A good reference guide and resource book for readers like me who wants to use herbs for home health remedies. I found some new information about plants I know and some I didn't know well. It was also helpful to review some of the plants/uses I already know and use (camomile, lavender, mint). Overall this is a good book to own and refer to as needed when want an alternative to over the counter meds.

Herbalism as a field is still relatively rare for me, but one I am intrigued by. I guess this goes back to my lifelong obsession with lavender. Almost from birth I have been swathed in lavender, from my grandmother's handsown sachets, to cremes gifted to me by my mother, to scents I buy myself. Its soothing qualities were the first I knew and have intrigued me to look a little further. Adrian White's 'Herbalism' is a great resource for a beginner as it seems to cover all of the basics and the background, from formulas to preparation methods and more.

A think I very much enjoyed was how White used their own personal experiences as well and noted where they were potentially out of their depth. The majority of the plants discussed are found in North America, so I'll have to do some research on the plantlife around me and see what from White's book I can employ. A think I was slightly hesitant about is the way essential oils were included in some recipes. I'm no expert, but as far as I'm aware they're not really recommended for internal use, so that put me off a little.

Overall a very interesting book and probably most useful to beginners like myself.

Interesting topic……. From Aloe Vera to Valerian, expert herbalist Adrian White introduces the uses of plants and herbs in medicinal healing, spirituality and magick. She covers the fascinating history of herbalism in different cultures across the world how plant medicines have since been integrated into modern medicine. A mini Materia Medica is also included, enabling readers to identify the most common plants in this practice and how to use them at home in teas, infused oils, salves and balms.

Learn to:
• Identify herbs
• Harvest and prepare them
• Use them in recipes and cooking

This is a great resource and I enjoyed the descriptions of the herbs. It was easy to read and the information was presented in an accessible manner. I am definitely going to keep it as a reference.

A basic but helpful book on herbalism in the vein of many other books I've read on the subject. I appreciate the direct instructions on different preparations, and the first-things-first note that herbalism is not made to replace modern medicine, but rather to augment. It's a helpful guide.

After experiencing herbal healing for the first time in Ecuador, Adrian White began exploring the world of herbalism.

In this book he share all the herbs he's benefitted from, alongside wonderfully detailed descriptions of the plants.

This is a great book for those wanting an introduction to herbalism, and the perfect book to ignite an interest.

Herbalism by Adrian White is a fantastic resource for those just getting into herbalism. This book gave me fresh ideas and was very easy to read and understand.

Herbalism by Adrian White is a fantastic resource for those just getting into herbalism. White touches many of the cornerstones of herbalism (energetics, formulas, preparations, and including plants into your life holistically) while still putting her own spin on the book with personal anecdotes and herbs that are meaningful to them.

Most of the plants included are found in North America so if you are looking to learn more about herbs from other continents this would not necessarily be what you are looking for.

The one thing that I wish would have been handled differently was the essential oils. White admits that she is not an expert on them, so I wish when she did include them she would have done more research or contacted an expert.
In one formula it calls for ⅓ of a cup of dried lavender or essential oil. If I was new to herbalism and knew nothing about essential oils I would think that ⅓ of a cup of lavender essential oil could be used in place of the dried flower. This is not recommended at all… that much essential oil would be unsafe. First the assault on your sense of smell would be horrible and then ingesting that much would not be good for you.
And there’s another recipe that just says essential oil, no recommendation of how many drops.

I am a certified aromatherapist via the Aromahead Institute, and through my studies there and elsewhere over the past 20 years, I would not recommend any internal use of essential oils. They are wonderful for skin care or to inhale the scents to help medically or just for enjoyment, but if you want to consume it, eat the actual plant instead (dried or fresh) or use a food grade oil approved by the FDA to add more flavor to your baked goods.

I cannot speak more highly of this book and author. It would be a great book for anyone picking up their first book on herbalism as well as those advanced in their field. It provides the information you need without being daunting for a beginner. My favorite thing about what the author did in this book was give alternatives to culturally specific herbs and practices to help keep those who aren’t a part of those cultures practicing while being respectful and mindful. Herbalism by Adrian White has been my favorite book on the subject I have read in years. I’d give it more than five starts if I could.

Super love the easy to follow instructions and the monographs about how to gather/preserve/use herbs in different ways.

Herbalism is a great, comprehensive guide to herbs. It includes everything from harvesting to making poultices, bitters, oils, etc. to how herbs taste to the benefits and how they work. I read it cover to cover, but it might be best used as a guide as you progress along your herbal journey. The instructions are concise and easy to follow. I'm eager to put the book in practice to help with several issues including inflammation, allergies, etc.

Excellent intro to Herbalism! The author covers everything from teas, infusions, decoctions, salves, poultice, syrups, vinegars, shrubs, tinctures, extracts and bitters. Also included is a glossary of herbalism terms, and an in-depth dive into 16 herbs that she finds most helpful.

Thank you Netgalley and Arcturus Publishing for the ARC!

WOW, So Much Valuable Information

Herbalist Adrian White began this book by providing extensive background information on herbalism, and states that curiosity is what sparks the interest of every novice herbalist. The appeal of caring for and healing one’s health at home, with the help of plants, is hard to resist – and the results can be astonishing, empowering, even life-changing. She states that Herbalism is not a secret, untapped underground healing method adjacent to mainstream medicine nor is it somehow better than the ‘true’ form of healthcare, self-care or nutrition that we all need, It is just a different, alternative or complement; thus, that is why herbalism is often placed in the category of ‘alternative’ or ‘complementary’ medicine, though it ought to be more foundational than modern medicine.

The author further states that herbalism is a simpler, more natural approach to taking care of ones health and the body that the world (mostly the white Western world) has long lost – replaced by conventional medicine, leaving modern healing quite one-sided. However, she states that in understanding herbs and how they work best, one can use the word ‘holistic’, which means that a remedy works for the whole body and the entire disease, bodily system, or imbalance. Along with the holistic approach, homeopathic treatment is also discussed. This involves using extremely small doses of a herbal medicine – sometimes as little as a few drops of tincture or extract, which can have profound effects on the body.

One of the important things that the author discusses is that of allopathic healthcare (or allopathy, the approach to health that currently dominates conventional mainstream medicine). Today, the most advanced treatments involve pharmaceutical pills, chemical treatments, radiation, surgery and other interventions, some of which can eradicate illnesses like cancer. But on the whole, allopathy is designed to suppress and get rid of symptoms only, not the disease itself, and there are certain herbs that work a lot like mainstream allopathic remedies, such as angelica, lemon balm or hops, just to name a few.

Adrian states that almost all plants – whether used as functional foods, holistic remedies or like allopathic treatments – also have spiritual uses. These spiritual (or in some cases, magickal) uses are defined by the cultures that first learned to work with and master their uses, whether medicinal, spiritual or both.

The author discusses some basic herbal prescriptions such as teas, infusions, decoctions, salves, poultice, syrups, vinegars, shrubs, tinctures, extracts and bitters. Additionally, she discusses harvesting herbs, and states that she hopes readers of this book will explore the 16 herbs that she (and other herbalists) have found so much joy working with on a culinary level, a self-healing level, or both. Thus, she provides a glossary of herbalism terms, a listing of many herbs, each's energetics, parts of the plant used, the best preparation, and it's properties. Plus, she advises of a warning before use.

Adrian states that she couldn’t possibly fit everything there is to know and every possible healing benefit into this book, so she hopes readers are satisfied with these introductions – helped along (hopefully) by sharing her personal experiences with them as briefly and as helpfully as she could.

Through the author's comprehensive information, you'll learn how to replace medical antibiotics and antivirals with herbal remedies with far fewer side effects. The book shows once and for all that you can ditch high-cost pharmaceuticals and use natural remedies for nearly every common ailment. In Herbalism, you'll discover:
1. The best herbal treatments for many conditions,
2. Easy natural medicine preparation methods,
3. The correct dosages you should use, and much, much more!

I feel this is a comprehensively book with a lot of inspirational benefits from the safe use of natural remedies, and if you like herbal alternatives, easy-to-follow preparation instructions, and detailed guidance, then you'll love Adrian White's wonderfully written.

This is such a great book on herbalism, I learned so much. The author discussed herbs in a clear, concise, and easy to understand manner. I know this is a book that I will want to return to again and again.

I read this book in one sitting. I’ve always grown herbs and used them for teas and in cooking. This book gave me fresh ideas and was very easy to read and understand. I loved the section on making poultices, definitely going to try these if needed.
Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was such a good book to read through. Well written, researched and knowledgeable. The author clearly knows this craft, and articulates it through the pages of this book. Highly recommend to anyone who collects herbal books, and related topics.