Holly Bellebuono

Definitely not a beginner's book. It provides formulas in ratios, but it doesn't discuss effective or safe dosages at all. It doesn't say how to create the tinctures/teas/salves/etc it recommends.

The book organizes information based on body part/ailment, which means that pieces of information about particular herbs are all over the place. It's difficult to get a full picture of an herb's uses/strengths as a result, which is important even if you're only planning to treat a particular ailment/area. I had to spend a LOT of time using the index and flipping back and forth for a single herb, let alone all the ones I might want to use.

The book's premise and formulary theory are interesting, and I definitely got something out of the information. In parts it validated and explained some experiences I'd had with herbs and their effect on me. However, because of the lack of practical information and some conflicting information (e.g. the author refers to lavender as a cooling herb and then on the very next page says it's warming), I'm taking it all with a grain of salt and will be cross-referencing with other herb texts before putting anything into practice.… (mehr)