3rd edition, by Dr. Sharol Marie Tilgner, 472 pages, 7x9, softcover. What better time than a pandemic to assemble your home apothecary? In this updated 3rd edition, Dr. Tilgner delivers a well-organized, comprehensive and useful guide to making herbal medicines—the best I’ve come across in my herbal peregrinations. The text’s depth appeals to the professional but remains approachable for an earnest dabbler like me. Although she provides an excellent chart for harvest times, this book not a guide to growing—it’s all about the medicine. The extensive materia medica covers 190 plants, highlighting usage, dosages and contraindications. Then, organized by bodily systems, she presents clear formulas for common health conditions. With access to the right herbs, anyone can follow these recipes. I’m most grateful for Dr. Tilgner’s step-by-step instructions for general preparations: tinctures, elixirs, salves, teas, suppositories, and more. For those trying to wriggle out of the corporate grasp of pharmaceutical companies, herbs are a powerful invitation to health and resilience. -Elisabeth Benjamin
