Last week I realized I had enough Amazon reward points saved up to receive a FREE book! So my aromatherapy library expanded once again! The book that I purchased was one that I had had in mind for a while – Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art by Kathi Keville and Mindy Green. Although I haven’t had chance to read this book from cover to cover as yet, I can tell you that from what I have read so far (and that’s a fair part of the book!) I was not disappointed in my purchase! Here’s this week’s aromatherapy book review:
About the Author: Kathi Keville
The first thing I do when I purchase a new book is to “research” the author/s because that usually gives you some indication as to why you should trust the book that you are reading! (as a writer myself I know how important a writer’s credibility is). Kathi Keville has more than forty years in the field of herbalism and aromatherapy. What I like about this book is that you learn about the author/s as you go, as parts of it are written from personal experience (both successes and failures!). I particularly like Kathi Keville’s description of people’s reactions to fragrance as they walked through her herb garden – and her early experiments with “aromatherapy oils.” Keville started experimenting with aromatherapy before the term was well known – or the marketing connotations that are attached to it today developed. So you get a real sense of first hand experience from the author. Keville is a herbalist, an aromatherapist, a massage therapist, the director of the American Herb Association and has written 12 books.
About the Author: Mindy Green
Mindy Green is co-author on the book Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art; she also has extensive experience in the world of natural products and aromatherapy. Green currently works as the clinical aromatherapist for the Aveda Corporation but her past history includes owner of a herb store, co-owner of the California School of Herbal Studies and a founding member of the American Herbalists Guild. What I like about this book is the fact that both Kathi Keville and Mindy Green have solid backgrounds in “plant” medicine, the very foundation of essential oils.
About Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art
This book is extremely comprehensive in its subject matter – but is written in such a way that even if you have no knowledge about aromatherapy, you could understand it; it is also ideal for those, such as me, who have experience in aromatherapy. I challenge you to finish reading this book and not learn something that you didn’t know before!
Here’s a sample of some of the chapters in Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art:
- a history of fragrance
- scent and psyche
- essential oils and herbs
- body and hair care
- chemistry of essential oils
- blending: the perfumer’s art
- materia medica.
This (large sized) book is just short of 250 pages long and is packed full of aromatherapy information; it also includes recipes for basic body lotions and some tips on adding fragrance and color to your aromatherapy blends to make them unique. In short, I would highly recommend this book whatever your interest in aromatherapy or whatever stage of aromatherapy study you are currently at!
You can purchase Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art by Kathi Keville and Mindy Green from Amazon for US$13.59; click this link to be re-directed to Amazon.
