The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies Review – Worth the Money?
The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies: The Healing Power of Plant Medicine by Dr. Nicole Apelian and Claude Davis is not quite as advertised. We'll discuss the good and the bad, and whether or not it's worth $37.
The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies Review
The book is a 304 page reference guide to herbal medicine. It discusses natural remedies and medicinal plants common to North America, and includes color pictures of medicinal herbs.
The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies features several sections:
- An Herbal Quick Reference Guide based on which ailment you want to treat.
- How to Harvest the Healing Power from Plants, which discusses basic herbal preparations.
- Backyard Plants
- Forest, Scrublands, and Woodlands
- Trees and Shrubs
- Mushrooms and Lichens
- Water-Loving Plants
- Household Remedies
- Appendix
On the official website, the video notes that there are three parts to the book, but this does not seem to be the case. They also keep mentioning “my grandfather's book”, but I didn't find grandpa in the actual book. There is a 30 day money back guarantee.
About the Author
According to page one of the book, The Lost Books of Remedies is “edited and written” by Nicole Apelian, PhD, and copyrighted by Claude Davis.
On the cover of the book, it's credited to Nicole and Claude, but as I noted in our review of “The Lost Ways”, Claude is a fictional character made up by a marketing team.
Nicole has an impressive resume, with multiple degrees and a wide range of experience. She's practically Superwoman, and I admire her accomplishments.
She's lived with indigenous peoples, been featured on survival television shows, and teaches herbalism and survival skills. The book gives a brief mention of the herbs she uses for her multiple sclerosis.
In May 2020, the FTC issues her a warning letter for making unsubstantiated herbal claims. The FTC refuses to address Big Pharma unsubstantiated claims, so this is not a particular concern to me.
Book Highlights
The Herbal Quick Reference guide offers nearly 20 pages of herbal suggestions for treating everything from broken bones to snake bites. It lists the condition, then directs the reader to the related herb entry later in the book.
The “How to Harvest” section gives instructions for harvesting and drying herbs, and making simple herbal preparations such as infusions, salves, and poultices.
Most of the book is filled with herbal monographs providing information on identification and use of specific plants. There are over 100 plants from around the United States, listed by common name and scientific name. Each entry includes one or more color photos, and there are general instructions for use.
Why I Don't Recommend The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies
The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies does not identify the USDA zone where the plants grow. There is no bibliography or reference section, so we have no source materials for the text. The book has thin pages, and reviews on amazon note some books had missing pages.
My biggest issue with the book is inaccurate information.
The first and most important rule that I learned about foraging wild plants is to make sure to correctly identify the plant. Misidentification could be deadly if you mistake a toxic plant for a non-toxic lookalike.
They claim the leaves and stalks of burdock are good raw or cooked. This is not correct. Here's a better description from The Forager's Harvest by Samuel Thayer:
Some authors report that the young leaves of burdock are edible, adding that they should be parboiled in a few changes of water before consumption. Perhaps there is some semantic loophole by which such horrific greens can be admitted to the “edible” classification, but burdock leaves have achieved quite a level of infamy among wild food enthusiasts. They are so bitter, in fact, that handling them will leave a bitter residue on your fingers that will pollute any food you touch thereafter.
Almost all the photos in the book are stock photos, and sometimes stock photos have the wrong label.
It's a common mistake for people who don't know herbs to grab a stock photo that is labeled as a specific plant without double checking the identification. The book shows “burdock” that is clearly thistle, and “red clover' that isn't red clover. If they can't make time to check photos for accuracy, what else did they get wrong?
I suspect that the book was hurriedly compiled and not proofread with the attention to detail that it deserved.
Watch out for Contraindications and Drug Interactions
While the book focuses on how well herbal remedies work, there's little information on when they shouldn't be used. Some of these herbs have drug interactions, or are not recommended for those with certain conditions.
As an example, the book notes: “Warning: Do not use white willow in children suffering from low grade fevers. Do not take white willow if you are allergic to as aspirin. Do not use long term.” It does not mention liver interaction or pregnancy.
As a comparison, WebMD lists multiple pages of side effects, precautions, and interactions.
The advertising for The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies goes on at length about “finding your inner doctor” and how safe and simple it is to use herbs. Herbs are great, but if you want to use them like medicine, you need to treat them like medicine.
What I Recommend Instead of The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies
First, get a book that wasn't thrown together in a hurry without proper proofreading. There are many amazing herbal books available.
Second, if you really want to know what to do with herbs in case of emergency, get training. There are a wide variety of online herbal courses, or you may be able to find in person classes.
Some of my favorite herbal books include:
Backyard Medicine – this book has multiple gorgeous full color photos for each plant, with simple instructions the are safe for the beginning herbalist.
The Homesteader's Herbal Companion – geared to the homesteading lifestyle, this book includes herbs to grow and forage. There are many different recipes for human and animal care.
The Holistic Herbal by David Hoffman – this was one of my first herbal books, and it's still a favorite. There are herbal monographs, medicine making instructions, and troubleshooting based on ailment.
Other herbalists I trust and recommend include Richo Cech, Rosemary Gladstar, Stephen Buhner, and Matthew Alfs. Samuel Thayer's books are great for foraging edible plants. A reader recommended Heal Local by Dawn Combs.
If you want to take a course, check out The Herbal Academy. They have courses from beginner to advanced, and some of their courses don't cost much more than The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies.
Get More Information on Herbal Remedies
We have dozens of post on the site featuring home remedies, herbalism and wildcrafting. You can find them at:
Originally posted in 2021, last updated in 2023.
WOW! Thank you so much! I stumbled on this book review while looking for a review of a new book being pushed on Facebook which is Ancient Remedies Revived. I saw the book in this review pushed over a year ago but it didn’t really peak my interested. I’m so glad I read your review. I’m curious if you’ve seen the Ancient Remedies Revived and have any feedback on it.
I’ve been learning a bit about herbal medicine over the last couple of years. I’m redoing my back yard to start a small fruit, vegetable and herb garden primarily for eating, but I’d like to include some critical medicinal plants as well. I’d also like to learn more about the most useful medicinal plants (tinctures, blends, teas and ointments) for common ailments. I’m going to look into your recommendations in the articles and the comments below, but is there a “beginner” book you’d recommend as an introduction to common garden medicinal plants or common dried herbs that can be used for more everyday ailments?
Hi Melissa.
I haven’t read the Ancient Remedies Revived book, but it looks like it follows the same marketing style. Find the figurehead with the inspiring story, pack a book with basic herbal information, and market the heck out of it.
The pricing on the main website is questionable. $37, marked down from $130? Who charges $130 for a basic book? Both the ancientremediesrevived site and its sister site, herbsynergies, pop up out nowhere and suddenly have dozens of articles on them. You don’t see that unless they have a writing/marketing team and/or are using AI generated content. It’s all impersonal, with stock photos, which makes me wonder if there are any real herbalist behind any of it, or if it’s just a team creating content based on keyword research.
The publisher had me wondering as well. When I search “Greenhaven Press”, the top entry is a 30+ year old publishing company that write social studies books, most well known for their “Opposing Viewpoints” series. Looking through titles from that Greenhaven Press, these books are not there and do not fit in. So what “Greenhaven Press” is this?
The whole thing strikes me as a marketing team trying to make a buck on the latest trends, which isn’t a horrible thing, but I personally prefer to connect with people I trust. There are so many truly amazing herbalists out there who share their stories along with their herbal knowledge. It’s a much deeper experience to learn from that type of legacy – at least for me.
Second question – ask any two herbalists, and I’ll bet you’ll get two different answers to their “must have” herbs list. I like to build my herbal apothecary on what grows easily in a specific area. Others use a combination of what they grow and purchased herbs. Still others opt for all purchased, because they don’t have growing space.
I share some of my favorites in 11 Best Medicinal Herbs to Grow. These are all fairly easy to grow here in our area of northeast Wisconsin. The wonderful thing about most herbs is that they have multiple actions, so they can address many different ailments. The same herb can act to aid digestion, soothe skin, reduce inflammation, and so on. I have some recommended basic herbal books at the bottom of the article.
The article Real Healing Potions discusses how to make basic herbal preparations.
The Wildcrafting Resources article has some more of my favorites, though it looks like I need to do some photo updating, as amazon changed their linking system and some photos disappeared. The descriptions are all still in place.
My friend, Heidi from Healing Harvest Homestead, is hosting free herbal training on April 1st, 3rd, and 4th, discussing her choices for 5 best herbs. I’ll be giving a shout out for that training in the newsletter.
I was about to buy the book. I’m glad I saw the reviews.
Thank you so very much. Saved me money.
Thank you for writing this. I bought the book a year ago and got rid of it the day it came. I saw so much incomplete info (vital) on plants I tossed it.
I spoke to local foraging friends who also agreed it was garbage. I made a long tiktok video warning people about it.
A year later it’s viral on TikTok. I hate that people are falling for it. And the scary thing is how widespread fake or paid for reviews and publicity is on it. Thank you for being one of the only truthful reviews.
They (the company that puts out these books) have a very well paying referral program, so it’s easy money for people who aren’t too fussy about the truth. Thank you for sharing your experience and helping to get the word out.
Hi,
I wholeheartedly confirm this book is straight trash. Worst buy ever.
Nicole’s a scammer and her co-authors as well, never buy anything from them.
Hi again, I’d like to ask what do you think about this book?
Dane De Luca Mulandiee
Knowledge To Forage: Wild Edible & Medicinal Plants & Trees
I have not read that book, but after doing some research, I can offer some feedback on it.
The couple exists, and has a youtube channel and website. I’d suggest taking a look at their material online to see if you like the style of their presentation. They are based in the UK, so that may or may not be a best fit in terms of matching your growing conditions/plants available for foraging. The do appear to be actively engaged in gathering knowledge and sharing practical information as well as interesting folklore associated with the plants.
I do have some concerns about the layout of the book. They self-published, and it looks like they didn’t understand how to properly format the book, because there are no outside margins. As one reviewer pointed out in the video they shared, with use, the text on that outside edge is likely to take a beating and potentially become illegible. Hopefully at some point they will reformat and fix the issue. The book is good sized and literally packed with information – right to the edges of the 441 pages.
Thank you so much, I really appreciate your help 🙂 Regarding the Carla Emery book, it doesn’t matter which edition, they are all the same? Thank you
Carla Emery passed away in 2005, so any edition published after that date did not have any new information from her. The 50th Anniversary edition is nice because the paper is a little heavier and a little brighter than the older editions. (I originally got the 9th edition, but it’s getting pretty dog eared from use, so I also picked up the 50th anniversary edition.) When Carla was still alive, she kept updating the book, so later editions have more information than the earliest editions.
Thank you so much for the article!! And thank you for not teasing readers to read tons of pages but going straight to the point. I had a gut feeling and I never ordered any books from Claude Davis and I’m so happy I have found your articles! Thank you very much.
Hello Thank you for your article. I wish I had read it before I bought the book. There are discrepancies between what’s on the website descriptions and page numbers and the book description and page numbers. Also the book shown on the website is a single column page book with a different heading format. The one I received is a double column page book with a plain heading. I think maybe I have received an affiliate copy of the original. Upon further research I discovered there are many affiliates marketing this book, even from India and Belgium. So a warning to your readers, Be Aware, Do The Research!
Al
The Lost Ways company has a powerful marketing machine. I started digging a little more based on your comment, and found their affiliate signup page.
Opening text on the page is as follows:
With 75% commissions, it’s no wonder so many are willing to give them glowing reviews.
It’s now viral on TikTok. I keep trying to warn people.
Thank you. This is exactly the info I was looking for! I would like a book about making herbal remedies but I’m not planning to forage for ingredients or get them from my yard. Can you recommend a book with recipes for a little bit of everything? Thanks
Hi Yolanda.
There are so many good resources out there, including the ones mentioned in the article.
The Herbal Medicine-Maker’s Handbook by David Green is another interesting read, but it tackles the topic by sharing many different ways of preparing herbs. So – tons of recipes, but a little more work to figure out “if you are dealing with this, try this treatment”.
Laurie,
This is my first visit to your site and I appreciate that you spent time to critique the book, ‘The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies’.
I purchased the book and like the content overall, but agree that it is incomplete and lacking the zones where each medicinal plant grows. I could have sent it back, but decided to keep it. Your critique is most helpful and needed as I have not spent much time foraging for medicinal plants in the wild. I do extensive vegetable gardens, berries, melons, and culinary herbs, but just started into growing some common medicinal herbs; such as chamomile, stevia, comfrey and burdock. I don’t have a lot of time in my day, but I will check back from time to time as your site is brimming with lots to read.🙋🏻♀️
Laurie,
Your response to Dionne was just priceless! You didn’t lose your cool and you didn’t stoop to her level. I look forward to your emails and you don’t disappoint. “Kill ’em with kindness” is a great motto and you did just that. You are so capable, educated, informational and beautiful. I’ve copied so many of your recipes, canning tips, and food information over the years. Keep doing what you do – enlightening your readers!
Thank you, Susan.
Dear Laurie,
When I read the “Dionne” thing, it popped into my head that I hope you sat back and were able to have a good belly laugh. Can’t you just picture this dum dum hitting “send” with her pithy message? Then turning to the mirror to fluff her bangs and check her lipstick, take another “selfie” for all her adoring Instagram fans and give a smug little “there, I told her”.
Social media has given rise to “influencers” that think none of their body parts stink and troll out a never ending supply of mean,nasty, ignorant. Ignore and keep on keeping on, girl!!!
We are all beautiful in our own ways. I can’t believe someone thought that her opinion was in good intention. The golden rule…treat others how you want to be treated. Our world has enough negativity do better. Laurie is amazing just the way she is!
Common Sense Home Good News Letter 3/18/23
In regards to the persons email to you. Don’t let others opinion make you be any different than you are. Some people are so unhappy with themselves that they have to try to make others unhappy too. Keep up your great news letters!! The news letters are so very helpful to those of who want to have a better lifestyle.
Laurie, i’m surprised she didn’t question your fingernails too. She’d have a ball critiquing me with my braided hair and frumpy clothes. I’m less hesitant to kneel in the dirt in my mom jeans than i’d be in nicer jeans. I could use your skin saving salve on my 67 year old hide though. Heading in to find the recipe.
They could get together with the person complaining about my “man hands”.
Too funny!
Personally, I think you gave the commenter much more attention than they deserved, haha!
I for one (likely more) find it so refreshing to see people like me when I go online, rather than the carefully made up representatives we so often see. It used to be that only news anchors were that put together. Oh well, we all spend our time differently. I don’t want to get wrapped up in judgements. I appreciate the care you took to address their concerns when no defense was required. God bless you!
at first I was outrages and horrified by this very nasty and uncalled for attack on Laurie Neverman. It was extremely nasty and uncalled for and I was tempted to respond to it myself until I read Laurie’s incisive and definitive response!!! Bravo Laurie!!!
♥️♥️♥️
What does anything you’ve said have to do with the content of this article? You are about as uncouth as they come.
Laurie–I am so sorry that you had to endure Dionne’s comments. You were right in how you dealt with it. However, it wasn’t all a downer. She did compliment you on your “great content.” She said you had a great smile (you do) and plain is in the eye of the beholder. I think you looks are more than presentable. Are you Hollywood? No, thank God! Ever seen any of them sans makeup? Most are not very attractive imo.
“This is how it feels to be critiqued and so if you are going to critisize be mindful and have some couth.”*******************
This last has me stumped. I never remember you being rude in any of your evaluations.
Laurie Neverman, when I read he comment criticizing you, I thought it was rather picky and harsh…until I got to the last sentence. IMO, the comment was more about how you critiqued the book than it was about you personally (“This is how it feels to be critiqued and so if you are going to critisize be mindful and have some couth.”) And, if that was the point of the comment, it could have been made in a more straight forward and less passive aggressive manner. You’re great—I really enjpy everything you write.
Why some people are so superficial is beyond me. I appreciate your information and I’ve learned a great deal from your articles. Thank you.
How shallow and petty can a person be? Excellent reply to Dionne, Laurie! Thanks for all the work you put into your blog and always presenting pertinent, practical, precise information.
I’d be delighted to read your skin-care tips, if you still care to share them! Thanks! Best wishes, jill in California
Hi Jill.
Like everything else, I keep things pretty straightforward. Since I dealt with the psoriasis, I’ve been extra cautious with everything that goes on my skin.
Start from the inside out by eating quality food and staying hydrated. I normally wash my face before bedtime with Alba Botanica coconut face wash, as it doesn’t dry out my skin, and follow with a light layer of argan oil. Sometimes I use rosehip cream. I should probably start using that more regularly because of the whole aging thing.
I think if you are going to have your hair tied back all the time you should grow out your bangs and consider contacts as your glasses create an unpleasant glare. Be aware of how your clothing fits as it can be frumpy, you have a lovely smile and it wouldnt hurt to accent it with a touch of tinted gloss and dark brown mascara if you were open to that. This would help people to focus more on your great content and not be distracted by your plainness. This is how it feels to be critiqued and so if you are going to critisize be mindful and have some couth.
As the saying goes, “If you’re taking flak, you’re over the target.”
Your comment doesn’t address the issues with the book, which still stand. I don’t know Nicole personally, but she seems to be a very capable and talented person. Claude Davis is still a made up character. The photos are still wrong, which still suggests a poor attention to detail, which is not what I want in an herbal reference book.
To address your comments:
I have bangs. I wear them pushed to the side. I don’t like the long sheep dog bang look. It is not practical, and it is not visually appealing to me. I wear my hair in a braid because it is practical, because I work all day instead of posing for the camera.
I can’t wear contacts because I have age related meibomian gland atrophy, which causes dry eyes. This also makes me a poor candidate for surgical vision correction. If you weren’t so obsessed with appearance, you might have taken time to look around the site, and learn how I’ve been working on improving my vision naturally. Who knows, maybe one day you’ll get your wish and I won’t have to wear glasses, so the glare doesn’t inconvenience you.
My clothing is fitted for comfort and function, not fashion. If people want fashion, their are millions of online influencers who will provide it for them.
I have sensitive skin, so most makeup is irritating, so I choose not to wear it. I’m surprised that with your astute observational skills, you didn’t notice how smooth my skin is, especially give that I am in my 50s and spend so much time out in the sun. At one point I had psoriasis that made my skin look like a burn victim, so the fact that my skin is now smooth and clear is practically a modern day miracle. I could share my skin care tips, if you would be open to that.
If you would focus on the actual issues with the text instead of resorting to ad hominem attacks, it would help people to focus more on what really matters, and not be distracted by your rudeness.
I am mindful that many people judge solely on appearance, and are narrow minded and very superficial – like you. These are not our people.
Well crafted reply, Laurie. Bravo!
As for your skin, it really is beautiful. It’s a pretty amazing comparison between the way your skin looks now in your videos and photos, to the way it looked in your articles written while you were struggling with psoriasis. I for one would be very interested in reading or watching a video with your skin care tips! Your skin looks younger than mine, and I am about 10 years younger than you! You wrote that you spend a lot of time in the sun, and that makes your skin care tips that much more intriguing.
There’s not a lot to tell, other than try to eat good food and stay hydrated. I definitely notice if my diet is “off” or I’m not sleeping well. With hitting mid-life, I don’t bounce back as quickly as I used to years ago. I forgot to mention in the other reply, I sometimes use collagen peptides in my coffee, and we eat bone broth and saturated fats.
I wash before bedtime with Alba Botanica coconut face wash, and follow with a light layer of Argan oil. Sometimes I use a little rosehip cream, too, but I should probably use it more often. I do wear a brimmed hat often when working outside. The glasses create glare for me, too, even with the anti-reflective coating.
Hello Laurie, Thank you for sharing your skin tips! Simple, and very effective. A great reminder to keep it simple, and not to fall for the hype! You and your website are a treasure trove of practical information, and it is so appreciated.
Yay! for Laurie!
Laurie 1 Bimbo 0
That a girl Laurie…….great response!
Great answers to rather blatant overstep of shallow consumerism fashion ideals. You are very correct with practical clothing. Working gardens, caring for animals, and homestead chores requires simple sturdy shoes and clothing. Can’t imagine putting on make up, will the chickens notice! Keep up your great attitude. And as for glasses, perhaps that person was so distracted that she missed the important information you offer. Needs to be much more tolerant and/or accepting of others choices in dress and appearance . Fashion does not produce the food; dirt under the fingernails, sweat and labor, as well as sound knowledge of growing skills and husbandry knowledge. Keep going Laurie! There are many who love you just as you are and most likely have similar fashion closets, bring on the muck boots!
Hello. If I were judging by appearance, I think you look fine. I dress the same. If my husband and I go to something a bit fancy, I find suitable attire.
I did not get this book you all are talking about. I did put the swisscow on. I will be searching around with it to see how it is.
I am going to try your skin ideas. Thank you. Will you tell what the collagen peptide bran is that you put in the coffee?
I do also wonder if anyone has had success with remedies for halting the progression of rheumatoid. This would be interesting.
Thank you.
Hi Carmen.
August is trying out another search site (https://luxxle.com/) to see how it compares. We still haven’t found one that knocks our socks off, but google has definitely doubled down on promoting all things Big Pharma, Big Ag, and Man Made Climate Change.
Lately I’ve been using Perfect Supplements collagen peptides, as they test for glyphosate residue. That stuff is getting into everything and it’s so disruptive to your body’s microbiome. I know they have an affiliate program and sometimes offer some specials, so I’ll hunt down more info for the newsletter.
Arthritis is one of things I personally want to address moving forward. Just in the last year or so, I’ve started having some discomfort in my left shoulder that my chiro says is that. I started reading a book that claims to “cure” it, but I was about a third of the way in and the author just kept quoting other people saying various things about it, not offering a real plan. I’ll go back and finish the book, but I needed a break.
All the different “itises” get back to inflammation. Our body is attacking itself – but why?
I suspect it’s a combination of environmental toxins, impaired detoxification pathways, and inadequate nutrition from our current food supply, along with ongoing epigenetic “switches” being flipped due to years of exposure to these problems. This year we’re literally going to dig into the problem deeper, experimenting with ways to improve the nutrient density in our garden produce (and meat chickens and eggs) as high as possible. We also want to do more with food prep that makes the nutrients more available (like fermenting).
I’m hoping that as we do this, we’ll see corresponding health benefits. I also want to work more with specific food and herb based supplementation. I didn’t end up with all these aches overnight, so I don’t expect an overnight fix, but I am hopeful for improvement. At the very least, eating better should do no harm.
You need to sit down in silence, put your computer and phone away, and just think about what you put out into the world. Is this what you want to be? Do you think it might be better to put out positivity? would make you feel better about yourself, your life, people and the world?
My guess is that you are unhappy with yourself, insecure and lash out at people that are happy and living their best life and doing the best they can.
Try this instead…go out today and say something nice to one person. Anything. Their car, their hair, their dog, their purse, their nails. whatever. See the smile and reaction you get.
Your comment is hurting you more than our “Common Sense Home” fine lady.
Darn woman, take your own advice. If you are going to critique someone’s appearance you have zero ground to stand on unless you post a picture and video of you the day you are posting, and then open yourself up to critiquing of your appearance. Except, that’s not the point of this website and the reviews of books/products. If you wanted to give unsolicited advice to Ms. Neverman on appealing to your demographic you could have sent her a personal message.
Have some couth.
Wow Dionne, not sure why you think your attack on Laurie was a good idea, it’s just come off as plain weird.
Laurie, ignore this mean girl commenter and I hope you have a beautiful day – it’s Mother’s Day here in the UK. So from one make up free Mother to another, enjoy the good people around you on this sweet day!
What the hell is wrong with you?
You are absolutely horrible
Wow, Dionne. Maybe you need to read your last sentence. My Mama always told me that if you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say it at all. I think Laurie looks just fine. I have no problem with her glasses or her clothes. I come here for the information, not a fashion show. I think what you said was hurtful and unkind. In fact, it hurts me to read unkind things about others. I don’t know Laurie, but I find her to be very helpful in sharing her information. So, please, when you write something you might want to read it again and ask yourself it this is something that I would want someone to write to me. My motto: Always be kind.
Dionne, not sure what in the world would prompt you to write something along those lines. The title of this blog post includes the word, “review” and by definition, according to Merriam-Webster: “to go over or examine critically or deliberately, or to give a critical evaluation of”. So, the point of this piece was to be critical….to critique. Maybe you aren’t familiar with the concept and the practice? Oh, wait, you do know how to be critical. You have that down pat. And whenever someone chastises another person for undesired behaviors, it is usually the instigator who needs chastising… the old saying about pointing a finger at someone else means there are three fingers pointing back at yourself… and in modern parlance, blame shifting.
Again, who would say something unsolicited along those lines except someone who themselves may lack manners or couth. Take a moment and give this some thought and maybe apply it to yourself. Me? I apply every time I go to pontificate, educate, judge, comment or chime in. And today, I think you needed to hear it.
I bought a couple of Nicole’s books and received them within 2 weeks.
Are you insinuating that Nicole is a fake?
I’m glad that you received your books promptly. Nicole is not fake. From what I have seen, she seems quite knowledgeable. The mistakes in the text are likely due to the team who assembled it, not Nicole.
Claude Davis is a made up character that has been played by different actors on their website and their youtube videos.
She makes the claim of healing her MS. That is a pretty big claim. What do you think? The book would be worth it just for the three tincture remedies for MS alone…if they work.
I’ll save you the money and quote you exactly what she says about those three tincture remedies:
“It (reishi mushroom) also has immune modulating effects. I take it daily, along with Turkey Tail and Lion’s Mane mushroom tinctures, for multiple sclerosis and believe that it greatly helps my condition.”
That’s all that’s included in the book on how she treats her MS.
I suspect that there’s more to the situation that she does not relate, due to potential liability, and that it doesn’t make a good sound bite for advertising.
If you are looking for natural alternatives for treating MS, I highly recommend watching Dr. Terry Wahls TEDx talk about how she put hers into remission. It’s at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLjgBLwH3Wc
I encourage you to research those mushrooms and other immune modulating herbs and diet choices, ideally using a different search engine than google. I’ve been getting fairly good results with swisscows.
Foraging Book, Sept 4, 2022:
Two things noted, and also for author Nicole:
1) After ordering, they did not respond with an Order Number, nor request
my email for an Order Number. This is not usual.
2) In the wheelchair photo, the guy pushing it is hiding his face.
3) Also duly noted: 2020 FTC notice to author to redact claims about curing
COV-19 with Turkey Trail, etc.
Your reputation is all you ultimately take with you. Please do not
entrap people with phony presentations. Be aware that this
is something that follows you the rest of your life.
I ordered this book from you a while ago and have not heard anything since. Any word?
We do not sell this book or advise anyone to get this book. If you look through the comments, you’ll find other people have also not received the books that they ordered from this company.
I’d suggest canceling the payment if possible.
I appreciated your review. I have not gotten this book, but I had seen a commercial on YouTube, and I thought my mom would be interested in it, so I wanted to find reviews about it. I was a little frustrated when some of the other professional reviews for the book were clearly written by people promoting the book, and not written by people giving an actual honest review about the book. I also think it undermines their review a little when they are using affiliate links for the book they are reviewing.
I thought the fact that so many of the professional reviews were clearly just promoting the book was a little sneaky, because they looked like they were either written by the company that published the book, or by people who are paid to promote it, and I think a good book wouldn’t necessarily need to do something as sneaky as writing fake reviews.
I think it’s troubling that the book got identifying pictures of plants wrong, because that could seriously harm someone, especially since they’ve included mushrooms in the book, and some mushrooms look very similar with one being edible and one being poisonous. That was the most troubling thing to me.
If you are making a medical book you really need to get the correct reference pictures for plants, herbs, and mushrooms (I know those are actually all plants). I also think the information about when to avoid certain plants should have been included. My mom has kidney problems, and I wouldn’t want her using anything that could potentially make that worse.
I don’t necessarily think it should have to list every possible drug interaction, though, because that could have added a lot of pages to the book, when someone could easily look up any drug they are on to see what herbal plants interact badly with it. Or a person could ask any pharmacist about drug interactions. I’m not sure if the book listed potential side effects, but I also think that probably should be included, because plants and mushrooms can cause side effects too. Although probably not as many as pharmaceutical drugs. I appreciate your honest review. I also appreciate your recommendations of other books you think are better.
Hey I made a poultice and it didn’t work. Please advise.
Just kidding.
Thanks for your insight and saving me $37. I will look elsewhere.
There are lots of good options out there that proofread a little more closely.
Also, raw honey, cabbage, and plantain are good for poultices, either together or separately. Once you start digging, it’s amazing how many common plants have been used for medicine at one time or another.
I ordered a book about foraging.
It was charged on my credit card it was ab e book. I did not want an e book i called to cancel order but so far have not received the credit.
Please advisw
If you can’t get the book company to respond, contact your credit card company and tell them to stop payment/contest the charge.
Hello Jean,
If you use a credit card for Authorization and not receive any goods either in printed or electronic form (in this instance) you can have you credit card supplier charge back from the purchase for “non receipt of goods”. I have worked in this area. Ring up your bank or institution to confirm this. They may also call it by another name. A chargeback is a common terminology with Visa. If you explain your circumstances to your bank or institution they are usually more than happy to do this request.
Thanks for the information and your opinions. I took issue with your point about hiding behind a pen name. If it were only one author perhaps you would have a point. But Nicole clearly puts her name on the book so why would it affect the integrity of the content? I think she is more that qualified to write a book like this. I’m not sure why you take issue about her mentioning her grandfather’s book but not crediting it. Perhaps it was one that he wrote for himself or his family?
I didn’t say that Nicole was using a pen name, I took issue with this book likely being written by a team of writers who are using Nicole as a front person. I do not think that Nicole wrote this book, because from her other work, it doesn’t seem like she would make the mistakes that were made in this book.
Generally when I am reading books and they mention another book that they like or take inspiration from, I look up that book, too. I’ve found many good books that way. I was hoping that perhaps the book written by her grandfather (if I could find it) would be a better book.
Interestingly enough you mention her credentials Ph’d lived with native tribes ect…. you also hear all the time about some agency threatening someone about making”sensationalist claims” even though many have been proven in labs and universities not to mention from actual results in real life usage including Dr Mercola, Mike Adams, Dr. Wallach ect…
My point being that some of your reference’s are as trust worthy as nicole To reference something like webmd propaganda Machine isn’t a good source they also claim statin drugs aren’t that harmful to you I have a tendency to believe results over claims and I know of no one that Nicole has helped that hasn’t benefited from her knowledge including herself it’s kind of like how Dr. Wallach has cured almost every kid he has treated for autism but he can’t make “Sensationalist Claims” without some propaganda agency threatening him all because Big Pharma can’t control the actual substance
so proof isn’t in the book but in the results and that is what matters and the results of her knowledge is without question
as far as burdock goes that is just opinion hell most people have a hard time eating dandelion greens because they say they are bitter and yet i love them
How many Americans can eat Balut which is common delicacy with the Filipino people or The Maggot Cheese of Southern Corsica lol…. Just opinion
Thanks for the info and opinion
^Aren’t as trustworthy as Nicole
Nichole clearly knows her stuff, but the team that assembled the book made some mistakes. You can eat burdock if you like, but please use other books for cross reference as some of the identification images are incorrect.
The illustration on pg 35 IS a picture of burdock. Arctium, not rumex. Family of rhubarb.
I don’t know if we’re looking at the same book, as my page 35 has no image of Arctium lappa. It talks about encapsulating powdered herbs and herbal water infusions. The image that I’m referring to is identified as Arctium lappa (pg 83), and they show it with a prickly stem. Arctium lappa has a smooth stem. You can see photos at https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/arctium-lappa/
My mistake, perhaps; my book has a publish date of 2018, and does not include Nicole Apelian as co-author.
It’s probably a different version then, so different photos.
I have found this book extremely helpful and especially the pdf version of it where you can EASILY search for various herbs or diseases and use that as a jumping off point if I feel the need for corroboration from other sources. I have learned SO much and find it ti be a veritable gold mine! I agree: WebMD is part of Big Pharma and while a lot of their information may be good I always take it with a grain of salt.
Ugh…. I wish I had seen this before I ordered the book
They do have that money back guarantee, in theory, if you are disappointed. There’s a lot of information in it, but I would double check it with another source.
ALL info should be cross-referenced, yes?
Whenever you are identifying new to you plants, it’s always good to have a couple of different references for identification.
So do I James. I’ve ordered several books of this type, and it’s been about six months. I’ll try to get my money back and hope it’s not too late.
I wish they would send me my book I ordered it back in August I still have not received it. I get tons of email and while I was ordering they were trying to make me buy more books for deals. I don’t know how to contact them about my book I paid approximately $38.00.