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Ginseng, the Divine Root: The Curious History Of The Plant That Captivated The World
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About Ginseng, The Divine Root: The Curious History Of
Product Description The story behind ginseng is as remarkable as the root itself. Prized for its legendary curative powers, ginseng launched the rise to power of China's last great dynasty; inspired battles between France and England; and sparked a boom in Minnesota comparable to the California Gold Rush. It has made and broken the fortunes of many and has inspired a subculture in rural America unrivaled by any herb in the plant kingdom. Today ginseng is at the very center of alternative medicine, believed to improve stamina, relieve stress, stimulate the immune system, enhance mental clarity, and restore well-being. It is now being studied by medical researchers for the treatment of cancer, diabetes, and Parkinson's disease. In Ginseng, the Divine Root, David Taylor tracks the path of this fascinating plant―from the forests east of the Mississippi to the bustling streets of Hong Kong and the remote corners of China. He becomes immersed in a world full of wheelers, dealers, diggers, and stealers, all with a common goal: to hunt down the elusive "Root of Life." Weaving together his intriguing adventures with ginseng's rich history, Taylor uncovers a story of international crime, ancient tradition, botany, herbal medicine, and the vagaries of human nature. From Publishers Weekly Take an ordinary root. Endow it with restorative capacities and a pungent flavor a bit like sarsaparilla or anise. Make it elusive to capture, and you've got a commodity worthy of myth—and, in the case of ginseng, one which will inexplicably boom and bust with the dictates of fashion (unless you live in China, in which case it will be omnipresent). The U.S. is experiencing a ginseng boom at the moment—in the more "rational" mid-century period it fell out of favor—evidenced not only by its frequent appearance on package labels but also by this intelligent, wide-ranging account by documentarian Taylor. Skeptical (though ultimately persuasive) about ginseng's subtle but genuine curative powers, Taylor uses the intriguing substance, prevalent in both China and the eastern U.S., as an occasion to ponder the different approaches to medicine in East and West and to present some amusing characters, including traders, experts and the "ginsengers" who hunt the "sang." There's little doubt that ginseng is as beguiling as Taylor's subtitle suggests—even its biggest American booster is wont to claim, paradoxically, that ginseng is good for "everything, and not really anything." Readers may also want to see Ginseng Dreams: The Secret World of America's Most Valuable Plant by Kristin Johannsen (Reviews, Jan. 2). (June) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Booklist Taylor here traces the commercial complex surrounding the ancient herb ginseng. He profiles his guides through the hierarchy of the ginseng business, from collecting it in America to its sale in China, its main market. His first escort, an agriculture extension agent, takes Taylor into the woods of New York State, where the author learns about finding the furtive shoots of the plant. A lot of ginseng, it turns out, is harvested from the wild as a sideline by folks aware of its value, which inevitably tempts poachers. After collecting poaching stories from a ranger in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Taylor completes ginseng's supply chain by talking to ginseng farmers in Wisconsin, a buyer in New York City, and retailers in China. Including discussion of the medicinal benefits attributed to ginseng, as well as interesting historical arcana--the Jesuits, the Qing dynasty, and Daniel Boone oddly have ginseng in common--Taylor's adventurous tour should tap into the root's rising popularity with herbal-product consumers. Gilbert Taylor Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Review "An engaging cultural history." --The Brooklyn Eagle "The tale of ginseng is, like the gnarled root... complex, mysterious, a
