Here is a list of books that have been published recently and that I have either read and recommend or that I am eager to read because they look great.
1. Adaptogens in Medical Herbalism: Elite Herbs and Natural Compounds for Mastering Stress, Aging, and Chronic Disease by Donald Yance
The author, Donald Yance is one of the world experts on adaptogens (also known as tonics in TCM or Rasayanas in Ayurveda). I have attended workshops with him on this topic and left feeling very impressed by the potential of these plants and Donald’s expertise in helping people. This book is at the top of my must-get list.
It appears this book is in the intermediate – advanced level for using herbs. If you want a book on this same topic but a bit more accessible for everyday folks, try the next title by David Winston.
2. Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief by David Winston
This book was published a few years ago. It is included here as a more accessible alternative to the work by Yance. It has set the standard for this topic and is often used as a reference by other authors and instructors.
3. The Wild Medicine Solution: Healing with Aromatic, Bitter, and Tonic Plants by Guido Mase
The author delves into three categories of herbs in a personal and in depth manner. The section on bitters is the best I have ever read and is worth the price by itself. The Aromatic chapter is also very well done. The one drawback is the section on Tonics. Nothing new here and it is presented better in other books. I like this book very much and refer to it in my classes.
4. Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook
By Dina Falconi
I haven’t had a chance to read this yet but the excerpts I have seen are impressive. It isn’t the first book on wild edibles and doesn’t present plants that aren’t covered in other works… however, the color illustrations appear very user friendly and special detailed sections of the plants are highlighted to help with ID in the field.
This book is self-published and is only available at the given website.
Other recommended herb titles are here.