The Book of Herbal Wisdom: Using Plants as Medicines

This book is not for someone who just wants a "here, take this herb for your headache" approach, so at first I was quite disappointed by it, and I put it on a shelf and left it. A few years later, when my attitude about medicine had changed considerably, I picked it up again and found it to be utterly engrossing and very rewarding. Its function is to give one a deeper understanding of how plants interact with our bodies and lives to heal us holistically. It inspires one to look at and thoroughly understand the plant before using it. For example: I am a novice and a mild cynic, but thanks to the clear writing I immediately caught on to the important concept of "the doctrine of signatures," in which plants are said to resemble the organs they treat. The book points directly to real life, and soon I was using my limited understandings of plants to arrive at ideas of how they would work based on their form. Before I read the entire description of the Iris, I guessed that it would be useful for blood sugar problems because I have noticed that Irises smell like grape Kool-Aid. Later I came across some Jimsonweed in my yard and immediately guessed at its poisonous, nerve-affecting and heart-affecting properties based on the four-chambered spiky, head-like seed pod. When I looked up later, there was also a reference to the extreme laxity of its users, just like the laxity of the plant. It is hilariously cartoonish. I gained a deeper understanding of herbs from this book; but I also gained the understanding that herbalism is a lifetime study just like conventional medicine. You will not become an accomplished herbalist just by reading the book; but you can use it as a map for your journey.

If you want to know about herbs more than just buying supplements with "proprietary formulas" read this book. It is writen by a scholar, medicine man, and practitioner embodied in one person, Mathew Wood. The first 64 pages present both rational and spiritual foundations of herbology and read as a thriller. Following the author, you will understand fundamental fallacies of official medicine(called "biomedicine" by Wood)imposed on us by the cartel including pharmaceutical companies, FDA, AMA, and the majority of doctors. (Disclosure: I am not a medical doctor.)Biomedicine does not heal or cure, it "treats." It addresses symptoms rather than root causes of the decease. It kills bacterias rather than create the environment in which they cannot flourish. It feeds you drugs with sometimes horrible side-effects. The list goes on and on but the bottom line is this: official medicine is not about your health, it is about money. The second part of the book is dedicated to detailed descriptions of more than 40 herbs, with their history going way back to ancient Greece and medieval Europe as well as China. Matthew Wood describes patient patterns and situations in which they can be beneficially used, how they should be used, and illustrates their applications with multiple case histories from both historical and his own pratices. Having read the book, you will want to have many of these herbs in your medicine cabinet making teas, decoctions, infusions, salves and, perhaps, even your own tinctures. I have been collecting a small library of alternative (why do they call it this way??) and herbal medicine, and this book stand in it prominently as a superstar. Buy it, read it, and use its recommendations to live full healthy life.

this the very best herbal book I have or have EVER read. believe me I have quite the library and I love all my herbal books and value them to the max but this one stands out, even in all Matthew's books, this one has so much and on so many levels. he's a really bright guy with as good of an education as you can get in herbal medicine so you have the foundation covered there. but the magic he brings to this book is his knowledge of the sacred, spiritual, metaphysical and magical knowledge of the herbs he has learned from his Native American & earth based teachers & friends and allows to come out in this book. Hey, Matt if you read this; please, please write a book based on your 'other level ' of knowledge that you let shine thru here but leaves me hungry for more of your herbal spiritual & deeply metaphysical knowledge you possess and allow us only a shy look into in THE BOOK OF WISDOM. you have whetted my desire for this knowledge and if you will bring more of it forth I will put it to good use in the real world. it really is a well named book! ps/ I have never met matt in person. just so you know i 'am not smoozing.

I am very excited to dive into this book and know for a fact that the knowledge it holds will be tremendous. I am disappointed though that this “brand new” book came with stains already on it. I am very meticulous about my books, so it being stained upon opening the package did not leave me very pleased. I will of course still read, love and fully utilize it. Just wanted to make you aware in case more got damaged somehow in the process.

This is a wonderful herbal compendium and one of the few that I have actually read cover to cover for pleasure, as opposed to just looking up specific herbs or topics. The author is very candid in sharing what has worked for him AND what has not. He also generously shared what he has learned from other herbalists. This is the kind of book that will lead you to actually retain what you learn, versus just a how-to book. It's as close to learning personally from a master as a book can get. I do have one issue, though. Matthew Wood has a very soft spot for homeopathy, and sometimes intermingles homeopathic plant-based remedies in with herbal treatments which becomes confusing at times. They really are (I believe) separate systems of medicine and I believe it really makes a difference whether you are using a homeopathic preparation or an herbal preparation, and this should be made clearer in the text. He also believes in using very low doses, even of regular herbal tinctures-- sometimes as low as a drop or two. I studied at Dr. Christopher's School of Natural Healing, and also trained in Chinese herbalism, and in my studies of these 2 traditions, my experience as well as that of my teachers informs me that one of the biggest problems with clients who say herbs don't work is that they take too little. I'll just leave that there, but I'm not sure why this aspect of treatment would be so different among competent herbalists. So with that one point of confusion aside, this is one of my top favorite herb books and I'll definitely be exploring more of Wood's work.

Buy this book! If you're like me and you are having a tough time deciding on an herbal book to purchase, because there are so many wonderful ones, then this should be at the top of your list! Matthew Wood does such an amazing job at making this book feel more than just a book. It is a whole experience as you tag along with him reading into different cultures and histories. This book has everything, it is informative while providing a spiritual and magical aspect to herbalism as well. This is for the people who want to look at herbs and plants, as more than just a mere plant, but a consciousness. Wood provides many case histories, either his own personal experiences or those recorded by other herbalists. Each herb is provided with a history of the herb, case histories, the many uses, influences and their personalities! It has been a journey and such a joy to read.

I have almost all of Wood's books and this is my favorite of his. I am a skilled enough herbalist to recognize wisdom and passion in another, and Wood has both in spades. If you like a herbal book you can enjoyably read from cover to cover and still gain a lot of scientific, anecdotal, and folkloric knowledge from, then this is the one! Also, it you've heard about Matthew Wood and don't know which book to get first...again, this is the one. It successfully blends the best features of his entire bibliography without getting repetitive in the least. It'd serve as a great introduction to his work, as well as a great starter book for any budding herbalist, and a must-have read for herbalists of every experience level. I still recommend getting them all, though!

Matthew Wood brings a variety of his gifts together as writer, historian, herbalist and a man of prodigious memory and herbal storytelling. This book stands out as my favorite herbal reference because it treats each herb to a whole chapter. Any lover of plants knows that there is much more to describe an herb than the usual sort of important lists of information most commonly shared in herbal reference books. This book helps one to get to know these 41 herbs much as you would know a friend or relative in their habits and ways of helping. I pick up this book over and over simply because it is such good reading and I don't remember everything. If you like to learn through story and beautiful prose, this just may be your book! It fills a very unique niche of herbal literature. The 41 herbs are quite available in the Midwest habitat and many overlap into other areas. My only disappointment is that there is not a second volume to cover the many other herbs that didn't fit into the first volume.

This is a great herbal book with a lot of information. It will be one of my go to books for herbs.

A lot to learn from in this book, thoroughly enjoying it

This has quickly become my go to herbal. It doesn't tell you how to make herbal remedies - that info is easily available elsewhere. What it does give you is Matthew's depth of personal knowledge of the herbs as remedies from a lifetime's professional use plus his extensive researched knowledge. He shares all of this from a profound communication with the plants through knowing them as a herb grower and user while honouring their true gifts. It will change your prespective profoundly. If I could it would get 10 stars

Muy completo

This reference book is thorough and complete. An excellent guide to have in your collection. I refer to it almost daily.