This book teaches you all about herbs and their uses. What's great about this book is how it explains everything in a really easy-to-understand way. Dietz talks about different herbs and what they can be used for, like for cooking, medicine, or even just smelling nice. I learned a lot of cool stuff from reading it!

One thing I especially liked was how Dietz includes pictures of the herbs, so you know what they look like. It made it really easy to understand and follow along.

A very handy volume for any herbalist, gardener, homesteader, or witch. Beautifully and accurately illustrated which is necessary when working with nature. A book to definitely own in hardback so you can annotate yourself and keep for years to come.

There was a lot about herbs that I didn't know and I am glad I picked up this book. I will be buying a physical of this very soon for myself and my mom. Think she would also really enjoy this book.

Herbology is something I've been intrigued with for a very long time, so when I saw 'The Complete Language of Herbs' I was immediately on board, especially because of the beautiful cover.

'The Complete Language of Herbs' very much reads like a reference book, in the sense that it contains hundreds of entries about herbs from all over the world. If you're hoping for a more extensive discussion of a few herbs, or specific, detailed instructions on how to use each, this isn't necessarily the book for you. If you're looking for a book that will help you identify herbs or give you some direction on history, basic usages etc, then this is the book for you! Dietz spends a lot of time on the symbolic meanings of the plants, which was really interesting to me. I often find that I don't necessarily connect to all of these meanings, or have different ones in mind, but it is nonetheless intriguing to see the history of meaning for each plant!

Something I appreciated was Dietz' insistent warning that many herbs or plants can be toxic when ingested or when they come in contact with the skin. On the one hand this warning of course protects her, but it also protects the reader and reminds them to always do their research before ingesting anything. Another aspect that also elevates this edition is the fact that each entry has an illustration of the relevant herb or plant, which is so useful to someone like me who has no initial conception of many plants. These illustrations are also done by Dietz herself!

The complete language of herbs was well research and a pleasant read. The images within the book were great!

Thank you NetGalley!

If you are interested in the title, you will not be disappointed. It also helped me understand certain things better.
I loved reading it. It was easy to understand.

Absolutely brilliant and informative! I purchased a physical copy to enjoy the illustrations better.

The Complete Language of herbs was a whimsical and unique read. Organized alphabetically by genus, each section delves into the names, meanings, history, and cultural implication of (mostly) common herbs. There are quick visual references for each about things like appearance and whether or not an herb is considered toxic. However, it does not go into great detail about how, why, or what part of each specific plant creates the toxicity.

For anyone who wants to know more about herbal symbolism or become a wealth of party plant factoids: this book is definitely for you. Every time I cracked the cover I left with more interesting tidbits I found myself dying to share. And more often than not; did.

For the curious at heart, take a chance on Language of Herbs! It leaves you asking questions and delving deeper into rabbit holes you never knew existed. I know my Google search now includes things like: 'How do Pandas even EAT bamboo?' and 'Asparagus- why!?' and for that I am deeply grateful.

[Thank you to NetGalley and Wellfleet press for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.]

Brilliant! The Complete Language of Herbs is a comprehensive encyclopedia providing the meanings, powers, facts, and folklore for over 500 herbs and spices.
Just wish it was downloadable to kindle also!

Oh this book was amazing and I will read it again many times. It was beautiful and a beautiful read.
Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review

3.5/5 ⭐️

Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The guidebook had an Intelligent and important introduction/disclaimer, was well laid out, interesting, and quite comprehensive. I would have enjoyed larger/more detailed and more consistent style of the renderings of the herbs in their different forms, and even some full colour image pages would have been a nice breaking up of the almost dictionary style approach to the organization of the book. I would say that this is good for use as a reference book and beginner’s guide, given the lack of detail on certain aspects of the plants discussed. I liked the whimsical aspects of this guide, and the use of symbols to represent the relevant aspects of use or knowledge about each herb (medical, toxic, culinary, etc). I also appreciated the non-definitive approach, which showed humility and a desire to learn and teach rather than steer or influence on the part of the author. The sources included at the end were a nice addition to this facet. One caveat I would add is that from what I can tell, not all of the plants included are technically speaking herbs, just as an FYI to readers!

It's so beautiful!!! The Complete Language of Herbs by S. Theresa Dietz is a labor of love. It shows! So much work went into this book! It is exquisite! So much useful information.

The format is very user-friendly. First, it's alphabetical, beyond fantastic! The herb will be listed if it is medicinal, culinary, or toxic with symbols. Then the botanical name is listed, then the common name. After symbolic meanings, color meanings, possible powers, folklore, and facts, Index and a quick list of culinary herbs are also included.

The art is exquisite. There is a mixture of watercolors throughout.

For someone who teaches about botany and also understands the deep abiding love of what plants give us and full appreciation I highly recommend this book for those who understand the magical experience regarding plants.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher Quarto Publishing for the opportunity to read and reviews another fantastic book published by Quarto Publishing.

This book was not at all what I was expecting.
It was an interesting and fascinating read nonetheless.
For each herb included, it tells you the meaning, the historical folklore and possible magical uses.
It isn’t for modern ways of using herbs for health, well-being or medicinal purposes.
I would think that this would appeal to people interested in the historic uses of herbs, or people with an interest in the folklore of herbs for magical uses, or perhaps people who consider themselves to be white witches.
My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review.

I would like to thank netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Interesting but I'm not sure it's worth buying

The Complete Language of Herbs is a book of traditional meanings and uses of herbs and herbaceous plants in the traditional manner of the Victorians. It's a companion volume to S. Theresa Dietz's other encyclopedia with the same theme about flowers. Due out 2nd Aug 2022 from Quarto on their Wellfleet imprint, it's 256 pages and will be available in paperback format.

The book has a retro botanical print vibe and the introduction leads directly into a very short 'how to use this book'. The bulk of the book contains an alphabetical listing of the flowers and plants. Each listing contains a color illustration followed by some of the common names for each plant listed, symbolic meaning(s), possible powers, and folklore and facts. The listings are compact and there are 4-6 listings per page. The book includes a nice bibliography and index. The index includes the plants listed with common names alphabetically; the've also included an abbreviated bibliography for further research.

This is an appealing and very pretty book for a somewhat niche audience. It's more useful for readers who are interested in the folklore and historical uses of the plants contained in the listings rather than readers looking for practical culture and modern herbal uses.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I appreciate that this book gives a smartly placed warning at the very beginning: “(I)t should not be relied upon as recommending or promoting any specific diagnosis or method of treatment for a particular condition, and it is not intended as a substitute for medical advice or for direct diagnosis and treatment of a medical condition by a qualified physician. Readers who have questions about a particular condition, possible treatments for that condition, or possible reactions from the condition or its treatment should consult a physician or other qualified healthcare professional.”

Just an overall fun and informative read. This book provides Symbolic, Color, and Component Meanings, as well as Possible Powers, and Folklore and Facts about said herbs. Though my ARC was incomplete (and as such was missing some photos, facts, etc,), it contained more than enough to get a feel for the book. Which, again, is just plain fun.

The back includes lists! A list of culinary herbs, as well as common herb names. There apparently will also be a list of common meanings and powers, however my ARC did not have said information.

This makes for a much better physical book than digital; it’s rather difficult to read on an e-reader/tablet, due to formatting. I, for one, will be purchasing it - I said as much the moment I opened the document and saw the table explaining the symbols, levels of toxicity, etc. The drawings are pretty, too. c:

This is a really phenominal book on herbs when used for magic and medicinal properties. Beautifully designed and also contains a great amount of information. I particularly like how it explores the folklore of each herb. That information is not always easy to find. I would definitely recommend this book. It is one you will reference a lot.

In The Complete Language of Herbs: A Definitive and Illustrated History, S. Theresa Dietz lists in dictionary format over 500 (I didn't count!) examples from a wide variety of herbal plants with medicinal, culinary and other cultural uses over history, with each entry detailing:
🎓 the plant's botanical and common name(s);
🚩 whether the plant is toxic;
🧆 whether it has culinary and/or
🩺 medicinal uses either currently or in the past;
💕 its symbolic meanings;
💐 any particular associations with colour variations;
🌿 which component of the plant is used (branch, leaf, seeds, roots etc.);
🔮 its reputed mystical powers; and
👑 any folklore and additional facts concerning the plant.
Dietz is particularly insistent in her introduction around the potential toxicity of many plants if they come into contact with the skin or are ingested in one form or another, and effectively indemnifies herself against potential trouble by urging readers to conduct their own careful research prior to putting any of the listed plants to personal use.

While the narrow definition of a herb limits the class to small seed-bearing perennials, Dietz employs a much wider and more inclusive range, extending from commonly-known flowering plants to trees, bulbs, grains, and several fruits and vegetables. Her governing criteria seems to be that the plant in question, or a part thereof, has a history of symbolic or cultural use, beyond being a simple foodstuff, by humans. I was particularly chuffed to see that the Tasmanian Blue Gum (Eucalyptus globulus) merited a listing!

While there are references to propagation and practical applications, the emphasis is very much on the symbolic meanings and the cultural/spiritual history of each of the listed plants. While I'm not a big user of homemade herbal concoctions or wearer of talismans, I found this information absolutely fascinating. Each entry is also illustrated with an appealing painted image, also the work of author / artist S. Theresa Dietz. I'm attaching an image of one double-page spread as an example, as they really are lovely.

[image]

I'm presuming that the beautiful cover art, which I'll admit is what first drew me to this title, is also the author's work.

The Complete Language of Herbs: A Definitive and Illustrated History is helpfully rounded out by a list of all the culinary herbs referenced in the book, and not one but two indexes - the first listing plants by their common names, the second by their meanings and powers. While the version I read for this review was a pdf Advance Review Copy, in which the referencing hadn't been finalised, as a keen amateur gardener myself, I would have also appreciated indexing by botanical name, as common names vary so widely around the world (eg. coriander / cilantro, which mysteriously warrant two separate side-by-side listings, despite being the same species).

The Complete Language of Herbs: A Definitive and Illustrated History is a comprehensive and engrossing guide for those interested in botany and the cultural history of plants. It's a worthy companion to S. Theresa Dietz's earlier work, The Complete Language of Flowers: A Definitive and Illustrated History.

My thanks to the author / illustrator, S. Theresa Dietz, publisher Quarto Publishing Group – Wellfleet Press, and NetGalley UK for the opportunity to read and review this beautiful and fascinating book in advance of its publication on 9 August 2022.

This book wasn't what I expected.

It's an alphabetical list of plants along with their symbolic meanings, folklore, and possible powers...?

There are no images or drawings of the plants after page 31 and the index at the back with common names has no page numbers.

Whilst I appreciate that these issue are just with the advance digital reader copy I receivedvia NetGalley, it does make it really difficult to rate the book.

I like what few illustrations I can see and I imaginw the book most be a real treat for the eyes in its completed form.

Arranged by scientific name, the common name index will undoubtedly make using this guide easy and quick.
The 'Possible Powers' seems to be more about mystical atteibutes than practical uses and applications.

Overall, this book would suit those with a spiritual or mystical interests in plants and/or an interest in floriography.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me a free digital copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not sure how to rate an incomplete work when so many of it is redacted information. I really enjoyed the flower illustration that the author put out but maybe this one was lent out too soon.

Thanks to the publisher for a peek but I’m completely against reviewing a book that isn’t available in a viewable format.