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Dr. Duke's Essential Herbs: 13 Vital Herbs You Need to Disease-Proof Your Body, Boost Your Energy, Lengthen Your Life

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Dr. Duke's Essential Herbs: 13 Vital Herbs You Need to Disease-Proof Your Body, Boost Your Energy, Lengthen Your Life (Paperback)

by James A. Duke (Author)

(5 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The author of a comprehensive guide to herbal remedies (The Green Pharmacy) narrows his focus to 13 herbs that are the major components of his own health regimen. According to Duke, who worked as a specialist in medicinal plants at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Research Station, herbal remedies are often safer, cheaper and easier to use than synthetic drugs. Duke believes the herbs highlighted in this volume are ones that will improve overall health for "many, if not most, people," from children (with precautions) to adults. They include herbs that can improve eyesight (bilberry), boost the immune system (echinacea and garlic), detoxify (milk thistle) and serve as antidepressants (St. John's wort). In individual sections, Duke lists the physical problems that each herb targets and explains how the herbs work in the body. The appealing layout balances the more scientific information on research, dosages and possible side effects. Duke's dynamic narrative and personal anecdotes will likely gain the confidence of readers who feel shortchanged by the impersonal manner of many doctors and the limitations of conventional medications. The greatest value of the book, however, may be how Duke extracts a manageable group of herbs from the seemingly endless array being touted in the marketplace and offers a practical plan for integrating them into daily life. (Nov.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"If it exists, count on Duke to dig it up."--People Magazine"Perhaps the world's leading authority on medicinal plants."--New Age Journal

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Product Details

Paperback: 260 pages
Publisher: Rodale Books (September 30, 2000)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1579543405
ISBN-13: 978-1579543402
Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.7 x 0.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces

Average Customer Review:

(5 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #592,416 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Also Available in: Hardcover (1st) | All Editions

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	55% buy the item featured on this page: Dr. Duke's Essential Herbs: 13 Vital Herbs You Need to Disease-Proof Your Body, Boost Your Energy, Lengthen Your Life (5)
	17% buy The Green Pharmacy Herbal Handbook: Your Everyday Reference to the Best Herbs for Healing (11) $6.99
	10% buy The Green Pharmacy Anti-Aging Prescriptions: Herbs, Foods, and Natural Formulas to Keep You Young (4)
	10% buy The Green Pharmacy: New Discoveries in Herbal Remedies for Common Diseases and Conditions from the World's Foremost Authority on Healing Herbs (41) $13.57

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Customer Reviews

5 Reviews

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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

Energy Boost, November 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Dr. Duke's Essential Herbs: 13 Vital Herbs You Need to Disease-Proof Your Body, Boost Your Energy, Lengthen Your Life (Hardcover)

I've been taking some of the herbs that Dr. Duke mentioned in his book but there were some that I didn't know about. Since I've started taking them in less than two weeks I've noticed a definate increase in my energy level and just a sense of balance and well being. A great book!

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

Hard to justify only three stars, October 19, 2006

By	B. F. Mooney "biologist" (Mooresville, NC USA) - See all my reviews

To put it simply: three stars? Give me a break! There is no-one who can claim the same level of proven factual knowledge about ethnobotany, medicinal herbs, or herbal medicine as James A. Duke. Check his online ethnobotany database if you want some solid evidence. Investigate his outstanding background. Even Consumer Reports, the perennial skeptic when it comes to alternative medine claims, has touted James A. Duke as a reliable authority for those who wish to explore herbal alternatives.

As a professional biologist with a lot of biomedical experience, I am skeptical, too, by profession and nature; but my skepticism extends to ordinary allopathic medicine as well. Standard medicine is much more expert at the PR game, but its sad record in treating many diseases is there for anyone to see. Try reading Limits to Medicine: Medical Nemesis, the Expropriation of Health by Ivan Illich. Once you see the ENTIRE medical situation in perspective, you might uderstand why many smart people seek to benefit from Dr. Duke's unique honesty and expertise.

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9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

Will this book "disease-proof" your body?, September 25, 2004

By	M. Coppedge (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dr. Duke's Essential Herbs: 13 Vital Herbs You Need to Disease-Proof Your Body, Boost Your Energy, Lengthen Your Life (Hardcover)

Although the book title leads us to believe that Dr. Duke will focus on 13 herbs, he includes about three times that many in his book and discusses them in detail. He tells what the herbs are, how they should be taken and in what quantities, and what possible drawbacks there are.

This sounds like a very interesting book, but I question the validity of some of the author's claims. First, he emphasizes quantity. All herbs he suggests should be taken "as much as you can stand", and "lots of it" (his favorite words). Second, he believes that (low-cost) herbal teas are inferior to (expensive) herbal pills. Third, he uses the same language as the pharmaceutical industry. While pharma-companies, for example, advertise that you need not worry about heartburn from hot Mexican meals as long as you take their pills that prevent it, Dr. Duke says that you can go on an alcohol binge and not worry about a gout attack as long as you take celery seeds. Not a very responsible advice. Fourth, Dr. Duke tells us throughout the book which herbs he himself takes and in what quantities. Considering the amounts he takes, I wonder if there is any room left in his stomach for actual food. Fifth, the book's title makes you think that Dr. Duke can disease-proof your body, but Dr. Duke admits that he suffers from quite a number of common ailments. So, obviously, the title is inflated. And so may be some of his claims inside the book.

Some of his information is quite useful, especially when he makes cross-comparisons with other edible/medicinal plants, for example horse chestnut, buckwheat, and gingko and tells us how they could help reduce or prevent spider and varicose veins. I was fascinated though, that his own wife does not seem to trust his herbal knowledge and prefers to look for help elsewhere.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

Entertaining and Informative
This is a handy reference guide to 13 popular herbs and their functions. It is written for the average person, so you do not have to sift through scientific jargon. Read more

Published 7 months ago by Douglas Setter

Very good book
This is the first book I've read concerning herbs and I was impressed by James Duke's knowledge. THe book is very readable and in-depth. Read more

Published on December 11, 2000 by Randy Alvarez

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