Don't think of this as a handbook for herb hunting; if you do you'll be a little disappointed. Think of it as an amazing, meandering journey through the mind and experiences of a GENIUS among men at understanding and finding wild plants. If you're interested in plants, survival food, or even gourmet cooking, I believe you'll find Euell Gibbons a king among men.

There are chapters in this book about wilderness survival, camping out "nature style," making maple syrup, the vitamin contents of common "weeds," making a dill crock, seaweeds, The Teas of the Revolution, and essays on ecology. All of this is fascinatingly packed with bits of specifics about plant species and how to prepare the edible ones. It isn't in the format for plant identification; there are only a few pictures per chapter. (For that, let me suggest "Feasting Free on Wild Edibles," by Bradford Angier.)

All in all, an excellent book. Especially memorable are the chapters about Gibbons staying on an island and eating only from it, and his charming "survival in the wilds of central park."

Get this book; you won't be sorry. You'll feel like you're meeting a new friend.

Keep in mind, however, that this was written in '66, so some of the very specific advice might be a tiny bit outdated. But I think nearly all of it stays surprisingly fresh. A very encouraging book.