Smithsonian Handbooks: Herbs (Smithsonian Handbooks) Paperback – October 1, 2002

I really enjoy this book. I liked it so much I got my friend one.

Being somewhat new to medicinal herbalism, I was going through pages of pages of books on Amazon one night when I saw this book. I immediately recognized the DK Handbooks cover style, since I have an absolutely fantastic book on Birds in North America from DK Handbooks as well. That book is by far the best guide to bird identification and general bird info I've ever seen, so I was immediately excited assuming this would be just as great, and for the most part, it is. The bird book is literally the only bird ID book I need, whereas this will certainly not be the only Herb ID book I'll need, I should say that. It's much thinner than the bird book but still covers LOTS of herbs. One thing that first struck me as odd is the many plants listed in this book that I wouldn't consider an herb, things like bananas, mangoes, fir trees, lilac trees, and many other fruits and trees. There's a brief explanation in the beginning of the book explaining that they include any plant with cosmetic or medicinal benefit to be an 'herb'.... so I'll have to take their word on that one.Still, there are many 'Herb-herbs' listed, your more commonly known Valerian, Chamomile, St. John's Wort, etc., as well as tons of others I've never heard of. One source of confusion for me is that some of these herbs are listed as being found in Europe or other countries, when I know they grow wild in the United States as well, but there's no mention of that. So I'm not sure what that's about, but be aware that these are herbs as being listed as from all over the globe, so many you won't ever see, depending on your region. On the plus side however, the format I've become used to from the DK Handbook line is still there, with excellent photos of the plants from several angles (blossom, stem, overall plant), uses (whether that be medicinal or cosmetic) and other remarks that are noteworthy. It also lists the Family, Species, Local Name, Habitat and Parts of the plant used. Most herbs get a full page, others are two-to-a-page, and a few three on a page. Every single herb gets a photo or more, so you won't be disappointed as with some books that preview photos and actually turns out to have very few. It's a solid, packed book, with no page wasted. Heavy but small enough to carry in a backpack or hold comfortably in your hand.It does have some helpful introductory pages in the front that briefly talk about preparation, gardens, cooking, etc., but do not buy this book for that information, it's only a few pages. The vast majority of the book is more of a field guide identification book, NOT a home herbalist how-to and there are no remedies/recipes or anything like that. I knew that when I bought it, but I thought I'd mention it for others who may be wondering.It will certainly not be my only herbal identification book, as I was looking for something focusing a bit more on medicinal herbs that I'd find foraging locally, or can grow myself, and this book has a lot of trees, shrubs and herbs I will likely never come across or use, but it's still an excellent reference book in general and I'm very glad I have it as part of my herbal library.

Besides the outer cover slight damage & appears pages at once point got moist, & a $2.00 sticker (funny lol) the contents are perfectly fine & the hard cover is in solid shape. I always recommend doing a book seal for all covers to help preserve the life in the long term. Very happy with my purchase just had to wait a tad but thats okay for this book.

This product was written for lay people. It's concise and easy to understand and has plenty of pictures.

I've always enjoyed the Smithsonian Handbooks, and this one is one of my personal favorites. Not only does it give you a full color photo of the herbs in question, but it gives you a thorough description of their individual parts, their uses, and the occasional tidbit about their historical use. However, I do wish the pictures were a little bigger, and more thorough in showing all the parts of the plant, and perhaps even how it looks throughout the year, perhaps even including pictures of related species within the same articles. Other than that I recommend this book for the avid herbalist or nature lover with a basic knowledge of herbs.

I bought this book because I'm interested in herbal medicine. This book is great - it covers ALL kinds of things, not just herbs. While it doesn't go into detail regarding all the medical uses or how to prepare herbs, it's a great field guide to help you distinguish the herbs and plants you want to pick and use. It has full color photos!This is a great resource if you need to identify plants, but if you're looking for how to use herbs, I suggest The Herbal-Medicine Makers Handbook by James Green.

This book is one of the best books on herbs that I have found to date, considering I have references ranging from the seventeenth century to modern day, I believe I have the authority to make this statement. This book is great for the novice as well as the experienced individual. It contains information on the uses of each herb, photos and written descriptions. I find this book easy to use and a quick reference. I never go hiking or on herb walks without a copy in my pack.

I purchased a lot of these handbooks and love them all - easy and interesting even if your not a gardener it will help you ID what your neighbors are growing - and might even spark an interest in adding to your yard.

The strength of this book lies with the excellent pictures that enable the reader to identify herbs. Compact and easily used. Usual good quality that one may expect from DK.

I wanted this book for a while came way faster then I expected pretty good condition thanks.

Love it. So glad I purchased it.

NO INDIAN HERBS!

Excellent read really informative