The Complete Language of Herbs by S Theresa Dietz looks like it will be a fun and attractive guide to all things herbal. I phrase it that way because the digital review copy I have is further away from being complete than most I get. That said, based on my experience with the publisher, and seeing the pages that look close to finished, I am confident in giving a good review.

The entries for each herb include the basic information, with a short bit about its role in folklore. While this doesn't offer specifics on how to use each herb for health or medicinal purposes (I don't even want to think about how big such a book would have to be) it does mention what it is believed to be useful for. From that, you can ask a CAM practitioner or look up how to use it. This is a general reference, not a medicinal how-to book.

The images they have are very nice and are geared, it seems, toward being able to identify the plants. Probably the part that I found most interesting was the folklore section of each herb. For some, it may well be the uses, or as Dietz calls it, "possible powers."

I would recommend this to anyone wanting a handy reference book on herbs that is also an attractive book. Because the version I saw is far from final, I would suggest looking at a physical copy or using a "look inside" type feature if online. But I feel confident that the finished version will be fine.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. ( )