This is an important work, helping to document the validity of herbal medicine. However, it is not an all-encompassing work and obviously isn't referenced. Nevertheless, the German Commission E's method of publishing monographs based on the information gathered from companies, researchers, and practitioners (but apparently kept confidential) serves a useful purpose. It is always helpful to consult this text to get some solid conformation for common traditional uses. Every practitioner and researcher should have this book, though it certainly cannot be used in a vacuum.

I had hoped this book could be my benchmark for herbal information. What I found was a book that was hard to use with little useful information. ... Otherwise, Facts and Comparisions' Review of Natural Products is a better choice.

I have worked with herbs for many decades and have shelves and shelves full of works on Herbs and Healing. The German Commission E Monographs is still an often used Reference that in my oppinion belongs on everyone's shelf who works with Herbs. True, it does not cover all that the herbs are capable of and due to lack of proof, many wonderful herbs are not approved, BUT, and this is most important, whatever you find in this book is scientifically proven and you can believe it. I VERY strongly recomend this book, and the CD as well. Whenever you explore a new herb, or need to know facts, check it out in the Commission E Monographs. Then you have a very good outline from where you can start to work with, and together with other herbals get to know and experiment to arrive at your own conclusion. And that is not to mention the inclusion of interaction with other drugs, side effects, mode of administration, active composition for each monograph and different chapters that cover all that is important. A MUST for every practitioner and professional. A MUST for Everyone involved in healing, period. If you can only buy one book on herbs, I would recomend this one. Herbs are gentle and effective healers as a rule. That does not mean that when handeled and prescribed wrong they can't be fatal and dangerous as well. Due to a long time of suppression, there's much information that is doubtful at best, plain wrong and harmful at worst. So even if it's not always approving old favorites, and not mentioning all properties of all herbs, it is an amazing work. Non Nonsense and you can count on everything it says to be true. Five Stars? No way, but that's the maximum available. I would give it many more if I could. But YOU be the judge. Check it out for yourself in a store if in doubt. But don't let this work pass you without giving it a chance. It is truly a treassure.

The monographs lack any sort of scientific references. A true reference manual should list references so the reader can verify the conclusions made.

I love this book. I have yet to come across such a comprehensive manual that covers all of what we know about herbs to date. The German Commission E has been the leading group to study and report the beneficial effects and bad side effects, in some cases, of herbs since the 70's. With the explosion of alternative medicine in America, and with everybody and their brother claiming to be a nutritionist or herbalist (whatever that means) and understand herbs, we need a manual like this that tells the truth. This book also standardizes what the appropriate dosages of certain herbs are to help with certain ailments. I don't know about you, but I get a different dosage recommendation on every bottle and from every so called herbalist I meet. This is because the FDA does not require studies to be done on herbs and supplements in the US. Thus, we can only turn to what Germany has been doing for over 20 years to study these wonderful plants, because Germany does require that their use, dosage information and side effects be studied before they can be given to the public. Just because someone claims wonderful benefits from an herb or that it has been used for years does not mean there are no side effects. Marijuana and cocaine are natural and have been used for years too - I think the side effects have been well demonstrated. It is nice to have a reference that puts my mind to ease about whether what I'm putting in my body will help or harm me.