cover image Herbs for Health and Healing: A Drug-Free Guide to Prevention and Care

Herbs for Health and Healing: A Drug-Free Guide to Prevention and Care

Kathi Keville. Rodale Press, $27.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-87596-293-1

Keville, director of the American Herbalist Association, delivers an entertaining compendium of herbal medicine. Clearly and enthusiastically writing about the benefits of natural healing, Keville limits her coverage to those herbs that are safe; for the novice, she includes simple instructions for making herbal preparations as well as guidelines for buying them. Grouping ailments by body system--respiratory, digestive, etc.--she provides recipes for remedies that she has found effective in her 30 years of studying herbalism. Separate sections on men's, women's and children's health problems offer treatments for conditions ranging from baldness and impotence to menstrual cramps and teething pain. There's even advice on putting together an herbal first-aid kit and a list of beauty tips for women. This guide, however, is not for those who require scientific proof, for although Keville sometimes cities studies supporting use of particular herbs, her evidence is largely anecdotal. Personal stories of successful healing abound in the text, and, along with the history and folklore, are what make the text enjoyable. (Aug.)