New Releases by Steven Foster

A modern classic of practical eco-therapy. Wholistically defines a very old, startlingly contemporary therapeutic paradigm for self-healing in a natural setting. The four faces of human nature, the wheel as initiatory path, the rites of the summer, fall, winter, and spring shields, the initiatory experience, passage as season, the mirror of the elders, shield dynamics. Overflowing with true life stories of healing in nature. If you''re looking for the flesh and blood -- as well as the bones -- of a radical new form of "therapy, you will find it here. Unique, unprecedented, spacious, insightful, wise, practical, lyrical, gently humorous evocation of the true nature of "human. A book tailored to fit the hunger of the 21st century for healing in the wilderness. A psychological paradigm of great value to ecologists, anthropologists, ministers, wilderness guides, and professionals in the health and helping fields. The drawings of James Wright add interpretive luster to a comprehensive, multidimensional text.

"Researchers, get busy!" and "caveat emptor" are the messages of this iteration (last, 1993; first, 1982) by herbalists Tyler (pharmacognosy, Purdue U.) and Foster, as they cull herbs'' healing virtues from the hype. Alphabetical entries from alfalfa to yucca provide: a brief description, proper nomenclature, plant from which derived, comments on usage, accessible discussion of the chemistry/pharmacology of its active components, evaluation of probable utility, and references. A 16-page summary chart may alone be worth the price. No illustrations, though. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

For many people who want to use herbs for good health, Stephen Foster provides the ultimate overview of how to use herbs for health and healing. 101 color photos.

A Guide to knowing and using 50 common herbs.

Noted author/photographer/lecturer/herbalist Steven Foster details the history of American medicinal plants, focusing on products such as taxol, a Pacific yew tree derivative used to treat cancer. He identifies medicinal plants and their uses by Native Americans, physicians, and modern pharmaceutical companies, and addresses issues of overharvesting wild plants, cultivating sustainable supplies, and developing regulatory guidelines.

Describes dangerous mammals, reptiles, spiders, insects, flowers, shrubs, trees, and mushrooms.

Herbal Emissaries is the first collaboration between a Chinese scientist and an American herbalist, blending traditional wisdom from both cultures with scientific verification of the effectiveness of forty-four medicinal plants. The authors supply specific techniques for cultivating these Chinese herbs and flowers in Western gardens and explain their medicinal use.

Echinacea provides both a contemporary and historical view of this important herb and its healing properties. Known as a non-specific stimulant to the immune system, it was highly valued in Native American medicine and was used more frequently than any other plant. Today, research shows clear scientific reasons for its effectiveness.