Coming April 30th, 2018
A New Herb Book by Sharol Tilgner N.D. - 440 pages
We can’t pigeonhole Herbal ABCs in one camp of herbalism or another. It is equally a traditional herbal, a clinical herbal, a scientific herbal, and a general reference for the application of herbal medicines. It is structured chapter-wise on traditional herbal actions and applications, an arrangement most useful for actually using the plants. In each category, Tilgner has selected a handful of the most important “clinical pearl” remedies from her long practice. The chapters are punctuated with case studies, stories, and anecdotes from her clinical experience, and also with her intuitive insights. Most remarkable is Tilgner’s exploration of the scientific research into the fields of pathophysiology and plant constituent science. She takes the “scientific herbal” to an unprecedented new level in her exploration of specialized literature, presenting it with a high level of functional scientific literacy. I have literally been waiting for decades to see an herbal describing animal trials which then states “Of course we have to be careful about extrapolating animal research to human application . . .” and we see this and similar functionally literate interpretations as the norm in her presentations of scientific material. Like her Herbal Medicine, which is three books-in-one (materia medica, formulary, and medicine making handbook) this book contains elements of books on four different topics, each done in depth, but synthesized into a single reference book. It is a pathophysiology book, exploring in-depth topics such as liver detoxification, cytokines, or lymphoid tissue, for each of its major sections, and taking the most contemporary science into account. In this regard it offers material in a depth that is not available in other contemporary herbal books. It goes in similar depth into the science on constituent categories such as demulcents, tannins, immunomodulators, phytoestrogens, nootropics, and others. Blended into this is a textbook on the science of nutrition and lifestyle. We don’t just learn the liver detoxification pathways and how plants may affect them, but we also see the nutrients necessary for their proper function. We see how stress, sleep debt, and other factors affect the physiology. And finally as its title implies, it is a reference book on herbal materia medica, covering the chief clinical actions of more than 245 herbs, with more than 100 of these featured for more in-depth coverage.
Ultimately, I see Herbal ABCs The Foundation of Herbal Medicine, as a new kind of Herbal for the 21st Century. In North America since the 1980s, we have evolved a community of elder herbalists, who, like Sharol Tilgner, have acquired a multifaceted mastery over decades of applied work in the different skill sets of herbalism: clinical practice, medicine making, reading of science, or study of older medical texts or systems. Herbal ABCs is perhaps the first fruit of this new and multifaceted and integrated mastery in North American herbalism. The book will be equally valuable for students of the younger generation, as for those already continuing to practice, study, and learn in our field.
Paul Bergner
North American Institute of Medical Herbalism
October 2017
You will find more details and can order this book direct from the publisher on April 20th, 2018 at the Herbaltransitions website. If you wish to pre-order the book, go to the Amazon link below. There is also a free give-away of books in exchange for a review on Amazon. You can find the give-away on our facebook page. See the link on the right side of this page.
