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Is it possible that plants have shaped the very trajectory of human
cultures? Using riveting stories of fieldwork in remote villages,
two of the world's leading ethnobotanists argue that our past and
our future are deeply intertwined with plants. Creating massive sea
craft from plants, indigenous shipwrights spurred the navigation of
the world's oceans. Today, indigenous agricultural innovations
continue to feed, clothe, and heal the world's population. One out
of four prescription drugs, for example, were discovered from
plants used by traditional healers. Objects as common as baskets
for winnowing or wooden boxes to store feathers were ornamented
with traditional designs demonstrating the human ability to
understand our environment and to perceive the cosmos. Throughout
the world, the human body has been used as the ultimate canvas for
plant-based adornment as well as indelible design using tattoo
inks. Plants also garnered religious significance, both as
offerings to the gods and as a doorway into the other world.
Indigenous claims that plants themselves are sacred is leading to a
startling reformulation of conservation. The authors argue that
conservation goals can best be achieved by learning from, rather
than opposing, indigenous peoples and their beliefs. KEY FEATURES *
An engrossing narrative that invites the reader to personally
engage with the relationship between plants, people, and culture *
Full-color illustrations throughout-including many original
photographs captured by the authors during fieldwork * New to this
edition-"Plants That Harm," a chapter that examines the dangers of
poisonous plants and the promise that their study holds for novel
treatments for some of our most serious diseases, including
Alzheimer's and substance addiction * Additional readings at the
end of each chapter to encourage further exploration * Boxed
features on selected topics that offer further insight *
Provocative questions to facilitate group discussion Designed for
the college classroom as well as for lay readers, this update of
Plants, People, and Culture entices the reader with firsthand
stories of fieldwork, spectacular illustrations, and a deep respect
for both indigenous peoples and the earth's natural heritage.
Is it possible that plants have shaped the very trajectory of human
cultures? Using riveting stories of fieldwork in remote villages,
two of the world's leading ethnobotanists argue that our past and
our future are deeply intertwined with plants. Creating massive sea
craft from plants, indigenous shipwrights spurred the navigation of
the world's oceans. Today, indigenous agricultural innovations
continue to feed, clothe, and heal the world's population. One out
of four prescription drugs, for example, were discovered from
plants used by traditional healers. Objects as common as baskets
for winnowing or wooden boxes to store feathers were ornamented
with traditional designs demonstrating the human ability to
understand our environment and to perceive the cosmos. Throughout
the world, the human body has been used as the ultimate canvas for
plant-based adornment as well as indelible design using tattoo
inks. Plants also garnered religious significance, both as
offerings to the gods and as a doorway into the other world.
Indigenous claims that plants themselves are sacred is leading to a
startling reformulation of conservation. The authors argue that
conservation goals can best be achieved by learning from, rather
than opposing, indigenous peoples and their beliefs. KEY FEATURES *
An engrossing narrative that invites the reader to personally
engage with the relationship between plants, people, and culture *
Full-color illustrations throughout-including many original
photographs captured by the authors during fieldwork * New to this
edition-"Plants That Harm," a chapter that examines the dangers of
poisonous plants and the promise that their study holds for novel
treatments for some of our most serious diseases, including
Alzheimer's and substance addiction * Additional readings at the
end of each chapter to encourage further exploration * Boxed
features on selected topics that offer further insight *
Provocative questions to facilitate group discussion Designed for
the college classroom as well as for lay readers, this update of
Plants, People, and Culture entices the reader with firsthand
stories of fieldwork, spectacular illustrations, and a deep respect
for both indigenous peoples and the earth's natural heritage.
This third edition of the Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious
Plants is designed to assist the clinician in the initial response
to the needs of a child or adult exposed to a poisonous or
injurious plant. It highlights common and important plants that
lead to the adverse effects upon exposure, and it describes the
mechanisms of action of the implicated toxin, clinical
manifestations, and specific therapeutics, as available, for each.
This truly comprehensive resource is botanically rigorous with
insights from both the pharmacognosy and medical literature. At the
same time, it is also for those who are interested in growing and
enjoying the plants in their environment, filling in a
not-often-discussed botanical and horticultural niche that goes
beyond their beautiful physical appearance. Plants contain many
useful chemicals that humans have used for millennia as botanical
curatives. This book will help the reader understand the fine
balance between a medication and a poison, why plants contain these
natural substances, and their impact on the human body. With its
thorough references and full-color photos of hundreds of
potentially toxic and injurious plants inside and outside the home,
this book is useful for identifying and addressing concerns about
cultivated species and those found in the wild. This book will be
of interest to botanists, horticulturists, clinicians, and
naturalists as well as hikers, gardeners, and all those who simply
enjoy the wonders of nature and the great outdoors.
The Republic of Palau in the Caroline Islands has a traditional
medical system developed over many generations. The Palau Primary
Health Care Manual compiles traditional ethnomedical information
about plants and presents it within the context of Western
Medicine. Many common health conditions are discussed in this book,
including those specific to Palauan culture. The book is divided
into chapters that discuss plant therapies used in traditional
medical care including preventive medicine, chronic disease, bites
and stings, diarrhea and gastrointestinal disorders, skin
disorders, cuts, wounds, and broken bones, stress, pain, women's
health, men's health, colds and flu, and ear, nose, and throat.
Also provided is scientific information about each species
including efficacy, pharmacology, and potential toxicity, where
known. It is intended as an educational manual for Palau and the
Pacific region, an area where traditional medicine and some of the
plants used in its practice, are endangered resources. Based on
extensive on-island research and a comprehensive review of the
literature, the book has been produced by a group of Palauan and
international experts, specialists in ethnomedicine, clinical care,
public health, biology, conservation, and Pacific Island culture.
Full Color Edition] Pohnpei, one of the four island members of the
Federated States of Micronesia in the Caroline Islands, has a
traditional medical system developed over many generations. The
Pohnpei Primary Health Care Manual compiles traditional
ethnomedical information about plants and presents it within the
context of Western medicine. Many common health conditions are
discussed in this book, including those specific to Pohnpeian
culture. Also provided is scientific information about each
species, including efficacy, pharmacology and potential toxicity,
where known. This book is intended as an educational manual for
Pohnpei and the Pacific region, an area where traditional medicine
and some of the plants used in its practice, are endangered
resources. Based on a decade of on-island research and extensive
literature review, the book has been produced by a group of
Pohnpeian and international experts, specialists in ethnomedicine,
clinical care, public health, biology, conservation and Pacific
Island culture.
Black and White Edition] Pohnpei, one of the four island members of
the Federated States of Micronesia in the Caroline Islands, has a
traditional medical system developed over many generations. The
Pohnpei Primary Health Care Manual compiles traditional
ethnomedical information about plants and presents it within the
context of Western medicine. Many common health conditions are
discussed in this book, including those specific to Pohnpeian
culture. Also provided is scientific information about each
species, including efficacy, pharmacology and potential toxicity,
where known. This book is intended as an educational manual for
Pohnpei and the Pacific region, an area where traditional medicine
and some of the plants used in its practice, are endangered
resources. Based on a decade of on-island research and extensive
literature review, the book has been produced by a group of
Pohnpeian and international experts, specialists in ethnomedicine,
clinical care, public health, biology, conservation and Pacific
Island culture.
From the pre-Columbian era to the present, native Amazonians have
shaped the land around them, emphasizing utilization, conservation,
and sustainability. These priorities stand in stark contrast to
colonial and contemporary exploitation of Amazonia by outside
interests. With essays from environmental scientists, botanists,
and anthropologists, this volume explores the various effects of
human development on Amazonia. The contributors argue that by
protecting and drawing on local knowledge and values, further
environmental ruin can be avoided.
Despite its small size, Belize is one of the most ecologically and
culturally diverse nations in Central America. Over 3,400 species
of plants can be found here, within a diversity of ecological
habitats. Because of this, Belize is paradise for ecotourists,
hosting over 900,000 visitors annually, who enjoy the natural
habitat and friendly people of this nation. Many of the plants of
Belize have a long history of being "useful," with properties that
have served traditional herbal healers of the region as well as
those who use plants as food, forage, fiber, ornament, in
construction and ritual, along with many other purposes. With
Messages from the Gods: A Guide to the Useful Plants of Belize,
Drs. Michael Balick and Rosita Arvigo give us the definitive
resource on the many species of plants in Belize and their
folklore, as well as the natural history of the region and a
detailed discussion of "bush" uses of plants, including for
traditional healing and life in the forest, past and present. Both
Balick and Arvigo bring important perspectives to the project,
Balick as ethnobotanical scientist from The New York Botanical
Garden, and Arvigo as a former apprentice to a Belizean healer and
an experienced physician. The book has been decades in the making,
a culmination of a biodiversity research project that The New York
Botanical Garden and international and local collaborators have had
in motion since 1987. Drs. Balick, Arvigo and their colleagues have
collected and identified thousands of plants from the region, and
have worked extensively with hundreds of Belizean people, many of
them herbal healers and bushmasters, to record uses for many of the
species. This collaboration with local plant experts has produced a
fascinating discussion of the intersection of herbal medicine and
spiritual belief in the area, and these interviews are used to
compliment and contextualize the numerous species accounts
presented. The book is both a cultural study and a specialized
field guide; information is provided on many different native and
introduced plants in Belize and their traditional and contemporary
uses including as food, medicine, fiber, in spiritual practices and
many other purposes. Richly illustrated with over 600 images and
photographs, Messages from the Gods: A Guide to The Useful Plants
of Belize will serve as the primary reference and guide to the
ethnobotany of Belize for many years to come.
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