"In Lanny Kaufer’s new book Medicinal Herbs of California, A Field Guide to Common Healing Plants (Falcon Guides, 2021), we find an encyclopedic presentation of a subject that transcends rote identification and gets to the heart of what it means to understand the land as a function of being human. By exploring the conservation status, the traditional and modern usage, and the cultivation of the entries, Kaufer’s holistic exploration of California’s herbarium reveals an inroad to an intimate identity with actually being from and learning to honor the place of his study. In Kaufer’s exhaustive, and yet exciting, exploration of California’s botanical portfolio, we have a treasured key to understanding, loving, and protecting the most special and sacred aspect of our local, natural world.” — Obi Kaufmann, Author, The California Field Atlas "Medicinal Herbs of California is a very useful resource that is filled with facts and stories about California plants. The book is fully referenced for more in-depth reading. Lanny Kaufer pays attention to the California Indian uses of the plants, especially Chumash, and teaches us how to use them correctly. I admire his ability to seek the truth about these plant medicines." —James D. Adams, Professor Emeritus, USC School of Pharmacy, Author of Healing with Medicinal Plants of the West "Lanny Kaufer has been teaching me about new plants as well as new uses of old plant allies for three decades. His exquisite attention to botanical science is balanced with respect for Indigenous systems of healing wisdom. Whether you are a beginner or a Ph.D., I trust that this will be your favorite new field guide. I love this book!" —Amanda McQuade Crawford, MA, MFT; Author, Herbal Remedies For Women; Director, PhytoHumana: Integrative Medicine "Lanny Kaufer brings together all the best elements to create a classic compendium of ethnobotany: years of respectful study with Indigenous elders, an extensive background in herbal medicine, meticulous research and documentation, exquisite photography, sensitivity to the sustainability and preservation of plant species, and an intimate personal knowledge of the regional ecosystems." —David Crow, Licensed Acupuncturist, Herbalist, Founder of Floracopeia, Inc. “This book is one of the best herb manuals I’ve seen in over a decade. It is a combination of practical botanical knowledge and plant identification, known science about the herbs, as well as decades of Lanny’s personal experience combined with the ancient wisdom of the oral tradition.” —Jake F. Felice, N.D., L.M.P. "This is a well-documented field guide for lay and herbalist alike, excellent for responsible gatherers to find and use helpful medicinal plants. So, get the book, put on a hat, and go out into our glorious California wild areas. Happy hunting!" —Mary Hardy, MD, Integrative Medicine Physician; Founder/Director, Wellness Works; Co-Author: Best Remedies: Breakthrough Prescriptions that Blend Conventional and Natural Medicine “Lanny Kaufer's years of experience and passion for hiking, exploring nature, and learning and teaching about the native plants of the West have found beautiful expression in his new book Medicinal Herbs of California. His rich knowledge of the history, botany, and biomedical research of some 70 plants is clearly presented. His book is a blend of scientific scholarship that satisfies the intellect along with Indigenous and naturalist experiential insights to nourish the spirit.” —John Hickey, Licensed Acupuncturist, Co-Founder and former Academic Dean, Santa Barbara College of Oriental Medicine "This is an outstanding book! As a professional field botanist, I really appreciate the author’s focus on the conservation status of the plants that he discusses, his many years of experience with these plants, his inclusion of propagation hints so that readers can avoid over-harvesting plants in the wild, the references that are cited, and the extensive bibliography that empowers the serious readers to do further study and research on their own." —Steve Junak, Author, A Flora of Santa Cruz Island; Research Associate, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden "Lanny Kaufer is well-known as a teacher of wild edible plants growing in the West. Now he has presented to us his first book of the medicinal properties of the wild plants you’re most likely to find throughout California. The book is properly organized from a botanical standpoint, well-illustrated, and well-researched. Whether you’re a beginning or a more advanced herbalist, Kaufer’s field guide is a must-have for your library. The book gets my highest praise and recommendation." —Christopher Nyerges, Author, Foraging California and Foraging Wild Edible Plants of North America; Co-founder, School of Self-Reliance "This is an outstanding resource for any herbalist, botanist, or conservationist in California! With a thorough accounting of Indigenous and modern uses of plants, field descriptions, conservation of rare and native plants, as well as ethical wild harvesting methods, Lanny provides a powerful bridge between the worlds of folk herbalism and modern science. Both practical and humorous, the tales of our local herbal allies are beautifully illustrated and brought to life. I will be recommending this book to my students for years to come!" —Emily Sanders, Founder/Director, Artemisia Academy of Herbal Arts & Healing “Lanny Kaufer has written an astounding book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Medicinal Herbs of California is an indispensable resource for nature enthusiasts and herbalism students alike. With special emphasis on ethics, conservation, and sustainable harvesting, this book is a reputable and thorough reference to empower its readers to look to California’s medicinal herbs for tradition- and science-based alternative healing modalities and know how to safely prepare them." —Jess Starwood, MS Herbal Medicine, Author, Mushroom Wanderland: A Forager's Guide to Finding, Identifying, and Using More Than 25 Wild Fungi "Lanny Kaufer’s easily digestible guide to common California medicinal plants is based on his extensive study of Indigenous and westernized botanicals and his years of experience leading plant walks, sponsoring events, and cultivating local vegetation. Especially helpful for my pharmacy practice is the Phytochemicals/Mechanisms of Action section. The tone of the book reflects his easygoing inclusive nature combined with deep respect for the uses and technical details of each botanical." —Pam Tarlow, PharmD, Integrative Health Pharmacist "Medicinal Herbs of California represents an immense undertaking in bringing the worlds of traditional herbal medicine together with modern science in a way that has not been done before for California native plants. This book belongs on the shelves of every herb and plant enthusiast, especially those in California but also beyond, as many of the plants included are endemic in other parts of the United States." —Roy Upton, RH, President, American Herbal Pharmacopoeia “Amazing work! What a joy to dip into such a concentrated yet accessible resource! Here we have a field guide that in its thorough, accurate and comprehensive coverage crosses the boundary from field guide to outright herbal. Beautiful photographs, clear descriptions, current science, traditional and Indigenous uses, and clear preparation instructions encourage time on the trail and in the kitchen. This is going right on the reading resource list for my school.” —Carol Wade, Founder/Director, Earth Island Herbs and Ojai School of Herbal Studies “Lanny Kaufer's years of experience and passion for hiking, exploring nature, and learning and teaching about the native plants of the West have found beautiful expression in his new book Medicinal Herbs of California. His rich knowledge of the history, botany, and biomedical research of some 70 plants is clearly presented. But for me the soul of this book is the stories he tells of his Native American and naturalist teachers and of his own experiences with the plants themselves. For instance, we can see that several tribal groups may use an individual herb in the same way, and at the same time there are unique applications within those groups. It becomes apparent that the relationship he is expressing to nature and the plant itself has been a lifelong journey of self-cultivation and revelatory insight. Lanny’s book is a blend of scientific scholarship that satisfies the intellect along with Indigenous and naturalist experiential insights to nourish the spirit. And his invitation is clear: to follow our own individual pathway among the world of plants and, as he says in his introduction, ‘you may find a connection to nature that no book, including this one, can provide.’” — John Hickey, Licensed Acupuncturist, Co-Founder and former Academic Dean, Santa Barbara College of Oriental Medicine "As a practicing herbalist for 52 years, I have collected every good book on herbalism and herbology I could. My 3 libraries are treasuries of hundreds of great herb books. I can honestly state that I have read them all, at least partially, and often from cover to cover. I rate them in my own mind based on quality of information, accuracy, organization, readability and value of the images. A book that rates high in all categories goes onto special shelves and contributes to special collections. As an elder in the current herbal field, and as the Master Herbalist of one of America’s leading herb companies, I have been exposed to both great books and garbage. I have come to be brutally honest. This book is great – especially for Californians. Lanny Kaufer’s terrific book, Medicinal Herbs of California - A Field Guide to Common Healing Plants, surprised me. I took a liking to it in an instant. I love how it is organized and it is professionally presented. It has all the 'scientific nerdy details,' precautions, and a robust section on endangered plants and what we can do about it, so after studying it you’ll be able to talk like a pro. Lanny methodically describes dozens of important native-California herbs in wonderful, rich, easy to understand language. This is really an excellent field guide and reference book. It’s also a great armchair reader. I have twelve professional herbalists who work for me. I’m going to give each of them a copy for required reading. As Californians, we need to know our native plants intimately. This book has inspired me to go on a wild herb hunt in the hills this weekend. I want to use more of the amazing herbs clinically in my practice. I highly recommend this book to everyone interested in wild California herbs. You’ll have professional level knowledge when you have made a good study of the book." — Ron Teeguarden, certified Master Herbalist, ordained Taoist Master, author of Chinese Tonic Herbs (Japan Publications/Harper & Row), and The Ancient Wisdom of the Chinese Tonic Herbs (Warner Books, Time Warner Company), and Founder, President and Master Herbalist of Ron Teeguarden’s Dragon Herbs, based in Santa Monica, California.