Due to economic considerations and the natural evolution of book marketing and sales, the American Botanical Council is adding to its catalog very few of the good new books that are being published. However, we do intend to keep our readers informed of books of particular interest that have arrived in our offices. In this issue we launch a new feature, New Book Profiles. Here, we only describe these new books; we have not yet had them reviewed.
If you wish to purchase any of these books or those that have been reviewed fully, please go to the book review section on our website <www.herbalgram.org/herbalgram/deptarticlelist.asp?d=11> and click on the "Order from Amazon.com" button. ABC will receive a small rebate from your order. If the book is not available through Amazon.com, we provide the publisher's website.
If you are interested in reviewing any of the books listed here, please contact Karen Robin, HerbalGram managing editor, at <KRobin@HerbalGram.org>.
The Herbal Internet Companion: Herbs and Herbal Medicine Online, by David Owen, MLS, PhD. The Haworth Press: Binghamton, NY; 2002. 193 pp., softcover. $49.95 ISBN 0-7890-1051-8.
Explains how to assess the quality of health information on the internet; use online indexes and database such as Medline; find mailing lists, chat rooms, and newsgroups; examine evidence about specific products; access internet resources in specialized health areas; research product side effects, adverse reactions, drug interactions and more.
Phytochemicals in Nutrition and Health, edited by Mark S. Meskin, Wayne R. Bidlack, Audra J. Davies and Stanley T. Omaye. CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL; 2002. 203 pp., hardcover. $109.95 ISBN 1-58716-083-8.
Provides answers to questions concerning the mechanisms of action associated with beneficial phytochemical groups. It examines new areas such as the efficacy and safety of medicinal herbs, the use of biotechnology to manipulate and enhance the phytochemical profiles of various plants, and the pharmacokinetics of phytochemicals in humans.
Natural Medicine Instructions for Patients, by Lara U. Pizzorno, Joseph E. Pizzorno Jr., ND, Michael T. Murray, ND. Churchill Livingstone: Philadelphia, London; 2002. 374 pp., softcover, illustrated, CD-ROM. $49.95 ISBN 0-443-07128-4.
Gives clear, concise, accurate, and readable information for patients about natural medicine approaches to the treatment of more than 70 specific conditions. In addition to helping patients to understand their condition better, it covers more than 70 conditions with full descriptions of each condition, prevention measures, expected outcomes, and treatment options. Created as a companion to The Textbook of Natural Medicine (Churchill Livingstone, 1999), the book is intended to be photocopied as needed for patients; accompanying CD-ROM enables users to select and print files.
Herbal Medicine: Chaos in the Market Place, by Rowena K. Richter, MPH, MBA. Haworth Press; Binghamton, NY; 2003. 220 pp., softcover. $19.95 ISBN 0-7890-1619-2.
Contains a thorough historical account of botanical regulation including insight into the development of the most relevant current law, the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994. In addition, it provides pertinent information on the regulation of herbal products in other nations, including Canada, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. Illustrative examples of potentially useful and potentially harmful herbs are also discussed.
Herbs in the Treatment of Children: Leading a Child to Health, by Julian Scott, PhD, Teresa Barlow. Churchill Livingstone: St. Louis, MO; 2003. 333 pp., softcover, photographs. $36.95 ISBN 0-443-07163-2.
Guides readers through the use of therapeutic herbs in the treatment of childhood illnesses, focusing on methods that lead a child back to health rather than just suppressing symptoms. It also provides information on recurrent and chronic illnesses, cause and patterns of each illness, and complications and dangers associated with using herbs to treat children.
CRC Handbook of Medicinal Spices, by James A. Duke, PhD, Mary Jo Bogenschutz-Godwin and Judi Ducellier. CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL; 2003. 348 pp., hardcover, illustrated. $119.95 ISBN 0-8493-1279-5.
Provides the science behind the folklore of more than 60 popular spices. It presents a chemical analysis of each spice, their biological activities, indications, and the culinary aspects of many medicinal spices. It also lists septic organisms killed or whose growth is curbed by each spice.
Lavender: The Genus Lavandula, edited by Maria Lis-Balchin. Taylor & Francis: New York; 2002. 268 pp., hardcover, photographs. $128.00 ISBN 0-415-28486-4.
A comprehensive volume covering all aspects of our current knowledge of lavender, including: taxonomy, history of usage and nomenclature; lavender cultivation; phytochemistry of the genus; chemistry of Lavandula oils; pharmacology and therapeutic properties; use of lavender oil in aromatherapy, cosmetics, perfume, and food processing; theory and practice of distillation and standardization of lavender oils.
Phytomedicines for Respiratory Tract Diseases, by Sigrun Chrubasik, MD, Basil Roufogalis. Australian Pharmaceutical Publishing Company: Balmain, NSW, Australia; 2002. 80 pp., softcover. $A27.50 (±US$18) ISBN 0-9580664-0-X.
Lists 45 phytomedicines traditionally used to treat respiratory tract diseases. Each entry lists the effectiveness of the product based on clinical studies, human pharmacological investigations, and in vivo and in vitro experiments. It also provides the recommended dosage, information on adverse events, toxicity, contraindications, warnings and precautions.
Growing At-Risk Medicinal Herbs: Cultivation, Conservation and Ecology, by Richo Cech in cooperation with United Plant Savers. Horizon Herbs: Williams, OR; 2002. 323 pp., softcover, illustrated. $14.95 ISBN 0-9700312-1-1.
Provides information needed to grow at-risk plants from the foundation knowledge of a seedsman, grower, and conservationist. A compelling book on one of the most important issues facing the future of botanical medicine: the demise of native medicinal plants in their natural habitat and what can be done to conserve these important wild resources.
The Last Sorcerer: Echoes of the Rainforest, by Ethan Russo, MD. Haworth Press: Binghamton, NY; 2002. 368 pp., softcover. $39.95 ISBN 0-7890-1270-7.
In this remarkable novel, American physician David Abravanel travels to the Peruvian Amazon to pursue research on rainforest plants. With his mentor, botanist Bart Campbell, he embarks on an expedition to learn the plant medicine secrets of a "lost tribe" of the Amazon.
Herbal Medicine and Botanical Medical Fads, edited by Frank Hoffmann, PhD, MLS, Martin Manning, MLS. Haworth Press: Binghamton, NY; 2002. 241 pp., softcover. $24.95 ISBN 0-7890-1149-2.
Combines the comprehensive information of a reference book with a colorful look at the histories and backgrounds of herbs and spices both commonplace and exotic. Integrating information from many sources, this book deals with history, folklore, clinical research, and popular culture. Topics covered range from aconite to zedoary, and include fascinating accounts of aphrodisiacs, stinging nettle, St. John's wort, and kava kava.
Quality Control of Herbal Drugs: An Approach to Evaluation of Botanicals, edited by Pulok K. Mukherjee, PhD. Business Horizons: New Delhi, India; 2002. 800 pp., hardcover. $295.00 ISBN 81-900788-4-4.
Presenting elements of both methods and theoretical backgrounds of different aspects on quality control and standardization of herbal drugs and formulations, this book also provides information on their analysis by different means of quality control approach for crude drugs to individual chemical entity as well as their biological activities.
Alkaloids: Nature's Curse or Blessing? by Manfred Hesse. Verlag Helvetica Chemica Acta, Wiley-VCH: Zurich, Switzerland; 2002. 413 pp., hardcover, photographs, illustrations. $135.00 ISBN 3-906390-24-1.
Provides detailed information regarding alkaloids. Information includes classification and structure, synthesis and chemotaxonomy, and chiroptical properties of alkaloids. Also talks about biogenesis and biological significance of alkaloids, active principles from selected alkaloid sources, and their cultural and historical significance.
Case Studies in Natural Medicine, edited by Melvyn R. Werbach, MD. Third Line Press Inc.: Tarzana, CA; 2002. 408 pp., hardcover with diskette. $49.95 ISBN 1-891710-02-8.
A compilation of 668 individual case reports in the field of natural medicine selected for their educational value. The reports are grouped according to the illness whose treatment they best illustrate, and contain actual stories of people treated with nutrition and supplements. In addition, it provides information on dietary, nutritional, and herbal treatments for 155 different illnesses.
Ancient Herbs, Modern Medicine: Improving Your Health by Combining Chinese Herbal Medicine and Western Medicine, by Henry Han, OMD, Glenn E. Miller, MD, and Nancy Deville. Bantam: New York; 2003. 468 pp., softcover. $13.95 ISBN 0-553-38118-0.
Demonstrates the many important, highly effective ways Chinese medicine and Western medicine can complement each other in treating everything from allergies and insomnia to mental illness and cancer. It also offers informative case studies on the importance of Western techniques in diagnosing serious diseases, and why Chinese medicine offers the most effective treatment for many chronic/recurrent illnesses, restoring essential balance to the five energetic systems (the heart, lung, spleen, liver, and kidney).
Mosby's Handbook of Herbs and Supplements and Their Therapeutic Uses, edited by Steven Bratman, MD, and Andrea M. Girman, MD, MPH. Mosby: St. Louis, MO; 2003. 1334 pp., softcover. $34.95 ISBN 0-323-02015-1.
Provides information on approximately 85 herbs, 80 supplements, and 75 common conditions. It focuses on the issues most relevant to actual clinical practice, such as drug interactions, safety issues, and identification of the natural products patients may be using. For each herb and supplement, provides scientific evidence (double-blind trials) regarding the uses, dosage, and mechanism of action, safety, and drug interactions.