Herbal Remedies Books — What’s On My Bookshelf as a Certified Herbalist
When you’re working towards being more sovereign in your own health, having books on-hand to reference is required. It’s impossible for most of us to store every piece of information you might need in the future, and for this reason it is important to have at least a few books on hand to reference. Lay the groundwork of your herbal library with these books.
Boiling it Down to a Few
Because I recognize that it’s not in most of our budget to be able to buy 20+ books just to get started, I boiled things down to the first four I would buy as a beginner herbalist or someone who’s just getting started with herbs.
Note that these resources are not as a substitute for medical advice, but you may find that they can help prevent the need to use western medicine facilities as often.
Healing with the Herbs of Life — Lesley Tierra
Really good overview of a lot of common health issues, how they work and how to improve naturally
Includes monographs of traditional Chinese, western and Ayurvedic herbs
Great all-around as a home manual
Where There Is No Doctor: A Village Health Care Handbook — David Werner, Carol Thuman, Jane Maxwell
This book is from a western perspective and goes over what you should do in the event of an emergency without a doctor nearby
Heavier on first aid techniques and crisis management, as well as diagnostics and what certain illnesses look like
Very easy to understand & written in plain English
Natural Healing for Babies and Children — Aviva Jill Romm
Healing & commonly used herbal remedies for babies and children specifically such as colic, earache, stomach issues etc.
Not a very long book, but a good reference manual for child-specific remedies
Not all herbal medicines are safe for children and babies
The Herbal Medicine-Maker's Handbook: A Home Manual — James Green
Great manual covering how to craft your own medicinally-potent herbal infusions
Information on why using a certain method of extraction is better than another
Instructions for making infused oils, tinctures, salves, hydrosols and more!
Affordable Used Books
Many of these books are available in used condition for a much more affordable price. The links I have added are all going to amazon, which is where I purchased mine from, but you may also find some of these from local booksellers or other websites.
Libraries
If you are not able to afford these books right now, you may be able to find them at your local library for free. If your library doesn’t have them, you can also ask your librarian about the Inter-Library-Loan program to see if another regional library does.
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