SKU: 77269575219

Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice: An Ethnobotanist Searches for New Medicines in the Rain Forest

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Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice: An Ethnobotanist Searches for New Medicines in the Rain ForestThe fascinating account of a pioneering ethnobotanist's travels in the Amazon at once a gripping adventure story, a passionate argument for conservationism, and an investigation into the healing power of plants, by the author of The Amazon: What Everyone Needs to Know For thousands of years, healers have used plants to cure illness. Aspirin, the world's most widely used drug, is based on compounds originally extracted from the bark of a willow tree,

The fascinating account of a pioneering ethnobotanist's travels in the Amazon--at once a gripping adventure story, a passionate argument for conservationism, and an investigation into the healing power of plants, by the author of The Amazon: What Everyone Needs to Know

For thousands of years, healers have used plants to cure illness. Aspirin, the world's most widely used drug, is based on compounds originally extracted from the bark of a willow tree, and more than a quarter of medicines found on pharmacy shelves contain plant compounds. Now Western medicine, faced with health crises such as AIDS, Alzheimer's disease, and cancer, has begun to look to the healing plants used by indigenous peoples to develop powerful new medicines. Nowhere is the search more promising than in the Amazon, the world's largest tropical forest, home to a quarter of all botanical species on this planet--as well as hundreds of Indian tribes whose medicinal plants have never been studied by Western scientists. In Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice, ethnobotanist Mark J. Plotkin recounts his travels and studies with some of the most powerful Amazonian shamans, who taught him the plant lore their tribes have spent thousands of years gleaning from the rain forest.

For more than a decade, Dr. Plotkin raced against time to harvest and record new plants before the rain forests' fragile ecosystems succumb to overdevelopment--and before the Indians abandon their own culture and learning for the seductive appeal of Western material culture. Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice relates nine of the author's quests, taking the reader along on a wild odyssey as he participates in healing rituals; discovers the secret of curare, the lethal arrow poison that kills in minutes; tries the hallucinogenic snuff epena that enables the Indians to speak with their spirit world; and earns the respect and fellowship of the mysterious shamans as he proves that he shares both their endurance and their reverence for the rain forest. Mark Plotkin combines the Darwinian spirit of the great writer-explorers of the nineteenth century--curious, discursive, and rigorously scientific--with a very modern concern for the erosion of our environment and the vanishing culture of native peoples.



Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin Group
Published: 08/01/1994
ISBN: 9780140129915
Pages: 352
Weight: 0.53lbs
Size: 7.74h x 5.06w x 0.68d

Review Citations: Publishers Weekly 07/04/1994
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SKU: 77269575219

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Crystal Randall
Omaha, US
★★★★★ 4
Loved
Format: Kindle
This story had me hooked from just the first few chapters. I literally could not put it down, I love a good forbidden love story and this was just *chefs kiss*. I could feel the chemistry between Ana and Rachel from the moment they met. Their conversations are so well written, I loved the banter between them both. The drama throughout the book had me saying "just one more chapter before I take a break". I appreciated that you can tell that the author was knowledgeable about both of the main characters profession and religion and that the book took a focus on recognizing the characters differences and showing Ana take the time to learn about Rachel's religion. That was such a great touch that I loved. The only reason that I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 is that the resolution of the drama and story seemed a bit anticlimactic. There was all this tension from secrets kept that once they came out both characters seemed to move on and get their happily ever after. Overall, I loved this book and its characters. I definitely will be picking up any book that this author puts out!
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Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2025
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Reader
West Palm Beach, US
★★★★★ 5
Amazing read!
Format: Kindle
I loved this book so much! I might be a little biased because I loved the first one so much and I’ve been dying for Ana to get happy ending ever since, but it was definitely a good book all around. Ana and Rachel were absolutely perfect for each other. They have the kind of opposing personalities that fit together like a puzzle. Where Rachel was a little more reserved and polished, Ana was more outgoing and messy. They didn’t clash, they completed each other. I’m not going to lie, love that they’re a doctor and a lawyer because they’re giving sapphic power couple. I also loved all of the supportive family members and best friends in this book. Stella and Charlotte were super cute and I hope we get to see them again in a later book. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for an opposites attract, doctor/lawyer romance. This is the second book that I’ve read from Morgan and it seems like she doesn’t miss.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2025
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Andrea
Pawtucket, US
★★★★★ 4
Sapphic Lawyer and Doctor
Format: Paperback
I loved this book… which is why I was very disappointed when the conflict was “solved” so easily and lowkey brushed past. We are waiting for this secret to come out that Rachel has been holding onto. There’s obviously conflict of interest with Ana and Rachel. But the way they solved it? I didn’t feel like it was realistic and it felt like both women were like, “Okay, that’s over, everything is kosher now(pun intended?). It honestly prevented me from giving it 5 stars. The ending seems so rushed. But other than that, I loved both characters! I loved learning about Jewish culture and loved how the author portrayed it. Both MCs are fleshed out, in depth characters. The author had a good balance of humor
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Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2025
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Notsonewtothis
Massapequa, US
★★★★★ 5
Enjoyable Doctor, Lawyer Romance
Format: Paperback
A very enjoyable and engaging story. The medical and legal aspects of this story was very fascinating. I never get tired of reading romances that are about those troupes. The romance between the main characters was very sweet with not A lot of drama or angst. Sometimes I prefer A story with less drama and angst. I like when characters in A story can be reasonable and work out their problems without all the drama. Ana and Rachel are those characters. There's A few witty moments in this book that made me smile and laugh out loud A few times throughout this story. The supporting characters were written well and helped to make this an even better reading experience. I will definitely be on the lookout for more books by this author.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2025
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Luna
Alexandria, US
★★★★★ 4
So good
Format: Paperback
When your one-night stand turns out to be the surgeon that you subpoenaed for a malpractice lawsuit. Ana, an unappreciated lawyer, has been passed up for promotion to her male colleagues yet again. A malpractice lawsuit win could be what she needs to finally get the promotion she’s worked so hard for. Rachel, a cardiac surgeon who goes above and beyond for her patients, is subpoenaed to testify in a malpractice lawsuit. Arriving at the law firm for her deposition, Rachel discovers that the lawyer for the family who filed the lawsuit is Ana Mendez. As in Ana, her one-night stand. I was excited to get my hands on this one! I loved that Ana and Rachel were so different from each other in personalities, looks, backgrounds, and religions. The differences made them unique and interesting to me. The banter was well-written, and I loved how feisty they were towards each other in the beginning. Was the dirty talk unexpected? Very much so. I was not prepared for that or for how hot things had gotten. And while I did enjoy the spice, I would’ve liked for there to have been more communication about the conflict too. The references to The Golden Girls and The Sims? Oh, I totally geeked out over that! Overall, it was a good sapphic romance that I’m sure others will enjoy. I’d like to thank NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the arc. This is my voluntary review.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2025

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