alternative therapy

This is a great book for starting out or for recipes. As noted it doesn't cover the modes of action (turn to Kurt Schnaubelt or R. B. Tisserand if you want that), but it is an excellent book! It starts off with a basic care "kit" of ten moderately priced essential oils. However if you read the WHOLE (unlike those who claim she uses only ten) book you'll find she covers many others. She covers common medical problems (consult a doctor first, of course), beauty creams and lotions, household uses, garden uses, and food. I would research the pet uses first, she suggests giving tansy to a horse which is a good way to end up with a dead horse. When purchasing essential oils always check the scientific name of the plant from which the oils was extracted--otherwise you may end up with something other than you intended (ie. eucalyptus, eucalyptus lemon and eucalyptus peppermint depending upon whom you purchase them from are all labeled eucalyptus, it is the scientific name that distinguishes them) Overall this is an excellent, excellent book.

For anyone new to aromatherapy and essential oils, this book is a MUST have!! Worwood covers a plethora of medical conditions and commonplace ailments, and gives step-by-step instructions on how to use the oils. She devotes two entire chapters to building and using (during travel and in daily life) a Basic Care Kit from the ten most *essential* Essential Oils, and includes several very thorough chapters dedicated to the subjects of babies, body care, women, men, and the elderly, to name a few. In the last few chapters, she gives invaluable advice on making your own perfumes and creative gifts, enhancing the food you cook, and even tending your gardens with essential oils. This book is well worth the [money amount]price tag and will definitely be one of the most easily accessible books on my shelves!

If you're interested in aromatherapy, or even *thinking* about it, this book is a must-have for your collection.

I would like to say this was help in my introduction to Aromatherapy, but it requires you own hundreds of oils to select from. Many are very expensive, and some are hard to find. Then leaves something like Tangerine out all together. I would also like to have seen more on which oils are for burning in diffusers and which are for message. It seems that most are for message and that might be great for many folks but I was looking for a more diverse introduction. An advanced user or someone into message therapy might feel differently, but it seemed it cut many subjects short leaving the reader wondering whether to message the oil in or burn it, or make soap out of it...