of the English aromatherapy ^ .

model and the medical model.

Laypeople will now find themselves

immersed in treatment theory and a

sample intensive aromatherapeutic

session. Now, Dr P&o&l provides two

sound formulas for self-care with

morning invigoration and evening

relaxation. The use of the devices

depicted in the colour plates is now

presented with some detail of condi-

tions and applications. The book draws

to a close with skimming basic tenets of

nutrition, providing a few of Rose-

Marie Penoel’s recipes, simple foot

reflexology and healthy breathing. The

final chapter comprises Dr Penoel’s

answers to questions regarding cancer,

allergies, autoimmune disease and his

perspective and objectives.

pracnce ot aromatherapy to continue

to have at hand English translations of

works and perspectives written in

French. May this book be a vector that

will bring an added dimension to true

aromatherapy works written in the

English language. EDC

This well-intentioned book offers

much to contemplate and introduces

interesting approaches in the applica-

tion of essential oils. It is an ambitious

undertaking to attempt to cover so

many aspects of aromatherapy and

include it under the modest title of

Natural Home Health Care Using Essential

Oils. This text may be confusing to the

layperson wanting self or family care.

The aromatherapy professional will

find this a morale-boosting, informa-

tive read. Regrettably, the information

is not readily accessible by index. No

source is given to obtain the ‘tools’

employed in application.

Dr PCnoel makes frequent refer-

ences to: ‘this will be covered in a

future work’. It will be enriching to the

doi:l0.1054/ijar.2000.0031, available online at

http://www.idealibrary.com on IDE@

THE ESSENTIAL OIL

COOKBOOK. OUTRAGEOUS

RECIPES FOR WEIGHT

CONTROL AND LONG LIFE,

2ND ED.

MENKIT PRINCE

PUBLISHED BY EARTH LOVE

ENTERPRISES

US$ 24.95

178 PAGES; SPIRAL BACK

T his publication claims to be the

first cookbook in publishing

history to describe the use of thera-

peutic-grade essential oils. It is also

possibly the first recipe book strictly

based on the dietary principles of the

Hunza people, one of the world’s

oldest cultures, about whom the author

has written another book. Menkit

Prince has an extensive background in

alternative healing methods, specifi-

cally that related to the importance of a

healthy diet.

Chapter one is entitled ‘Essential

Oil Chemistry’ and is written by James

L. Symes PhD. What follows is an

account of the basic principles of the

digestion process that nicely dovetails

mth basic essential oil metabolism,

ssues of oral ingestion, safety issues as

Nell as essential oil excretion.

Remembering that this is principally a

aook written for the general public, it is

refreshing to see the inclusion of such

sound information.

Chapter two, entitled ‘Essential

Oil Basics’, is in my opinion the

Neakest part of the book, with

numerous misleading statements and

inaccuracies. This was a disappoint-

ment owing to the quality of informa-

tion presented in the preceding

chapter. Issues discussed include essen-

tial oils versus vegetable oils, essential

oil quality, safety, essential oil cooking

tips, and advice for weight control and

long life. Twenty-seven essential oils on

the FDA GRAS list are then divided

into ‘taste categories’ as a guide for the

recipes that follow in chapter three.

Owing to the absence of botanical

names, it is unclear whether the

author’s inclusion of black cumin

(Nigella sativa, a relatively rare essential

>il) as opposed to cumin (Cuminurn

qminum) is intentional.

Chapter three occupies 122 pages

of nutritious recipes with clear and

enthusiastic instructions. Each recipe

exotic name (such as Egyptian SECRETORY STRUCTURES OF 1

Sprouted Hummus and Samural

Ginger Special) and in many cases the

herb or spice flavouring is entire17

replaced or enhanced by a drop or twc

of the related essential oil/s. The

recipes are mainly low fat and based

largely on unprocessed fibre-rich whole

foods. Many recipes call for ingredienh

that may be widely available in the USA

(such as stevia and Irish moss powder)

but perhaps not so easily found in

other countries.

The last three chapters of the

book include information on ingredi-

ents, utensils and essential oils

required, advice on food preparation,

tips on time saving and new ideas for

meal times followed by meal plans for

entertaining friends. A useful glossary,

appendix and indexes are also

provided.

In all, this is certainly a book that

challenged me to be more adventurous

with healthy eating approaches. I do

question the replacement of natural

and easily available herbs and spices

with essential oils in some of the

recipes, but on the whole feel that it is

a valuable book for the kitchen shelf.

The book can be ordered by

contacting the publishers via e-mail on

:arthlore@essentialoilcookbook.com.

RH

~oi:10.1052/~ar.2000.0032, available online at

lttp://www.idealibrary.com on IDEbP

AROMATIC AND MEDICINAL

PLANTS.

A REVIEW AND ATLAS OF

MICROGRAPHS.

KATERINA P. SVOBODAAND

TOMAS G.SVOBODA

PUBLISHED BY MICROSCOPIX

PUBLICATIONS

UK& El~~E22.50 Eu~o~~E25.00

60 PAGES;pAPERBACK

lSBNO953846f 06

M ost aromatherapy courses now

contain a botany module and

students can find the subject chal-

lenging. How and where the oil is

produced within the plant can be diff-

cult to visualise, as the secretory struc-

tures on plant tissues are often not

visible to the naked eye. This book

unfolds the mystery in pictures and

shows the different types of plant struc-

tures and cells that produce aromatic

compounds and essential oils.

This publication is beautifully

presented and contains excellent light

and scanning electron micrographs

(SEM) . I was not surprised to hear that

each SEM costs in the region of &500 to

produce.

The book begins with the

authors’ rationale that most of the

research articles published do not state

where in the plant the oil is made or

how it is made. It then describes the

different secretory structures within

plants and gives examples of the plants

that possess these structures. This is

followed by page after page of stunning

micrographs (78 in total) of the secre-

tory cells, cavities, glands and ducts

from 31 medicinal and aromatic plants.

My personal favorite is the Boswellia

carterii stem with resin globules oozing

from it. The image is so visual that one

is almost able to smell frankincense.

There is an extensive bibliog-

raphy, which is surprising considering

the size of the book. There is also a

glossary that is useful for students. It is

an essential addition to an

aromatherapy teacher’s resource kit.

Additionally, individual photographic

slides are available from the publishers,

Microscopix. For a student on a limited

budget, however, the price may seem a

significant outlay.

The publication is not available in

bookshops but can be ordered direct

either via the Internet from.. . publica-

tions@microscopix.co.uk... or by

writing to A J Svoboda, 34 Carcluie

Crescent, Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland, UK

(cheques payable to I Svoboda) . LD

doi:10.1054/ijar.2000.0033, available online at

http://~.idealibrary.com on IilE&l’