Stephen Orr's newest book called The New American Herbal is gorgeous---one of those beautiful Clarkson Potter heavy-weight paperbacks. And with Orr having a background working for Martha Stewart Living, House & Garden and Domino, you'd expect quality work. He doesn't disappoint.
I've collected books on herbal cures, plants, and recipes for several years. Some focus on different topics and they all work together to fill my needs. Orr goes into depth about identification, uses in recipes and teas, and gives extensive historical information. I was especially fond of his findings from old herbals.
In speaking of Cumin he quotes Theophratus saying, "One must curse and abuse it while sowing, if the crop is to be fair and abundant."
And in Orr's words, "Farmers sowed the seed with epithets and incantations to preserve this highly valued plant from the evil eye so it would flourish." Magical.
For this writer to share those bits of history adds to the beauty of the book. It's not simply full of facts and his own wonderful photographs, but also with information you'd not automatically expect.
I highly recommend The New American Herbal for anyone who (like me) wants to enrich your own herbalist's library. I can't praise it enough.
(i received this book free to review from blogging for books)
