Medicinal Plants of the Desert and Canyon West: A Guide to Identifying, Preparing, and Using Traditional Medicinal Plants Found in the Deserts and Canyons of the West and Southwest

I live in the desert; when I look out the window now, I no longer see pesky sage brush and annoying goat heads and pushy, intrusive shrubs and cactus. I see the living, breathing, quietly waiting elements of medicine for human health. I see the possibility of caring for ourselves in a world that has become toxic to ordinary people in ways our ancestors couldn't imagine. I'm very, very grateful to Mr. Moore for the legacy he left; we are stronger for his having lived.Hyperbole aside, the book is an invaluable reference. Not only does it describe the desert medicinal plants in excellent detail and provide information on preparation and usage, it also contains valuable insights into the preparation of medicinals in general and cleared up a few questions I didn't realize I had about the making of tinctures. My methods are better thanks to this book. That means my medicines will be more effective; no small thing.A lot of my reading material these days is in electronic form. Generally, just the books I think of as "happy trash"; those novels and stories that amuse me but that could evaporate tomorrow and leave no one much the poorer for it. But, I am keenly aware of which books should never be kept only in electronic form. We need printed books very, very much because they contain the potential to outlast electricity. This isn't a small consideration anymore. This book of Mr. Moore's should definitely be in your analog collection. It needs to last. Buy two copies to be sure.

I got this specifically for ephedra… and there isn’t a jot of information about it anywhere in this book under any name.Other than that- it’s a pretty great book. I just wanted to learn about ephedra and it’s not here which totally sucks.

I veer more towards western science than homeopathic cures, however I've tried several of the herbs/plants mentioned in this book and they are surprisingly effective. The book itself is concise, has a decent index, with color photos in the center to help make a correct identification of the plant(s). Michael Moore seems very well researched. If you are looking for regional alternative medicine, this book is a good place to start. There are also many references provided for further reading.

In preparation for a trip to the Southwest, I purchased Medicinal Plants to bone up on what I'd be finding while poking around the desert. I was surprised to discover how much was packed in its 180-some pages. Everything from small distribution maps to lists of constituents, preparation, usage, and collecting info is included, along with clear illustrations by Mimi Kamp and a middle section of color photographs. And let's not forget Moore's irreverent humor that pops up when you least expect it. I don't live in the Southwest, which is the only reason I held off from purchasing the book for as long as I did. Had I known what it was like, I would have purchased it long ago, travel plans or not.

This book is great. Living in the southwest desert of the USA. It has a map of native growing plants and their uses. The only down side is the images of the plants are kind of poor.

This is an informative technical manual. It includes both color photos and some drawings, and describes how to use the plants. Great resource.

Awesome book, lists specifics on constituents of each herb, preparation, and how and where to harvest each plant. I live in NW Florida, and still found this book more useful than ones written about the east coast plants.

I recently moved to the Sonoran Desert but had no idea what treasures awaited me until I bought and read this small book. This guide has opened my eyes to what is around me. I've taken pictures of interesting plants along the roads but didn't know they were medicinal or edible until I read about them here. The next time I go for a walk or drive, it will be with newly opened eyes. The illustrations are good, the instructions are specific. Some of the explanations and narratives are so hysterically funny, you will have no problem understanding effects of either taking or not taking described potion or poltice. I heartily recommend this quide on several different levels.