Pharmako/Poeia: Plant Powers, Poisons, and Herbcraft

"I've read a lot of books on herbalism, but this series of books is a unique and extremely valuable find. Dale Pendell covers a wide variety of herbs and their affects on the human mind, body and spirit. What makes his book different from others is the poetic way in which he conveys his information. It makes reading the books far from dull or dry, and some herbal books read like medical textbooks in that sense. The authors brilliance, wisdom and sheer depth and bredth of knowledge shines through in this series, and I can't think of any other books that cover the "poisonous" herbs and substances in such a way. Read Pharmako/Poeia and you will probably want to buy Pharmako/Dynamis and Pharmako/Gnosis. They are all valuable to the herbalist, folklorist, entheobotanist, or anyone who just wants to know about the uses and side effects of various plants that are often stigmatized in our culture. Subjects range from:

Opium
Marjuana
Alcohol (beer, wine, distilled spirits)
Absinthe
Salvia
Tobacco
Nitrous
Kava Kava
And even, fossil fuel.

But don't think that he advocates the use (or abuse) of all these plants. He gives you the information, what they do, their history, and side effects. You will find no propaganda or scare tactics, just the truth (and the truth of what some of these plants can do is scary enough without embellishment!)

Another plus of these books: They're aesthetically pleasing. I honestly can't think of any problems with this series of books: Informative, accurate and beautiful. Dale Pendell is an asset to the herbalist community."
~ Written on 2006-05-14

"I was sorry to reach the last page of this mind altering, funny, informative and absolutely joyous book. Hadn't had this much fun reading a book since I read Milky Way Marmalade! Should be required reading for every parent, teen and politician.

I just discovered Dale Pendell has a 2nd book Pharmako/Dynamis and have already ordered it!"
~ Written on 2005-09-10

""Finally" is the word that succinctly describes how I feel about this book. Every page, I mean, practically every line, contains wit, humor, insight, and wisdom all written with the utmost eloquence. Pendell's breadth of knowledge in his not-so-small area of expertise is simply awesome, in the true sense of the word. This way is not for all, however, and the type of person attracted to Pendell's work, as he puts it himself, is probably eccentric. What makes perfect sense to me is scoffed at by my friends. So I keep things to myself more often, the views and practices found in this book not being an exception. This is a volume full of ancient herbal lore and methodology (but not just confined to that), it is exceedingly fun to read, and I couldn't love it more. I've got volume 2 on the way, and as another reviewer has already mentioned, Mercury House is sluggish when it comes to releasing these books. Volume 3, which for me is going to be the most interesting, was due to be released August/September 04 and now that date has been pushed back to August/September 05, and I do hope that it doesn't take any longer than that. "
~ Written on 2005-01-03

"PHARMAKO-DYNAMIS and PHARMAKO-POEIA by Dale Pendell contain much of interest to gardeners, artists, historians, drug counselors, and drug users. Pendell suggests that how a plant substance is defined (poison, drug, medicine) depends on the dosage, length of use, and intent of the user. In other words, if plant-based drugs are "abused" the problem lies not in our plants but in our selves. He says the reader can begin anywhere in either of his two books and arrive at the same place. I read PHARMAKO-POEIA last, not because it isn't interesting, but because coffee, tea, and cocao are covered in DYNAMIS. As a tea drinker, I wanted to find out more about my herb of choice before I ventured onto others.

POEIA includes a wonderful section on Absinthe which may be related to the seduction of angels. Students of 19th Century French art history and the Belle Epoch know about Absinthe. Absinthe is that lovely green substance the Impressionist painters liked to portray, which according to some was the devil's own drink (he being a fallen angel). Wilde was fond of Absinthe, and may have been using it when he wrote "The Portrait of Dorian Grey." On the other hand, it may have been his drug of choice when he developed his witty and amusing stage plays. Readers associated with Lewis' Screwtape Letters will recognize Absinthe's plant name-Wormwood. Wormwood was probably the bitter herb offered Christ in his last hour of agony and Revelations 8:10,11 has something to say about it. Artemisia is Wormwood's proper name, and the Greek Artemisia is the Roman Diana, Goddess of the Moon. Pendell says Oberon uses `Dian's bud' to reverse the effects of a love potion in A Midsummer Night's Dream. What was Shakespeare thinking??

Besides Artemisia and Valerian, Pendell discusses a few other suspect plants I grow in my own garden, such as Papaver, the Opium Poppy. Oh the feds tried to ban it once, but all the little old ladies came after them and Poppy reigns supreme in American cottage gardens. According to Pendell, the worldwide persecution of the Poppy plant continues even though Poppy plants (and Cannabis) have killed far fewer people than tobacco plants. This is wonderful wise book for crafty gardeners and their friends."
~ Written on 2003-04-05

"I am an herbalist, and I found this book by Pendell and Snyder to be full of information that was presented in a fascinating way. Interestingly, finding information about herbal poisons isn't as easy as it might seem, but is still important. I can honestly say I learned a few things from this book that I did not realize, particularly from a historical standpoint! I can't wait to get my hands on the other two volumes as soon as they become available - however I have been waiting for almost a year for the promised second and third volumes of the book. I am hoping that the publisher or author can give us a firmer lead time for their final release."
~ Written on 2002-03-18