Earl Mindell

Also posted on my site The Paperback Stash

Earl Mindell's New Herb bible was one of the first books I bought on herbs. While this book is useful as a reference, it is in no way a definitive source that should be called a 'bible.' The writing is well done and simple, and the text and information aimed more toward a beginner in every sense of the word.

Mindell is more of a supplement expert, and it does show from time to time here. Some of his comments gave me pause though. For instance, he says show more "Homeopathic extracts used by homepathic practitioners are much stronger than conventional herbal tinctures and are strictly regulated by the FDA. They should only be used in conjunction with treatment by a homeopath practitioner." This threw me a bit, I'll admit it.

He goes on to say that herbal powders are common, yet does not mention that powdered herbs lose potency amazingly fast. When he said bitters can be nasty tasting and that some may prefer them in capsules, it's also left out that when you don't taste a bitter on the tongue, you don't get the effect, which is the point of taking a bitter. He also discusses Hippocrates as the father of modern medicine, a slight peeve of mine but no fault of the authors.

Chapter 2 is the point of the book - the 'hot hundred' Here Mindell discusses briefly 100 herbs. Some have one paragraph, others have six, with a listing of possible benefits, then how to use it, then cautions if applicable. As a quick reference for the beginner this is useful; however, it's also quite vague. Many can sit and say what an herb has been historically used for, what evidence may or may not show (using these words), but I never got the feel he put much faith into the herbs themselves.

Some of the cautions are a bit overdone as well, such as not to use blue cohosh because it could be toxic in high doses. Well....lots of things are toxic if overdosed on, does this mean we shouldn't use them in the right amount? On Cayenne pepper he states that people with gastrointestinal problems should not take cayenne and that you should be careful on the dose. Actually cayenne has shown much benefit in treating several gastrointestinal disorders and even if it feels hot going down, does not do damage or harm (or heat impact) internally. As to it causing kidney damage in high dosages? Never heard of this either.

However, this is not to say he is overly cautious about all, for he is not. He provides much of the information in a non-biased, fair way. He states the facts or studies on some herbs as they are, and then may put in his personal recommendation, such as on the comfrey controversy. His inclusion of "how to use it" for each herb came in handy as well.

From the hot hundred we go on to a listing of traditional favorites, broken down in the same way as above, then herbs from around the world (nice touch). Finally the herbal medicine cabinet has some basic and helpful remedies for a variety of complaints, from indigestion to colds and flu prevention. It ends with a chapter dedicated to women, then men, looking good, and aromatherapy.

In short it is a good book but because the scope was so large everything was kept short, basic, and simple...too much so. You learned a small amount about every herb, but not enough to really know any herb well enough. I would rather have a book that covered them in depth than barely brushing across them. All of it is generic and cautious.

While good for a beginner, there are others out there that educate more and allow one to see the bigger picture of things. Sometimes people who are past the beginners stages take great joy and still learn from basic herbals, I know I do, but this isn't the case here. I'm afraid if you've passed Herbalism 101 you'll be bored soon with this. Stick to it if you only want to know the basics a small bit at a time. show less

Interesting, overwhelming and perhaps more anecdotal than not. He lost me entirely when he said that bodybuilders should be eating a diet comprised of 90% carbs, 10% protein & little or no fat. *snerk* Then came the credulous chapter on homeopathy. I can't recommend this, unless to someone already predisposed to believe in miracle cures. I'm certain that a lot of the information is very good, but there were so many red flags for me that I ended up not believing any of it.

I'm not a doctor, pharmacist, or dietary specialist so I can't back up my 5-star rating with a guarantee that the information in this book is always accurate. But I sure hope that it is because there is no other book in my library that I refer to as often (besides my dictionary) or that is as dog-eared. I always know where this book is - which is not usually in its spot on the shelf in my library. Incidentally, if there are any LibraryThing doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dietary show more professionals, etc., who CAN vouch for this book - I would love to hear from you. show less

This is an interesting book that doesn't take into account the fact that some people with one type of allergy may also have other allergies - ones that specifically prevent them from using some of the remedies suggested in this book.