A Desk Reference to Nature's Medicine
by Steven Foster and Rebecca Johnson
On April 27, 2007, The New York Public Library named A Desk Reference to Nature's Medicine "Best of Reference" for 2007. According to the New York Public Library: "Best of Reference is an annual list of books, websites, and electronic resources selected by a committee of librarians for their usefulness in branch references collections. Selection criteria include value and appropriateness of material, style of presentation, and authority of authors and editors. . . More than the familiar guide to herbal remedies, this is illustrated with botanical drawings and color photographs. It gives the cultural, historical, and scientific background of hundreds of plants used for healing by people the world over. " Published in 2006. National Geographic, Washington, D.C. Hardcover. 416 pp. 200 photographs, 150 botanical drawings and 159 maps. ISBN: 0-7922-3666-1. $40.00. Order at your favorite independent book store, Amazon.com, or via the National Geographic Society's website.

A Field Guide to Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs
by Steven Foster and Christopher Hobbs
A follow-up to A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants: Eastern and Central North America, which I co-authored with Jim Duke, this new book, co-authored with herbalist Christopher Hobbs, covers medicinal plants of western North America. It includes over 500 species with nearly 600 photographs. The book is the most comprehensive treatment of herbs of the western states (and adjacent Canada) ever published. It also features an entirely new binding, called a Flexicover, which will make it much more durable in the field. Houghton Mifflin Co., 2002, 442 pages. Flexicover: $22.00. (Hard cover also available, please inquire).

A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs: Eastern and Central North America
by Steven Foster and James A. Duke
New edition! I am indeed pleased to offer a new edition in the famous Peterson Field Guide Series. This time, all plants are illustrated with color photographs. The book includes nearly 600 color photos, most of which I took in the field over several decades. Jim Duke, called "America's herb guru" opened his voluminous database to provide even more information not found in other books. The book is intended to help you identify plants in the field and appreciate their uses. It includes all important herbs plus familiar or unusual wildflowers, woody plants and weeds. Each entry includes key identification characteristics and distribution information. Uses of the plant follow from American Indian to historical use, to current research or use in modern phytomedicine or Western medicine. Houghton Mifflin, Co. 2000. 411 pp. Softcover. $19.00. (Hardcover also available, please inquire)

Tyler's Honest Herbal-A Sensible Guide to the Use of Herbs and Related Remedies
by Steven Foster and Varro Tyler, PhD
When the late Varro Tyler, who died 22 August 2001, asked me to co-author the fourth edition of his classic The Honest Herbal, I could only say yes. Why? Despite the fact that I characterize the book as the "herbal herbalists love to hate," Dr. Tyler was one of the greatest proponents of herb use in American society and one of the most lucid writers on the subject. He is also one of the most misunderstood figures in American herbal traditions. All he wanted was for scientific research to be applied to herbs. He truly believed that herbs could make an important contribution to health care. Viewing herbs from a scientific standpoint, Tyler's Honest Herbal assess our most important herbs based on available scientific information. Over 120 herbs are covered including descriptive information on the source of the plant, its traditional uses, and an evaluation of the relevant and current scientific literature which helps support or disprove intended uses of the plant. Haworth Press. 1999. 442 pp. Softcover. $24.95. (Hard cover also available, please inquire).

101 Medicinal Herbs-Their History, Use, Recommended Dosages and Cautions
by Steven Foster. Foreword by Mark Blumenthal
An expansion of Herbs for Your Health (see below) 101 Medicinal Herbs presents detailed information with references on over 100 of the best-selling herbs in the American market with an assessment of their usefulness from a scientific perspective. With over 100 color photographs the book provides a visual reference for the most frequently used healing herbs. Arranged alphabetically by common name, the articles include detailed information on herb forms, benefits, parts used, side effects, and dosages. A resource guide, and cross-referenced section by conditions are included. Interweave Press. 1998. 240 pp. $19.95.

Forest Pharmacy-Medicinal Plants in American Forests
by Steven Foster
Published in the Issues Series by the Forest History Society (affiliated with Duke University), Forest Pharmacy provides a historical context to understanding American medicinal plants from American forests. The book contains an overview of medicinal plant utilization in our world, with information from new technologies to genetic resources and medicinal plant cultivation. It provides a historical account of medicinal plant utilization and key regulatory developments, both in the United States and elsewhere. Forest History Society. 1995. 57 pp. 16 color photos. $6.95

A Field Guide to Venomous Animals & Poisonous Plants of North America
by Steven Foster and Roger Caras
It was an honor to work with the late Roger Caras, author of over 60 books on animals and nature, former President of the ASPCA, and ABC News correspondent. I was happy that I worked on this book when I got bit by a copperhead in August of 2000. The book helped me to take appropriate emergency measures to treat the bite. Title #46 in the Peterson Field Guide Series, the book is a guide to safety in the field, featuring 90 venomous animals and more than 250 poisonous plants and fungi, from the deadly to the irritating. Each species account includes key identification characteristics, distribution information, and comments on their real or perceived dangers. Forty color plates, ninety-four black & white plates feature both animals and plants. Houghton Mifflin, Co. 1994. $19.00

Herbal Emissaries-Bringing Chinese Herbs to the West
by Steven Foster and Yue Chongxi
This book grew out of a simple walk through Harvard Yard in Cambridge Massachusetts, with Dr. Shiu Ying Hu twenty-five years ago. Dr. Hu pointed to many familiar garden plants such as daylily, forsythia, peonies, and mums, and described their use in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Later she introduced me to Prof. Yue Chongxi from Beijing. Dr. Hu told me that Prof. Yue was from a well-known Chinese medical family. The Yue family have made traditional medicines in Beijing for over 400 years. Prof. Yue spent the year with me in 1987 and during that time we compiled the research that became Herbal Emissaries. The book covers Chinese herbs from a Western perspective. Forty-three herbs are covered in exacting detail including common, scientific and Chinese names, history of introduction and use, traditional and modern uses, description, distribution, cultivation, harvesting and processing details, with additional notations. It includes information found in no other English-language book on Chinese herbs. Healing Arts Press. 1992. 356 pp. Softcover. $16.95

Echinacea-Nature's Immune Enhancer
by Steven Foster. Illustrated by Judith Ann Griffith
This book covers all aspects of Echinacea, including ethnobotany, medical history, modern research, preparations, safety, cultivation, substitution and adulteration, chemical constituents, taxonomy, identification, geography, and conservation issues. A list of seed and plant sources is included. Healing Arts Press. 1991. 150 pp. $8.95

Herbal Renaissance-Growing, Using and Understanding Herbs in the Modern World
by Steven Foster. Illustrated and designed by D.D. Dowden. Preface by Dr. Shiu Ying Hu. Foreword by Dr. Richard Evans Schultes
The book is a new edition of my first book Herbal Bounty (1984). It features chapters on plant names, garden design, propagation, harvesting and drying herbs, and articles on 91 herbs, including descriptions, cultivation and propagation (including commercial growing), culinary, medicinal, and fragrant uses. An extensive bibliography, glossary and resource list are included. Richly illustrated with over 100 pen & inks and watercolors by D.D. Dowden. Over 100 black & white and color photos. I get more compliments on this book than any other., sometimes described as an herbal insider's classic. Gibbs Smith Publisher. 1993. 234 pp. Softcover. $19.95

Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs, & Cosmetics
by Albert Y. Leung and Steven Foster
No, the price isn't a misprint. Now in its revised and expanded Second Edition, The Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients stands as one of most authoritative reference for natural ingredients in commercial use. This new edition addresses the increased interest in natural ingredients over the past decade, especially in health foods - a category that includes food products, over-the-counter drugs and herbal teas. John Wiley and Sons, Inc. 1996. 649 pp. $180.00