The Pocket Herbal Reference
Worth buying if: You enjoy Rita Elkins’s plainspoken entries on kitchen herbs like basil, rosemary, and thyme.
Skip it if: You need exhaustive pharmacology or peer-reviewed clinical data—this is a practical pocket manual, not a scien.
Exact edition: Edition shown · ISBN-13 9781885670373. The Amazon link uses this ISBN, so the product page should open to the edition shown here.
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Summary
Rita Elkins’s The Pocket Herbal Reference condenses identification, uses, and preparations for dozens of garden and wild herbs into 160 portable pages, with illustrations and clear cross-references for home herbalists and cooks.
Why this book now
As home gardening and herbal cooking keep growing, this 1997 Woodland Pub pocket guide remains a handy, non-technical reference for everyday herb use and identification.
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Best for readers who...
Good fit if you want...
- You enjoy Rita Elkins’s plainspoken entries on kitchen herbs like basil, rosemary, and thyme.
- You carry a small Woodland Pub field guide for on-the-spot herbal ID or simple tincture and infusion notes.
- If humor is important, the narrator’s perspective shifts your trust.
- You need exhaustive pharmacology or peer-reviewed clinical data—this is a practical pocket manual, not a scien.
- You expect region-specific foraging maps or advanced botany illustrations—this edition is concise and general-.
- You need the newest edition, freshest examples, or the most current framing.
Decided it fits?
Exact edition: Edition shown · ISBN-13 9781885670373
Worth buying if: You enjoy Rita Elkins’s plainspoken entries on kitchen herbs like basil, rosemary, and thyme.
Skip it if: You need exhaustive pharmacology or peer-reviewed clinical data—this is a practical pocket manual, not a scien.
Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.
Reader guide
Cues to help you decide faster.
Reading commitment
Quick Easy to move through
160 compact pages make this a quick reference you can browse in single sittings or consult on the go; expect short, recipe-like entries and sketches rather than long chapters.
What stands out here
This Woodland Pub 1997 pocket edition emphasizes economical, hands-on herb profiles—ID notes, traditional uses, and simple preparations—rather than academic citations.
Best way to approach it
Flip to a named herb, skim the identification cues and preparation tips, and use the book alongside your garden or kitchen for immediate, practical application.
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Exact edition: ISBN-13 9781885670373
Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.