Our
BOOKS
300 Herbs: Their Indications & Contraindications
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by Matthew Alfs (2020), 2d Ed., Revised
Oversize softcover, 216pp.
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$25.00.
Description:
Here is the ultimate reference book on healing herbs, compiled by a nationally-peer-reviewed herbal clinician! The first half consists of a materia medica, alphabetically listing and describing 300 different herbs. Specific indications are given for each of these herbs, followed by contraindications (for concurrent pharmaceutical use, existing pathologies, pregnancy, and lactation) and then by traditional forms of use and dosages. The last half is a repertory, listing indications and health conditions and then referring these back to the appropriate herbs in the materia medica. Included are extensive introductions on the world's major herbal systems, a glossary, and a bibliography.
2nd Ed. of 2020, Revised & Expanded.
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Here Is What Reviewers Said about the First Edition (2003):
“A concise manual to help the clinician make appropriate therapeutic choices without having to look in dozens of books.... The repertory with specific symptom indications is worth the cost of the book alone!”--David Winston, R.H.
(A.H.G.), Dean of the Herbal Therapeutics School of Medicine and author of Saw Palmetto for Men and Women
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“A solid reference work based upon known information for the predominant uses and indications of herbs... a useful clinical manual.” -- Michael Tierra, R. H. (A.H.G.), L.Ac., O.M.D., author of The Way of Herbs and Planetary Herbology
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Diary of a Country Herbalist
by Matthew Alfs (2017)
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New "Reader's Edition" of 2017!
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Softcover, 151pp. (Includes an Index to Plants and Health Conditions)
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Retail Price: $13.95
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The setting for this heartwarming novel is the upper-Midwestern U.S.A. in the mid-1980s, where herbalist "Sunflower" Sam Rogers and his schoolteacher wife, April, find themselves living an enviable life of devotion to simplicity, chronicled daily in a diary of their second year as homesteaders on a large tract of land.
As the events of their lives unfold, various other characters—both human and animal—emerge to color the charming tale: From the human side, Samuel and April’s delightful Godchildren, a kindly pair of traditional native-Americans, and a small-town physician add to the interest; while from the animal side, an orphaned pair of bear cubs, a wily flock of crows, and a mammoth toad join in the fun!
The result is a testament to the wonders of nature, as well as to a love that inspires as well as transforms....
As an added bonus, the reader will become acquainted with the gifts that over 75 wild plants offer in the ways of food, medicine, and utility.
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by Matthew Alfs (2017), softcover, 151pp. (includes an index to plants and health conditions)
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Retail Price: $13.95
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Edible & Medicinal Wild Plants of the Midwest
by Matthew Alfs (2020)
Revised & Expanded Third Edition
Oversize softcover,
384pp.,150+ color photos,
Glossary, appendices, Index, 1,000+ References
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Published by Minnesota Historical Society Press
(Stocked by OTBH)
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Retail Price: $29.95.
Description:
This groundbreaking study of over 400 pages discusses 100 wild plants from the upper-Midwestern USA, carefully detailing their edible and medicinal uses. Each monograph lists the plant's descriptive features, habitat, chemical constituents, edibility, and medicinal uses, as well as cautions for use. The medicinal section is most extensive, showing how the plant has been used by various cultures throughout history, as well as by the author himself (a registered clinical herbalist and naturalist).
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Reviews
(of the 1st Ed. [2001], entitled Edible & Medicinal Wild Plants of Minnesota & Wisconsin)
“A truly impressive compendium of information and lore about the art of foraging. A beautiful section of color photographs aptly illustrates the many species of edible plants discussed and described herein. User-friendly introductions to using wild plants for food and health benefits are written in clear, concise text easily accessible to the lay reader. A glossary, exhaustive list of references and comprehensive index round out this superbly presented and very highly recommended guide.”—Midwest Book Review, Oregon WI
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“This comprehensive field guide is the first of its kind for the Minnesota-Wisconsin region and is a work of extensive research.... Excellent full-color photographs... highlight the features of each plant.”— Wild Foods Forum Vol 12, No. 6
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“An excellent overview of 100 plants from the prairies and forests of the upper Midwest. In-depth review of historical uses balanced with the author’s own clinical experience and practical how-to information. Good safety data and recommendations.”— Paul Bergner, editor, Medical Herbalism, & director of North American Institute of Herbal Studies, Boulder, CO.
See Reviews of the current (2nd) edition by clicking on the "News" link from the menu at the top of the page.
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