Book Review: Herbs – Plain & Simple Over 100 Recipes for Health and Healing by Marlene Houghton

Herbs – Plain & Simple – Over 100 Recipes for Health and Healing

by Marlene Houghton

As someone who has had more than a passing interest in herbs, and works with them on intermittent basis, I can definitely say that this book lives us to its’ name. It is definitely “plain and simple”. This does not mean that it is not chock-full of information – because it is. This does not mean that it is only meant for beginners. – because it is not. What is does mean is that this little book, at 169 pages, gets right to the point, dispensing herbal information in simple, everyday language.

It is broken into three sections – Herbs & Health, Herbs for Different Body Systems, and Herbs for Everyday Use. Each of these is broken down into even smaller sections, making it very easy to read exactly what you need at any given time.

Herbs & Health begins with a very brief history of herbalism going back to the ancient Sumerians, followed by an herbal properties’ glossary. This section is wrapped up with delivery methods, such as tincture, infusion, etc.

The second section does not disappoint with a fairly thorough discussion of which herbs help which part of the body. Heart health and the respiratory system are just two of those examined. There are several pages dedicated to each body system, focusing specifically on how each of these systems are improved by which herb.

The “wrap-up” section, Herbs for Everyday Use, was my personal favorite. It begins with the must-haves for an herbal first aid kit, and for those who are not vegan, is followed by medicinal honeys. Next up is herbal baths, using the essential oils of the herb instead of the plant itself and ends with the favorite tea blends.

My feeling is that this would be a good book to have in your herbal library; it’s small, simple and concise, good for both beginners and those who are more advanced in their herbal studies, plus everyone in between!!