In a remote French village in the province of Gascony, the young Messegue learned from his father the plant lore handed down by generations of his forebears - the special healing properties of everyday plants and flowers such as linden blossoms, corn popples, garlic, milfoil, and dozens of others that were to make up his pharmacopoeia.

At first regarded as a simple peasant, and sometimes a charlatan, Messegue gradually earned the respect of physicians and the praise of innumerable patients - among them international celebrities such as Winston Churchill, President Herriot of France, Ali Khan, King Farouk, Jean Cocteau, and the Cardinal who would become Pope John XXIII.

Of People And Plants is a combination of colorful anecdotes from Messegue's life and detailed Information about the use of specific plants In treating a wide variety of ailments. Its comprehensive appendices describe Messegue's preparations for the principal chronic diseases and provide recommendations for the seasonal and nutritional use of plants for optimal health. Instructions are also given for growing beneficial herbs and vegetables and for gathering wild medicinal plants.

This autobiography, flavored both by Messegue's rich French heritage and by the depth of his knowledge of native plant medicine, will be a fascinating addition to any herbal library.