This book, along with Vitalism, has given me a historical and practical context for Western Herbalism that makes sense to me. I've been a closet herbalist for decades, stumbling over what were to me, cryptic texts, out of context, and these books by Matthew Wood catapulted me out of said closet and into (herbalist) school.-!!- I had no idea what to expect when I ordered this book. Halfway through I ordered Vitalism, and half way through that I ordered The Book of Herbal Wisdom. Having not read a huge quantity of herbals I cannot rate this book against all the many others, but it lit a bonfire in me to move forward. Lights on. Five Stars.