Empowering Self Care through Integrative Healthcare

Karin C. Uphoff

My Favorite Books – Must Haves

New Encyclopedia of herbs by Deni Brown

This is the book I always reach for when I come across an ornamental plant and wonder what medicinal magic it might hold. I can usually find it here, plus how to cultivate it, harvest it, and prepare it as food or medicine. It’s concise and easy to use, with signs to alert you to potentially toxic herbs.

Herbal Healing for Women by Rosemary Gladstar

One of the very first herb books for women and the book that began my interest in herbs. It covers all stages of female-hood with wisdom, understanding, and a dose of good humor. There are recipes for teas, tinctures, baths, and body products and they are easy to follow and effective.

The Male Herbal by James Green

There are few herbals that specifically address men’s health so this book is truly a service. It covers every nuance of men’s health and treatments with appropriate herbs with such humor that it is a pleasure to read for women as well.

The Complete Illustrated Guide to Holistic Herbal by David Hoffman

There is a later edition of this book, but the content is nearly the same. The color photos and detailed descriptions of individual herbs and how to use them, plus a discussion on the philosophy of herbal healing makes it a good reference for those beginning their study of herbs.

Anatomica’s Body Atlas

While seemingly simplistic next to Grey’s Anatomy, the beauty of this atlas is its clear illustrations and concise explanations of physiological functions make it easy to use. It is organized by body-systems, includes descriptions of cell types and tissues and has a 25pg symptoms table along with the index.

The Book of Herbal Wisdom by Matthew Wood

A library treasure for those seeking in-depth understanding of the past and present use of 41 medicinal plants. The first 60pgs of this 535pg volume gives a concise overview of herbal wisdom, plant signatures, elements, temperaments, patterns and constitutions for understanding how plants work synergistically with human energies.

The Herbal Kitchen by Kami McBride(2010)

This book gives a description of 50 common herbs and their uses, along with a whopping 250 recipes. The herbal drinks and foods are delicious and easy to prepare. There is much information on preparing oils, vinegars, salts and other condiments – keep this one in the kitchen!

Books that are Very Nice to Have