book is informal and chatty and obviously intended for a general audience even though at times it is hard to believe that readers would treat such extreme conditions with essential oils. I have never seen a better, easier-to-read, book on fragrance. this is one of the few to give details of distillation, to explain arcane perfumery terms, to list in detail the herbs of perfumery." (Michael Bailes) The book has a long index and detailed table of contents. It is enhanced by the nice selection of sketches and borders. I really like the various charts and lists like "The Language, Color and Fragrance of Flowers, Herbs and Woods." There are lots of useful recipes (sachets, bug repellants, herbal baths, incense). The many editions over the years testify to the usefulness of the compiled information. Skip the chapter on Weight Loss, as it is more of a personal rant than useful info. Other than that, I heartily recommend this book. (VA)

This invaluable book is a wonderful combination of recipes, anecdotal advice, and historical reference. I would recommend this book for the beginner who is interested in herbal history, would like to know how to find herbs, and start dabbling in recipes. For those who are more experienced, it would complete an herbal library.

A combination of anecdotal commentary, practical uses of herbs and medicinals in a beautifully illustrated presentation appealing to the human spirit. Not only a textbook on herbal remedies, but also a delightful journey into recipes for conjuring.

This book is one of the most wonderfully charming ones that I have ever read. It is the first herb book that I was ever given (It belonged to my mother) and I have read it to shreads. Every time I pick it up I find something new. A must see.