Post by Alan on Dec 11, 2007 0:33:47 GMT -5
Ginseng Dreams: The Secret World of America's Most Valuable Plant
Written by: Kristin Johannsen
As a Ginseng grower and enthusiast I'm always interested in any new little tid-bit or literature discussing one of the most beautiful, endangered and mis-understood plants in the world, so when I first heard an interview with author Kristin Johannsen promoting the book "Ginseng Dreams" on NPR I knew that I needed to track down this book which was published by the University Press of Kentucky and give it a good through reading.
What I had hoped for was a glimpse of what might lie in Ginsengs future as a wild herbal elixir. What I got was a quite bleak glimpse of a world overshadowed by greedy business men, very superstitious cultures, extinction, crop failures, and poaching.
What I also got was an enlightening glimpse about the medicinal possibilities of Ginseng and that the future of this valuable woodland plant and what it might offer to researchers looking to find a true cure to some forms of cancer, not in it's valuable root but in the often overlooked tops of the plants. I also got a good look at the why and how of Asians and their love for this sacred plant as well as an overview of a Kentucky program to track and keep tabs on the numbers of wild Ginseng by walking and plotting the backwoods of Kentucky with one sight even in the Jefferson County (metro Louisville) area.
Inside the book we also get the back story on a highly criticized Ginseng bust which took place in Tennessee a few years back and some of the often baffling items used in Chinese herbal medicine and why they often endanger some of our greatest natural treasures. We also take a look at the Wisconsin Ginseng farms and their rise and fall and the publication of the homegrown Ginseng Journal, a once popular newsletter circulating in the woods grown and field grown Ginseng communities starting in the early 20'th century.
Overall the book was very informative regarding the history of Ginseng, it's discovery in North America, it's Habitat, it's current plight, Chinese and Asian herbalism, information for those interested in woods growing and of course the ever apparent chase for easy money and green gold up and down the Appalachian mountain region. Most interestingly though is the scientific and medical research being performed on this miraculous gift from the gods and the astonishing discoveries being made right now and what they might mean for the future of Cancer research.
I highly recommend this book even if you are not a Ginseng grower yourself. If you are looking for information regarding growing Ginseng then you won't find any detailed plans here however Kristin can send you in the right direction and give you some idea of what to expect.
-Alan
Written by: Kristin Johannsen
As a Ginseng grower and enthusiast I'm always interested in any new little tid-bit or literature discussing one of the most beautiful, endangered and mis-understood plants in the world, so when I first heard an interview with author Kristin Johannsen promoting the book "Ginseng Dreams" on NPR I knew that I needed to track down this book which was published by the University Press of Kentucky and give it a good through reading.
What I had hoped for was a glimpse of what might lie in Ginsengs future as a wild herbal elixir. What I got was a quite bleak glimpse of a world overshadowed by greedy business men, very superstitious cultures, extinction, crop failures, and poaching.
What I also got was an enlightening glimpse about the medicinal possibilities of Ginseng and that the future of this valuable woodland plant and what it might offer to researchers looking to find a true cure to some forms of cancer, not in it's valuable root but in the often overlooked tops of the plants. I also got a good look at the why and how of Asians and their love for this sacred plant as well as an overview of a Kentucky program to track and keep tabs on the numbers of wild Ginseng by walking and plotting the backwoods of Kentucky with one sight even in the Jefferson County (metro Louisville) area.
Inside the book we also get the back story on a highly criticized Ginseng bust which took place in Tennessee a few years back and some of the often baffling items used in Chinese herbal medicine and why they often endanger some of our greatest natural treasures. We also take a look at the Wisconsin Ginseng farms and their rise and fall and the publication of the homegrown Ginseng Journal, a once popular newsletter circulating in the woods grown and field grown Ginseng communities starting in the early 20'th century.
Overall the book was very informative regarding the history of Ginseng, it's discovery in North America, it's Habitat, it's current plight, Chinese and Asian herbalism, information for those interested in woods growing and of course the ever apparent chase for easy money and green gold up and down the Appalachian mountain region. Most interestingly though is the scientific and medical research being performed on this miraculous gift from the gods and the astonishing discoveries being made right now and what they might mean for the future of Cancer research.
I highly recommend this book even if you are not a Ginseng grower yourself. If you are looking for information regarding growing Ginseng then you won't find any detailed plans here however Kristin can send you in the right direction and give you some idea of what to expect.
-Alan