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An ethnobotanical study of the hill tribes of Northern Thailand. This is a black-and-white edition. ... Read more

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The study of European wild food plants and herbal medicines is an old discipline that has been invigorated by a new generation of researchers pursuing ethnobotanical studies in fresh contexts. Modern botanical and medical science itself was built on studies of Medieval Europeans' use of food plants and medicinal herbs. In spite of monumental changes introduced in the Age of Discovery and Mercantile Capitalism, some communities, often of immigrants in foreign lands, continue to hold on to old recipes and traditions, while others have adopted and enculturated exotic plants and remedies into their diets and pharmacopoeia in new and creative ways. Now in the 21st century, in the age of the European Union and Globalization, European folk botany is once again dynamically responding to changing cultural, economic, and political contexts. The authors and studies presented in this book reflect work being conducted across Europe's many regions.They tell the story of the on-going evolution of human-plant relations in one of the most bioculturally dynamic places on the planet, and explore new approaches that link the re-evaluation of plant-based cultural heritage with the conservation and use of biocultural diversity. ... Read more

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The use of poisonous plant extracts for weapons has no greater tradition anywhere on earth than in Africa.They also are a possible source of medicines.In some countries, arrow poisons continue to be utilized, especially for criminal purposes, in tribal warfare and in preventing the depredations of wild animals. On the other hand, the respective cultures are absorbed to an increasing extent by modern urban civilization without other records of their traditions, apart from the oral ones.
African Ethnobotany: Poisons and Drugs is the first work that comprehensively reviews the chemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of this plant group, which provides hunting poisons and drugs.
This book gives the basis for further research. For each plant, the botany if given followed by numerous names in the various African languages and dialects, the use for arrow poison with its composition and distribution, often with very interesting information on ethnological and cultural aspects, the traditional medicine, detailed chemistry, pharmacology and toxicology as well as numerous literature references.
This book is valuable in study or research in botany, chemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology. ... Read more

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This book examines the roles of plants in context of the lives of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), with an emphasis on the use of plants in medicine. The ECBI are a Native American tribe who live in part of their ancestral homelands of the Southern Appalachians located in the southwest corner of North Carolina. Throughout time, plants have fulfilled many roles in Cherokee society that have become interwoven with their traditional identity. This research, driven by needs articulated by the Cherokee, seeks to provide a potential path through which they might sustain their traditional identity, specifically that portion which deals with the use of plants for medicine. The unique contribution of this work is the synthesis of the expert voices of the Cherokee healers in such a way that the context of the knowledge is preserved electronically, thus providing a valuable resource for sustaining identity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Good Introduction
This is a wonderful book for someone interested in plants of the Sonora Desert and/or the culture of the Pima. The book is filled with anecdotes of the author's experience working with members of the Pima community in a time when Native Americans were expected to stay on their reservation and conform to modern society. Even in the 1940's the traditional ways were in the process of being lost. The Pima were eating the white man's foods instead of their traditional foods, and diabetes and heart disease were beginning to take a toll. This book is a nice introduction to these topics, though more indepth books have since been written. ... Read more

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This case study illustrates the contemporary archaeological field of ethnobotany, and explores the interrelationships between the prehistoric residents of a small valley in coastal Ecuador and the dry tropical forest habitat in which they lived. The work has three related objectives: 1. it is an ethnobotany – a work that explores how, through the medium of culture, people shape and are shaped by the environment in which they live, 2. it is a work that synthesizes results of some 10 years of research done by Pearsall during the Jama Archaeological-Paleoethnobotanical project, and 3. it is a work that provides Pearsall with the opportunity to illustrate paleoethnobotanical research methods, an important component of contemporary interdisciplinary archaeology. Pearsall took as her subject the 3,600-year-old archaeological record of the Jama River valley in northern Manabi, Ecuador, and she determined what plants people selected for food, fuel, building materials, and ritual; evaluated the impact of agricultural activities on the tropical forest environment; and examined the response of populations to volcanic ash fall disasters. Broken into four parts, this case study starts with an introduction to the field of ethnobotany, then goes on to describe Pearsall's experiences doing field work in the Jama River Valley and the results of her research, and concludes with an illustration of how ethnobotany fits into and contributes to archaeology. ... Read more

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In great condition for a used book
This product said it was in adequate condition, but it was in much better condition than I thought it would be. Shipping took a couple weeks, but I would buy from this source again. ... Read more

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Wild or non-cultivated plants are crucial to the lives of a large portion of the world's population, providing low-cost building materials, fuel, food supplements, medicines, tools and sources of income. Despite their importance, their vulnerability to harvesting and other social impacts is not well understood. This is the first practical guide to be published on how to manage wild plant species sustainably.

This practical manual on the value and management of wild plant resources sets out the approaches and field methods involved in participatory work between conservationists and researchers and the primary resource users. Supported by extensive illustrations, it explains how local people can learn to assess the pressures on plant resources and what steps to take to ensure their continued availability.

This guide will be invaluable for all those involved in resource management decisions regarding plant species and diversity, in particular those studying or working in conservation, rural development and park management.

Published in association with WWF International and UNESCO ... Read more

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This work is a detailed study of people and plants in Little Dixie, a seven-county region of central Missouri. Based on three summers of field research, Professor Nolan combines ethnoscience with folklore to document what and why people know about wild plants in this little-known section of the American Midwest. The book is organized around the cognitive and behavioral differences between local experts and _novices_ who gather wild plant foods and medicines regularly throughout the seasons in Little Dixie. Ethnobotanical knowledge is described as an ongoing interaction between ecology and cognition, under constant modification by shifting cultural beliefs about edibility, efficacy, and sensory appeal. As consumable resources and symbols of belonging, wild plants are detailed with ethnographic context and vivid pen-and-ink sketches. Wild Harvest in the Heartland will appeal to a broad audience of anthropologists, ethnobotanists, folklorists, and ecologists, and will provide a welcome resource for naturalists, conservationists, and outdoor enthusiasts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Amazing thoughts come together in this one of a kind book
This book is extremely interesting. The pictures and graphs truly enhance the manuscripts readibility. It is a great read, especially for anyone who is familiar with the upper south or has a true love for the natrual world. Two thumbs up! ... Read more

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"Ethnobotany of Pohnpei" examines the relationship between plants, people, and traditional culture on Pohnpei, one of the four island members of the Federated States of Micronesia. It is the result of a decade of research by a team of local people and international specialists carried out under the direction of the Mwoalen Wahu Ileilehn Pohnpei (Pohnpei Council of Traditional Leaders). It discusses the uses of the native and introduced plant species that have sustained human life on the island and its outlying atolls for generations, including Piper methysticum (locally known as sakau and recognized throughout the Pacific as kava), which is essential in defining cultural identity for Pohnpeians. The work also focuses on ethnomedicine, the traditional medical system used to address health conditions, and its associated beliefs. Pohnpei, and indeed the Micronesian region, is one of the world's great centers of botanical endemism: it is home to many plant species found nowhere else on earth. The ultimate goal of this volume is to give readers a sense of the traditional ethnobotanical knowledge that still exists in the area, to make them aware of its vulnerability to modernization, and to encourage local people to respect this ancient knowledge and keep such practices alive. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Ethnobotany of Pohnpei:Plants,People, and Island Culture
This book supervises all life in this small but verybeautiful island. The companied people's life with plants, animals and all of nature. We realized there people is in a good harmony with surrounding flora and fauna. This book is suggesting how we build future way of daily life for the sustainable society on this planet. Only one is remaining to this book, I hope more easy to understand its environment and history by overviewing map and others. However, this book keeps its high value to be deposited in every book shelf of public/home.

Extraordinary Accomplishment
Kudos to Dr. Balick! This is a brilliant example of the best practices of ethnobotany.Dr. Balick's book is not only an expression of inspired scholarship, but it appropriately salutes the practitioners of traditional healing and resource management.I consider it a must read for all who care deeply about the preservation of cultural and biological diversity.

Buy at UH Press
The book is excellent -- however it lists at $28 at UH Press. That's dirt cheap for this type of book.

wrong price?
University of Hawaii Press has a list price for this book of $28.Could $55 be the hardcover price?My one-star rating is for the price here, as I don't yet know the contents of the book. ... Read more

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The Mayos, an indigenous people of northwestern Mexico, live in small towns spread over southern Sonora and northern Sinaloa, lands of remarkable biological diversity. Traditional Mayo knowledge is quickly being lost as this culture becomes absorbed into modern Mexico. Moreover, as big agriculture spreads into the region, the natural biodiversity of these lands is also rapidly disappearing. This engaging and accessible ethnobotany, based on hundreds of interviews with the Mayos and illustrated with the authors' strikingly beautiful photographs, helps preserve our knowledge of both an indigenous culture and an endangered environment.

This book contains a comprehensive description of northwest Mexico's tropical deciduous forests and thornscrub on the traditional Mayo lands reaching from the Sea of CortŽs to the foothills of the Sierra Madre. The first half of the book is a highly readable account of the climate, geology, and vegetation of the region. The authors also provide a valuable history of the people, their language, culture, festival traditions, and plant use. The second half of the book is an annotated list of plants presenting the authors' detailed findings on plant use in Mayo culture. ... Read more

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These essays examine the diverse plant environments of Polynesia, the relationship of plants to Polynesian voyaging, and use of specific plants by Polynesians. ... Read more

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Nature and Status, published in 1978, is still a standard text of the discipline, with classic papers exploring theoretical issues, principles of plant utilization, prehistoric economics, and more. A reprint of this watershed volume includes all these classic papers, along with a new 30 page introduction by Ford, and pages of new references. ... Read more

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Contributed articles. ... Read more