"The Green Witch Herbal" by Barbara Griggs. The first "herb" book I ever read and it helped to "turn the light on" for me as far as knowing that this is what I wanted to do with my life, so as you can guess, I'm quite partial to this one! And to make it really special, it was my husband that gave it to me as a present, so yes, it really does hold a special place in my heart as far as all the books I have read on this subject! Barbara is a well-known British herbalist and journalist who is the author of many other books, and this book is a "rediscovery" of our foremothers' "green" knowledge, and that wisdom and herbal know-how is explained in a very down to earth manner and "folksy" way. I made my first bath salts with suggestions from this book, and first experimented with making my own herbal teas, potpourris, massage oils, kitchen and bath cleaners and disinfectants, insect repellants, carpet cleaners, hair rinses and conditioners, etc just from this one book! It has plenty of suggestions for specific health complaints, especially for women and children. A very nice, non-threatening and peaceful way to learn an introduction to herbs, or just enjoy as a woman's spiritual kind of book.

"Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Second Edition" by James F. Balch, M.D. and Phyllis A. Balch, C.N.C. "A practical A-Z reference to drug-free remedies using vitamins, minerals, herbs and food supplements." This is one of the most comprehensive books I have read on the huge subject of natural healing, it dabbles in just about everything in "alternative" therapies, and while it may not be exhaustive information for each subject, it does have quite a lot of info packed into one book, especially covering a lot of ground on what to do (and what not to do) for specific diseases, including endometriosis. It also includes many resources for where to buy herbal products, associations and organizations, research papers, books, etc. A wonderful and popular book for the beginner and also just to have around as a handy reference book.

"Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine" by Michael Murray, N.D. and Joseph Pizzorno, N.D. Both men are considered to be among the top experts in this field, and this is another comprehensive guide to natural health. This book gets quite technical, especially for the beginner, but is a good book to take to your doctor to help teach him/her about natural medicine! I found when I read it slowly enough, it made a lot of sense for the most part!

"The Complete Book of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy"" by Valerie Ann Worwood, also called "The Fragrant Pharmacy" in the U.K. and Australia. Valerie is an aromatherapist, reflexologist, and a member of the London and counties society of Physiologists, and The Chairman of Research in the International Federation of Aromatherapists. She runs her own clinic in Romford, England, conducts research on aromatherapy and its effects on endometriosis and infertility, and is a consultant to several beauty and health clinics. She lectures all over the world on the benefits of aromatherapy and essential oils, and this book is a wonderful tool for the beginner, but also just a beautiful book to read. It has practical advice and step-by-step recipes for all sorts of things, from baths and massage oils to herbal teas and foods, all with the use of essential oils! There are also wonderful sections on gardening with the help of essential oils and household cleaners you can make yourself that are completely non toxic, are actually good for you, and best of all, they smell great!

"Natural Health, Natural Medicine" by Andrew Weil, M.D. One of the most famous proponents of natural healing, Dr. Weil graduated from Harvard Medical School and has earned an international reputation as an expert on alternative medicine, mind-body interactions, and medical botany through his studies across the globe. This book has some great info on attaining total health, especially a section on a program to change your lifestyle GRADUALLY that helps you change bad habits into good ones in a week-by-week process (or however long each step takes you!). One of my favorite people in this field, I just wish he were MY doctor!

"Complete Book of Herbs and Spices" by Lesley Bremness and Jill Norman. This book has to be one of the most "beautiful" books on herbs and plants that I have seen, has some of the most wonderful photographs and really makes the subject of herbs come alive for you! It contains very specific and comprehensive information about 175 herbs and spices and also includes almost 200 recipes for things to eat, beauty preparations, potpourris, spice and herb blends, remedies for health problems, a section on essential oils, and gardening and harvesting herbs.

"The Green Pharmacy", by James A. Duke, Ph. D. James is an ethnobotanist (studies how plants are used as food and medicine in different cultures) who has spent most of his 30 year career as a botanist specializing in medicinal plants for the U.S.D.A. I enjoyed his writing "voice" when I read this book, he pulls no punches when it comes to the scientific and medical communities, he really knows his stuff. This book gives all kinds of advice, recipes, and directions for using plants as healing food and for topical applications. He even has some advice for endometriosis.

"Nutritional Guide with Food Combining" by Louise Tenney, M.H. Louise Tenney is a well-known and widely respected herbalist who has written many books in this field. This book helps to explain what foods work best together and why, paying close attention to the immune and digestive systems. It deals in great length with autointoxication problems and many kinds of therapies to help cleanse the body, and also covers how pollution, drugs and other poisons are affecting our bodies. It also includes many tasty recipes and ideas on food choices and menus. Very good book for the beginner to learn what a truly "balanced" diet is!

"The Body Ecology Diet" by Donna Gates with Linda Schatz, "Recovering Your Health and Rebuilding Your Immunity". Donna is an expert on candidiasis and immune disorders and is a nutritional consultant. This book is very important for many women with endo and many other health problems; digestive disorders, chronic fatigue, candidiasis, cancer, aids, multiple sclerosis, headaches, depression, rashes, fibromyalgia, joint and muscle pain, low sex drive, food allergies, menstrual problems, etc. It contains food combining, recipes, shopping lists, and menus for the proper diet to avoid many kinds of health problems or to help with existing health problems. This book has helped many women with endometriosis and the related health problems that many women have along with it. "Herbal Healing for Women" by Rosemary Gladstar. A wonderful, comprehensive book for women of all ages and backgrounds. Beautifully written and full of "traditional" wisdom, gathered from the ages, about herbs traditionally used for women, and natural ways of healing specifically for women in all her stages of life. Covers endometriosis and herbal remedies for the disease. Rosemary Gladstar is a respected herbalist and has taught herbology extensively throughout the United States. She has her own line of herbal products which are also wonderful and of outstanding quality. Very good book for the beginner, but also a good book for any woman! "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause", by John Lee, M.D. One of the best books to read on the subject of natural progesterone, and is a must-read for women of all ages, not just those going through menopause (although he does have a new book out called, "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Pre-menopause", which I have not read yet). Dr. John Lee is one of the pioneers responsible for bringing natural progesterone into the limelight, and has done the most extensive research with this natural progesterone cream vs. synthetic hormones. This book will help to answer your questions about what natural progesterone is, and why it is helping so many women with so many different health concerns, including endometriosis.

"Reclaiming Our Health" by John Robbins, "Exploding the Medical Myth and Embracing the Source of True Healing". This book has won much praise from the alternative AND conventional healing fields alike. I am still currently reading it, but I highly recommend that everyone in the western world, especially America, read this book! It is highly informative about where we stand compared to others, and it's alarmingly not very good news. It helps to explain how the medical community has gotten to where it is, indeed how our health care system has evolved and why it's falling apart. But the best part is that it offers positive, practical solutions to these problems with our health care system, instead of just "whining" about everything! I just can't recommend this one enough!

Well, hope that's enough to get you started. I will continuously try to update this list with other books that are also favorites, so visit "Carol's Corner" periodically for any new articles!

Here's some other books that may help you out. No synopsis on these books though... 

Good luck and good health to all!

This information is not intended to prescribe or diagnose in any way. Please consult a health care professional before using any of the herbs mentioned above.