Teaching experience: Over 50 years
Primary region: New Jersey
Website
Website: Tracker School
Website features the Tracker School founded by Tom Brown, Jr.
Book
Tom Brown’s Guide to Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants
Written by Tom Brown, Jr., illustrations by Heather Bolyn and Trip Becker
Copyright 1985
Published by The Berkley Publishing Group
Contents include:
- Part One
- The Gardener Attitude
- Communication with Nature
- The Sacred Approach
- Toward a Deeper Communication
- Getting in Touch with Instinct
- Asking and Utilizing the Inner Voice
- Physical Techniques and the Differences of Plants
- Collection, Preparation, and Storage
- Herbology and the Herbalist
- Going Forward
- Caution
- Conservation
- Science and the Mythical World of Plants
- The Power of Plants
- Healing
- How to Use This Book
- Part Two
- Amaranth
- Angelica
- Birch (Black and White)
- Black Alder
- Boneset
- Bulrush
- Bunchberry
- Burdock
- Catnip
- Cattail
- Chicory
- Chickweed
- Coltsfoot
- Comfrey
- Dandelion
- Elderberry
- Evening Primrose
- Goldenrod (Sweet)
- Greenbrier
- Hemlock Tree
- Jewelweed
- Milkweed
- Mint
- Mulberry (Red)
- Mullein
- Mustard (Black)
- Nettle (Stinging)
- New Jersey Tea
- Oak
- Pine
- Plantain
- Reed
- Rose
- Sassafras
- Shepherd’s Purse
- Spicebush
- Sumac
- Sweet Fern
- Thistle
- Violet
- Wintergreen
- Wood Sorrel
- Yarrow
- Yucca
- Part Three
- A Plant Story
- Now! Out to the Field
Review: As Brown states on the copyright page, this Guide “is not a plant identification guide. It is intended to be used in conjunction with other books, to complement plant guides with the Author’s own philosophy and stories from personal experience.” The book contains a handful of illustrations and few of these illustrate plants. Each plant treated in the book receives a brief description (insufficient by itself to identify the plant), a “personality” which is Brown’s stories about the plant, a section titled “Food” and another section titled “Medicinal.” These latter two sections describe uses and methods of plant preparation.
Available from: Most bookstores including on-line bookstores.