Herbal

by Joseph Wood Krutch

106 illustrations with theories and discoveries of herbalists from ancient times to the present day. Poetry, science, philosophy and humour can be fund in the descriptions of one hundred plants and six creatures.

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1965

About the author

Works of American critic, naturalist, and writer Joseph Wood Krutch include The Modern Temper (1929) and The Measure of Man (1954).

He worked as a professor at Columbia University from 1937 to 1953. Moving to Arizona in 1952, he wrote books about natural issues of ecology, the southwestern desert environment, and the natural history of the Grand Canyon, winning renown as a naturalist and conservationist. Krutch is possibly best known for A Desert Year , which won the John Burroughs medal in 1954.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_...

Reviews

[Juli Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is full of absolutely beautiful prints, but the text was lacking.

[Brenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Irrelevant historical writings on the auspicious mysticism of plants throughout the ages. mostly derived from Dioscirides and Pliny the Elder

[tout · Rating 3 out of 5]

The pictures seduced me into reading this book. It's illustrated gloriously by woodcut prints from the 1400s. The rest of the book, I didn't find useful, but it could certainly be for one interested in source material and cursory reflections on the founders of herbalism, that acts in a way as an haphazard genealogy of herbalism and botany. If I'm interested in Theophrastus I'd read other books. But again, the pictures are fucking incredible, and the rest is a ramble. Ramble. Ramble.

[Sherry (sethurner) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book for it's gorgeous, over-size woodcut prints of plants. When I take the time to read about each one it is a treat as well. Herein lies everything anyone could want to know about bog asphodel, lettuce, crocus, lavender, mistletoe, juniper, henbane and more. Honestly, it's beautiful.