nature – MANDY'S READING LIST

The Complete Language of Herbs: A Definitive & Illustrated History by S. Theresa Dietz is an essential compendium for any herbalist.

Plants and herbs have been used throughout history to heal the body—but understanding how to use the medicinal properties of plants in teas, tinctures, and food has become somewhat of a lost art. This book takes us back to our roots, helping us to decode and decipher the lost language of herbs.

The book is presented like a dictionary, organized alphabetically by the scientific name of each herb. Names and varieties are listed, along with symbolic meanings, possible powers, folklore, and facts, making this a unique and new approach to herbal understanding. Illustrations accompany each entry, making it easy for readers to identify and visualize specific herbs. Every common herb is covered, from Sage to Sasparilla.

“All herbs in this book mean something, and they just might have the power to actually manifest a magical effect if the enablement is, at the very least, a heartfelt wish.” Whether you use herbs for cooking, medicine, aromatherapy, or floral arrangements, we should all be using herbs as magical proxies to enhance our power and better our lives.

A huge thank you to Lydia at Quarto Publishing for sending me another amazing Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) of this title. All opinions are my own.

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Henry David Thoreau is considered by many to be the environmental father of the green movement. As a teacher, scientist, historian, student, author, and naturalist, Thoreau has made a number of contributions to the ecological movement, his most significant including his own personal published reflections on conservation and his search for the meaning of life through the relationship he had with nature. His published works have “helped to launch the American environmental movement that continues to this day,” (Weiner, 30) and understanding Thoreau is key to conservation efforts today. Thoreau offers counsel and example exactly suited for our perilous moment in time: By studying Thoreau and putting his ideals into practice, we can overcome the challenges facing the modern environment.

Henry David Thoreau, disciple of Ralph Waldo Emerson, sought isolation and nearness to nature. In his writings he suggests that all living things have rights that humans should recognize, implying that we have a responsibility to respect and care for nature rather than destroying it. Thoreau proclaims, “Every creature is better alive than dead, men moose and pine-trees, and he who understands it aright will rather preserve its life than destroy it” (Neimark, 94).