When I was first learning about herbs, I didn't have a computer. Back in my day, all we had were books.

The internet has been both a boon and a curse for herbalism. On one hand, there are websites with extensive collections of early medical books and herbal books, access to scientific studies on herbs, and articles on herbs and crafting herbal medicine by skilled herbalists. There are loads of YouTube videos with tutorials on herbal skills and plant ID. The best part, the vast majority of it is all free.On the flip side, we also get the clickbait sites with unsupported articles and wild claims of cure-alls. The worst are the Facebook memes. These things just won't die- like the onion slices in a sock that cure everything from the flu to pneumonic plague and how coconut oil "cures" literally everything.

Recommended Reading for Herbalists

Thankfully, we have lots of wonderful, well-researched, and well-written herbal books today – many more than were available when I was learning. I have put together a list of what I consider "required reading" below.

Anatomy and Physiology

Holistic Anatomy: An Integrative Guide to the Human Body, by Pip Waller, is an anatomy book that resonates with many holistic practitioners. It covers Anatomy in a way that is scientifically sound but is holistic in approach. While there are many A&P textbooks on the market, most are written with the medical field in mind. This book is far more readable to the average person.

Botany and Plant ID

Botany in a Day: The Patterns of Plant Identification, by Thomas J. Elpel, provides a straightforward, simple way to recognize major plant groups. The title is misleading, as you cannot assimilate everything in the book in a day, but it is probably the best single book on Botany on the market.

The Peterson Field Guides are always a good source of information. There are two, in particular, to consider putting on your bookshelf depending upon where you live. These are the Peterson Field Guide to Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, and the Peterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America. While some of these have good photos, there are also a lot of sketches that are less helpful. However, they have lots of great information on medicinal herbs that grow according to your region.

Edible Wild Plants, A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods, by Thomas Elias and Peter Dykeman, isn't necessarily about herbs but is a great book for plant identification in North America. It isn't region-specific, but it is detailed, has great pictures, is organized by season, and is an excellent start in plant foraging.

(Don't forget to check out our free QUICKSTART Guide to starving the beast as you browse through your future bookshelf.)

Herbalism – General

Prepper's Natural Medicine: Life-Saving Herbs, Essential Oils, and Natural Remedies for When There Is No Doctor is my book, so yes, there is a bit of shameless self-promotion here. However, the book has a number of strengths going for it that separate it from the bulk of herbal books on the market. This book covers herbal skills, the therapeutic properties of 50 herbs, and has recipes for both acute and chronic conditions. It does all this from the perspective of a prepper. Unfortunately, there are no photographs of herbs. While that was not my choice, this was intended to be an herbal skills book, not a plant ID book. Still, I would have liked to have added pictures of the herbs.

The Herbal Medicine-Maker's Handbook: A Home Manual, by James Green, is an excellent book focusing on herbal skills. While I disagree with him on a few points, it is a solid book on herbal preparations.

Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine, by David Hoffman, is one of those "must-have" books. Medical Herbalism is the best of both worlds, synthesizing holistic medicine and modern biomedicine. This book gets into the chemical composition of plants and why plants have the effects upon the body that they do. Very useful textbook for both folk herbalists and clinical herbalists alike.

Principals and Practice of Phytotherapy: Modern Herbal Medicine 2e, by Kerry Bone, is an herbal textbook that means serious business. This is a well-researched, clinically-oriented book on plant medicine that covers the medicinal properties, side effects, contraindications, and scientific studies of commonly used medicinal herbs. This is an expensive book compared to many of the popular herbal paperbacks on the market. As a scientific textbook, however, the price is rather reasonable. It is worth every penny.

Making Plant Medicine, by Richo Cech, is a classic. The latest edition is still available, but it can be hard to get. It goes out of stock on Amazon frequently. Great explanation of making liquid extracts and a materia medica that is loaded with information on medicinal herbs.