Recommended Books

Publisher’s blurb: “The definitive A-Z reference guide to essential aromatherapy oils. Aromatherapy expert Julia Lawless shares her extensive knowledge in this detailed and systematic survey of more than 190 essential aromatherapy oils. From commonly used oils such as lavender and tea tree oils to the more obscure oils including deertounge, oakmoss, cananga, and angelica, The Encyclopedia of Essential Oils offers a wide variety of uses and cures for everything from wrinkles to kidney stones.”

Publisher’s blurb: “This attractive new addition to the Essential Handbook series is both a reference and a guide to these oils and their life-enhancing properties. The main attraction is a directory of 100 oils, complete with a discussion of the benefits of each for body, mind, and spirit, and suggestions on how it can be used. Gorgeous photographs showcase the plants that yield each oil, and an introductory section describes their traditional applications in different cultures around the world.”
R.Tisserand about the author: “I have known Jennie for many years, first as an aromatherapy student, and then as a teacher at the Tisserand Institute. Jennie has a passion for plants and essential oils, and she writes with vitality and wisdom. I can appreciate how much work has gone into researching the history and tradition of each plant, and into creating the hundreds of blends in this book. Jennie’s breadth of knowledge and years of experience are showcased here in this wonderful introduction to aromatherapy.”

Amazon blurb: “The main purpose of the book is to provide insight into an area that humans often take for granted. There are wonderful and exciting stories of organisms using chemical signals as a basis of a sophisticated communication system. In many instances, chemical signals can provide more detailed and accurate information than any other mode of communication, yet this world is hidden from us because of our focus on visual and auditory signals. Although we have a diversity of senses available to us, humans are primarily auditory and visual animals.”

Amazon blurb: “This classic manual provides detailed evidence for the efficacy of plant medicine. Valnet effectively bridges the gap between the tradition of healing with herbs and the advances of modern medicine, showing, in scientific terms, why plant medicine works, and making an impassioned plea for curtailing our use of dangerous chemical therapies.”

Amazon blurb: “The Scent of Desire is the definitive psychological study of the importance of smell in our lives, from nourishment to procreation to our relationships with other people and the world at large. Located in the same part of the brain that processes emotion, memory, and motivation, this most essential of senses is imperative to our physical and emotional well-being. It was crucial to our ancestors’ existence and it remains so today, profoundly shaping our emotional, physical, and even sexual lives.”

From the publisher’s blurb: “Examines the sense of smell in humans, comparing it with the known functions of the same sense in other animals. Odorous cues play a role in sexual physiology and behavior in animals and there are claims that odor can play the same role in humans. The place of odors and scents in aesthetics and in psychoanalysis serves to illustrate the link between the emotional centers and the brain. The book presents arguments to explain the way in which our ancestral past has given rise to our modern day olfactory enigmas. Containing a glossary and chapter summaries the book will be accessible to a wide audience.”

Robert Tisserand about the author: “I met Michael at the first Psychology of Perfumery conference in 1986, where we were both giving presentations. If you visit this page, you will see him right behind George Dodd.”

Robert Tisserand on the book: “When I first saw a 1559 copy of this book in the Bodleian Library in Oxford in the 1980s, I really did feel I had discovered a hidden treasure. It struck me then that this was the first book ever written on aromatherapy, though the author did not use that word. As far as I know, this is the only 16th century text on essential oils and hydrosols that is currently in print, in English. The only catch is that it’s hard to read because it’s a facsimile reprint (basically a photocopy) of 16th century English very Gothic script. So “s” often looks like “f”, “the” is spelled “ye”, spellings are often weird, and so on. But it’s a truly fascinating read, full of recipes, practical if rather antiquated information, and references to much older knowledge from authors such as Dioscorides and Avicenna.”

Amazon blurb: “Distilled waters, or hydrolats, are therapeutic in many ways, and yet little has been written to clarify their properties and clinical applications. This book details the nature, properties (where known), and nomenclature of hydrolats, and gathers in one source the sure and sensible facts about distilled waters. Already used by aromatherapists interested in extending their therapeutic range, this book provides all therapists with the confidence to practice safely with a solid understanding of the value of hydrolats.”

Robert Tisserand about the author: “Avery describes himself as a “psychologist, smell scientist and entrepreneur” – certainly, few people know more about the sense of smell. This beautifully written popular science book perfectly blends the author’s rich personal experience with fact. In this entertaining and enlightening journey through the world of aroma he elegantly dismantles some popular myths, illuminates the latest scientific discoveries, and offers keen observations on modern culture. From brain-imaging laboratories to the high-stakes world of scent marketing, What the Nose Knows takes us on a tour of the strange and surprising world of smell. I met Avery at the second Psychology of Perfumery conference, in 1991.”