Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants

Steve Brill's documentation, detailed descriptions, and additional identifying and harvesting information is thoroughly researched. His writing is vivid; also going into detail, describing plants that may look similar, or may be growing nearby but aren't edible. Evelyn Dean's pencil drawings of each plant are exquisitely detailed and accurate, making positive identification of each plant more assured and reliable. There are recipes included as well, with descriptions of which plant parts to use, what season to harvest, and how to store the harvest. It's one of the most thorough resources on this subject I've ever seen!

This is the best book on edible plants I have yet encountered, and I own 7. The information is really carefully researched, both by library work and extensive personal experience; lots of books propagate the errors of other references, or ignore documented risks. I'm personally a bit reserved about medicinal uses of plants (not because plant medicines are ineffective, but because they can be quite powerful) but Brill has me at least more intrigued than I have been for a while. The writing is engaging and often humorous, without obscuring a thorough coverage of each plant - where and when it is found, what parts to use and how to collect them, and finally how to prepare for eating. While I'm at it, I'll cast my vote in favor of the excellent drawings instead of photos; colors are a lot less helpful for plant identification than many people realize. In addition to all of these merits the book teaches what I think is the ideal attitude for foraging, both directly by exposition and indirectly through organization. The attitude may be summarized as thoughtful involvement, with both the plants and the places they grow. I've seen reviews of plant foraging books that are written as though the reviewer wishes to wander outside, grab a plant, look it up to see if it is edible, eat it or not, and then go on to something else. This is a recipe for a couple kinds of trouble. First, it is risky to collect plants without taking the time to learn about them; you can't just dive in and start eating stuff without learning both the plants you want to eat and something about the plants you don't want to eat. Spend some time with a plant guide or two just learning your way around plant in general. Second, careless harvesting can damage the plant populations and the plant habitats. Slow down a bit, let the caffeine wear off, and think about what you're doing. It makes a nice change. This book is a great guide.

I love this book. I bought it about four years ago and it inspired an interest in plants that has led me to pursue a bachelors in botany. It is an incredibly informative resource about plants but it also contains enough of the author's personal experiences and pearls of wisdom to make it a lovely book to curl up with. Maybe I have an odd sense of humor but this book elicits a chuckle every time I open it. The pictures are black and white line drawings but they are very detailed, much more helpful than the often out of focus color photos in a lot of other plant id books. Plant identification requires patience and attention to detail and this book provides the details needed for accuracy. It is important to keep in mind that if you are identifying plants in order to harvest them you should always always always check more than one reference before eating them. This book is not only worth the cost, it is the best edible wild plant resource available.

This is a fantastic book. Very thorough information about finding, identifying, harvesting, preparing, and uses of edible wild plants. The plant drawings are fantastic and much easier to use than color photos. I enjoy his emphasis on finding edibles in your lawn or other "not so wild" places. Also includes lots of invaluable information on poisonous plants to avoid and poisonous "look-alikes" to beware of. He has a great sense of humor and an entertaining style. I bought the book and then had to immediately by another as a gift. I just got lunch by weeding my driveway...

I wouldn't give very many books five stars, but this one thoroughly deserves it. The line drawings are better than pictures for identifying plants (I have had better luck with them anyway). The book has humor, great info on what to do with the plant once you've identified it, and more thorough treatment of history and other uses of each plant.

As a professional herbalist and herbal teacher I have over two hundred herbals and field guides at my disposal. Steve "Wildman" Brill leads the field in combining an herbal and edible plant field guide, which is readable, comprehensive, and most important ACCURATE. His final chapter of recipes will make most readers want to head into the backcountry just to find the proper edibles. I cannot recommend this book highly enough for the beginner or the professional herbalist.