The Earthwise Herbal: A Complete Guide to New World Medicinal Plants

In this second Earthwise Herbal (‘herbal’, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is ‘a book about plants especially with reference to their medicinal properties’) Matthew Wood, an expert herbalist who has used medicinal herbs in tens of thousands of cases over a twenty-five-year career, provides detailed descriptions of New World (North American) herbs and their uses. The first volume of this two-volume set, The Earthwise Herbal: A Complete Guide to Old World Medicinal Plants , was published by North Atlantic Books in May 2008. Organized as a material medica (names and descriptions of herbs/plants are listed alphabetically), the book explains the use of the whole plant - not just ‘active ingredients’ - in the treatment of the whole person and describes symptoms and conditions that the plants have been successful in treating (digestive ailments, headaches, high blood pressure, asthma, skin rashes, and allergies, to name a few). Wood, one of very few writers who has systematically studied ancient and traditional herbal literature, rather than the occasional text, takes a historical view and presents information in a thoughtful, engaging, non-technical style. In addition, he provides remarkable case studies as well as insight into the ‘logic’ of each plant - its current usage, past usage, pharmacological constituents, and other elements that together produce a comprehensive portrait of the plant.