Arab/American: Landscape, Culture, and Cuisine in Two Great Deserts. Gary Paul Nabhan. Tucson, AZ: The University of Arizona Press; 2008. 141 pages, hardcover and softcover, b&w photos, references. $40.00 (hardcover); ISBN 978-081652-658-1. $17.95 (softcover); ISBN 978-0-81652-659-8.
The landscapes, cultures, and cuisines of deserts in the Middle East and North America have commonalities that have seldom been explored by scientists or celebrated by society at large. Arab/American is a revelation of the deep cultural linkages between the inhabitants of two of the world’s great desert regions. With an extraordinary ear for language and a truly adventurous palate, Nabhan uncovers surprising convergences between the landscape ecology, ethnogeography, agriculture, and cuisines of the Middle East and the binational Desert Southwest.
Rare Plants of Texas. Jackie M. Poole, William R. Carr, Dana M. Price and Jason R. Singhurst. College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press; 2007. 656 pages, softcover, color photos, b&w illustrations, maps, glossary, references, index. $35.00. ISBN 978-1-58544-557-8.
Complete with photographs, line drawings, and county maps, this book describes the officially listed, candidate, and species-of-concern plants in Texas. Individual accounts include information on distribution, habitat, physical description, flowering time, federal and state status, similar species, and published references. The authors also provide chapters on the state’s vegetation regions, the history of plant conservation in Texas, ranking methods, threats to native plants, recovery methods, and reporting guidelines.
Ayurvedic Medicine: The Principles of Traditional Practice. Sebastian Pole. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Ltd; 2006. 399 pages, hardcover, color photos, tables, glossaries, resources, bibliography, appendices, index. $79.99. ISBN 978-0-44310-090-1.
Ayurvedic Medicine brings the unique theories and traditions of Ayurveda alive so that they are accessible to the complementary health practitioner of today. This book offers a clear, accessible, and detailed guide to Ayurvedic herbalism. It includes a brief history of the growth of Ayurveda, a discussion of its fundamental principles and treatment strategies, and a description of the energetic approach of traditional Ayurvedic herbal pharmacy and pharmacology. It also emphasizes the importance of using sustainably harvested herbs in clinical practice.
Herbal Therapy & Supplements: A Scientific and Traditional Approach. Merrily A. Kuhn and David Winston. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer / Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2008. 560 pages, softcover, appendices, glossary, index. $39.95. ISBN 978-1-58255-462-4.
This pocket guide contains essentials of herbal and supplement therapy that combines the traditional and scientific worlds. The book covers 115 herbs that are commonly available in the United States and Canada and 15 nutritional supplements. Each monograph includes pharmacology, traditional and current uses, safety information, and a bibliography.
Plant Spirit Healing: A Guide to Working with Plant Consciousness. Pam Montgomery. Rochester, VT: Bear & Company; 2008. 248 pages, softcover, color photos, bibliography, index. $16.00. ISBN 978-159143-077-3.
Veteran herbalist Pam Montgomery offers an understanding of the origins of disease and the therapeutic use of plant spirits to bring balance and healing. She uses a process engaging heart, soul, and spirit that she calls the triple spirit path. According to Montgomery, plant spirits offer a guide to spiritual evolution—a stage of growth imperative not only for the healing of humans but also for the healing of the earth.
The Juicing Bible: Second Edition. Pat Crocker. Toronto, Canada: Robert Rose Inc; 2008. 400 pages, softcover, color photos, b&w illustrations, index. $24.95. ISBN 978-0-77880-181-8.
This new edition of a beloved best-seller provides 350 juicing recipes, including 100 new recipes. In addition to addressing more than 80 common health conditions, it offers new pages of health information, including a “healthy body systems” section that provides information on the critically important cardiovascular and immune systems. Any health-conscious person can now readily optimize the selections and combinations of prescriptive juices, which are extensively cross-referenced.
Vinton McCabe explores the history of the Bach flower remedies, as well as the philosophy behind their appropriate use. He also explains Bach’s own philosophy of healing, one that stresses the need for emotional healing and the role it plays in physical health. McCabe provides in-depth portraits of the guiding symptoms for each of Bach’s 38 remedies—portraits created with insight, humor, and an understanding of human emotions and behaviors that will allow readers to identify themselves and those who are part of their lives within these pages.
The Great Cacti: Ethnobotany & Biogeography. David Yetman. Tucson, AZ: The University of Arizona Press; 2007. 320 pages, hardcover, color photos, maps, glossary, references, indexes. $59.95. ISBN 978-0-81652-431-0.
Yetman has been fascinated by columnar cacti for most of his life and now brings years of study and reflection to a wide-ranging and handsomely illustrated book. Drawing on his close association with the Guarijíos, Mayos, and Seris of Mexico—peoples for whom such cacti have been indispensable to survival—he offers evidence of the importance of these plants in human cultures. Focusing particularly on northwestern Mexico and the southwestern United States, Yetman examines the role of each species in human society, describing how cacti have provided food, shelter, medicine, and even religiously significant hallucinogens.
Biology and Chemistry of Jerusalem Artichoke: Helianthus tuberosus L. Stanley J. Kays and Stephen F. Nottingham. Boca Raton, FL: Taylor and Francis Group; 2008. 496 pages, hardcover, tables, appendices, index. $139.95. ISBN 978-1-42004495-9.
This book reviews the history, classification, morphology, and anatomy of the Jerusalem artichoke. It offers an in-depth explanation of Jerusalem artichoke’s potential as a major source of inulin, a fructose polymer that provides dietary health benefits in relation to obesity and diabetes. It also examines the use of Jerusalem artichokes as a biofuel, as well as provides details in regards to breeding, propagation, developmental biology, and agronomic practices.