[.ca] The Complete Guide To Herbal Medicines (ISBN 0743400704)

a very comprehensive work:
First off, this is written by two pharmacologist, so they have a reason to scare you - medical prescriptions are BIG business for pill producers and doctors alike. They do not wish you to find there are things you can create and take yourself ( and with often much better results!!) because that cuts into their money!! So accept this book as written with prejudices. That said, it is still a good reference work for people wanting to know more about herbs. It details over 300 herbs, how they interact with drugs, a glossy for medical terms so you can full understand what they are say. It has a nice little box that tells you why people take the herb, interactions, important points to remember, doses, what current research shows, other names and references for further reading. A good work, when used as a companion piece for more balanced works and herbs and their usages. Also a good reference work for writers using herbs in their books.

Wonderful Reference:
The Complete Guide to Herbal Medicine is an excellent resource on herbal remedies. It provides in depth scientific based information on every herb one can think of. Most importantly, it is not biased. The authors provide information about the various herbs without trying to sway readers into utilizing herbal remedies. This book is not only great for patients, but also health care professionals like myself.

If you want to be afraid of herbs, read this book!:
Very few helpful suggestions in this book. The authors are Pharmacists. They list side effects of herbs that would happen to maybe 1 in a billion people. They state that dandelion can cause, "Skin irritation... blockage of the digestive or biliary tract, gallbladder inflammation, gallstones" but on the SAME page say that it is used for "digestive complaints, gallbladder problems, to stimulate bile production". Now, why would you use a plant that helps with gallbladder problems if it causes them?? (by the way, it does not, I have much experience with this plant and have never had any side effects, nor has anyone I have spoke with). This book will do nothing but make you paranoid of about using herbs. If you want a good book, get "The New Age Herbalist" or anything by Rosemary Gladstar, Dr. James A. Duke or James Green. Peterson Field guides are also quite good.

The Completed Guide to Herbal Medicines:
This book was obviously written by two anti-herbalists!

If you want to be afraid of herbs, read this book!:
Very few helpful suggestions in this book. The authors are Pharmacists. They list side effects of herbs that would happen to maybe 1 in a billion people. They state that dandelion can cause, "Skin irritation... blockage of the digestive or biliary tract, gallbladder inflammation, gallstones" but on the SAME page say that it is used for "digestive complaints, gallbladder problems, to stimulate bile production". Now, why would you use a plant that helps with gallbladder problems if it causes them?? (by the way, it does not, I have much experience with this plant and have never had any side effects, nor has anyone I have spoke with). This book will do nothing but make you paranoid of about using herbs. If you want a good book, get "The New Age Herbalist" or anything by Rosemary Gladstar, Dr. James A. Duke or James Green. Peterson Field guides are also quite good.