Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs

This excellent reference is thorough, easy to use and fully illustrated with black-and-white sketches of individual plants and color photographs. More than 140 herbs are discussed in alphabetical order, including history, uses and cultivation. The uses of herbs are further explored in chapters on bathing, dyes, gardening, cooking, healing and cosmetics. Abundant recipes proffer food and drinks, perfumes, toilet waters, poultices and medicinal syrups. While the authors are enthusiastic about the healing properties of herbs, they caution readers not to treat themselves for serious ailments, and provide information on dangerous plants and abuse of common, generally safe herbs. They also report recent studies and controversies such as that surrounding comfrey, a popular healing herb that has been found to cause liver disease in rats. Instructions for planting different types of herb gardens and a brief, general history of herbsfrom their use by the ancient Chinese to the American colonistsround out the book. Kowalchik and Hylton are Rodale editors. (November 2)