Plants for the People: A Modern Guide to Plant Medicine

by Erin Lovell Verinder

Plants are our oldest source of medicine and a leading wellspring of our future cures. This book is a celebration of plants and an introduction to their healing powers. An exploration of the plant world through the eyes of master herbalist Erin Lovell Verinder, her expert advice weaves ancient traditional knowledge with a modern approach to plant medicine.


Including dozens of medicinal plants—from aloe vera to turmeric—this volume introduces readers to each plant’s unique personality, story, characteristics, quirks, and strengths. Verinder explains how to use these herbs in tinctures, teas, balms, essences, lotions, and more. From gathering to storing, Plants for the People is filled with captivating visuals and informative text to give readers an understanding of plant medicines.


This herbal compendium encourages readers to explore the world of plant medicine and expand their journey to health and wellness through nature’s bounty.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Gardening, Health, Plants, Spirituality

208 pages, Hardcover

Published May 5, 2020

Reviews

[julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve listened to many podcasts that speak about our relationships with plants and their spiritual nature but this is the first book I’ve read that talks about it so openly. The book has beautiful photographs and has a very clean aesthetic. I love how she focused on plants that are easily accessible to most people and talked about the beneficial aspects of ‘weeds’. I originally wrote that this feels like a great intro to herbalism but I wish there was a bit more content. However, before I returned it to the library I had a health issue come up and I turned to this book and was incredibly happy at how direct and uncomplicated it was to use. It’s probably my favorite herbal resource I’ve used. It covers all the right things and keeps it simple enough to actually use without feeling overwhelmed.

[Aimee-Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love all the recipes for tea and I love how it talks about sustainable foraging, what fresh and dried herbs are used for, how to prepare your jars, how to make tinctures etc. a lot of information and great for me; a beginner on the herbal & holistic path. Definitely a book I want to own as I borrowed it from the library.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alright it’s time to move this to read. This is not something I read straight through in one go, but used more like a cook book in order to create tonics and tinctures. Our first batch of tonics was a massive fail. Our local tea shop only had powdered yarrow, but we accidentally did the proportions as if it were dried and they just did NOT taste good. 2nd batch was better - still using the powdered yarrow.

This is a very pretty book with beautiful matte photos and nice thick pages. However, it’s not very good as a reference. You will not be able to wake up one day with a belly ache, and look to the index to find all bellyache remedies. It will require fiddling into each section for you to creat the correct concoction for you. I think even the author mentioned how this is not suppose to be a reference like that in the intro, but for me that’s why this isn’t the best to keep in my kitchen. It’s more of a pretty coffee table book with some interesting recipes and factoids about different types of plants, and small overviews of their medicinal qualities.

Anyway, I love this as an addition to my library, but as a novice to the world of herbal remedies, this is not the best reference out there. I’ll keep her around, but on the hunt for something better.

[Lizzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful layout and overall typorgraphy of the book. It was so interesting to learn more about the the healing properties of the plants around us! I only wish there were more native Australian plants chosen and discussion of how these are used in Indigenous communities! Perhaps an idea for book two.

[Mackenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be an excellent resource to anyone just starting out in herbalism. However, the book doesn’t have that many recipes and has a lot of blank space. The photography is really nice. I liked the plant profiles.

[elle jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really beautiful book! - simple, but still manages to be really informative. I feel confident to get started creating some of my own brews after reading, and I'm sure I'll re-read and refer to this for many years.

[Cheyenne · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely beautiful read. Definitely a beginner's book on herbalism but I love the writing, photography, and mood of this book. It's is concise, inspiring, and spiritual. Should be a must on every herbalists shelf!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely. The images, format, descriptions of each plant... A wonderful companion in a home for all who love the gift of plants and want to grow in utilizing their healing qualities for all kinds of disease and ailments.

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great addition to my library, a wealth of knowledge and beautifully presented.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely and helpful book with great recipes and pictures!

[Georgia Whitton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most amazing book!!! Everybody needs to read this. It has such valuable teachings in it.