Official Review: Medicine From the kitchen

[bjoly2]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Medicine From the kitchen" by Jessie L. Emerson.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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I chose to read Medicine From the Kitchen by Jessie Emerson because I am someone captivated by natural remedies for everyday illness. I would much rather drink a bit of elderberry syrup than take a dose of DayQuil. So this seemed right up my alley!

Overall, I think the book has many good ideas but could do with another round of edits due to a substantial number of grammatical and structural issues. I give this book 2 out of 4 stars. The bones are there, but it needs a bit more love and standardization to make it great.

Medicine From the Kitchen starts by covering basic best practices of first aid, like washing your hands and wearing gloves before treating someone. I appreciate that it starts at a bare minimum and assumes the reader may not have a working knowledge of first aid skills.

It also outlined practical measures that I hadn’t considered, like keeping a journal that tracks medications and treatments for your family and learning about venomous creatures in your area, and knowing the signs and symptoms of a bite. Knowledge truly is power, and Emerson does a great job of not just providing knowledge but encouraging the reader to empower themselves. He does this by creating several helpful sections, including kitchen ingredients and necessities and recipes.

Structurally, the first section of the book left something to be desired. This proved to be my least favorite because I had the highest expectations for it. The first section covers each potential issue someone might encounter, the signs and symptoms, and measures for treatment.

It would have helped if each malady followed a standard format to make it easier to understand and quickly use. For example, certain diseases, like seizures, had a subheading for “Signs and symptoms” and “Treatment.” But others had “Causes,” “What to do,” or “Prevention.” If each disease state followed the same structure, it would enable the reader to scan and quickly find what they need.

My favorite part of the book is the section on tea. Herbal teas can have such amazing healing powers, and I believe they are very underrated in treating minor ailments. The tea section outlines what each tea helps with, rosemary for memory or headaches, ginger for indigestion or sour stomach, and how to prepare it properly. I will definitely reference this to make teas for myself and my family in the future.

Overall, this book does a good job of providing an overview of preparing yourself (and your kitchen) to treat common ailments. As such, I would recommend it for those interested in an Eastern medicine approach and who seek a more natural way to treat acute medical issues.

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Medicine From the kitchen
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[Hazel Arnaiz]

The tea section sounds interesting. It will be nice to try the suggested preparations. Thanks for the recommendation.