Multiple times this week I have come across the statistic that on Amazon, 82% of books in the Herbal Remedies category are at least partially written by AI.
Whether that number is accurate or not, the article points out examples of how AI will prioritize sentence structure over accurate information and fabricate stories, all while eroding our trust.
Herbalist authors who have spent years honing their craft with lived experiences and real stories find themselves competing for attention and dollars.
Herbal medicine has thousands of years of history behind it and the way it is shared is different across cultures: from teacher to apprentice, parent to child, direct transmission from the plants, trial and error or in this case written in a published book.
We can learn by experiencing the same plant over and over in different ways to understand what is true for our bodies. By learning alongside others in a mentored community to gain multiple perspectives on the same plant. And by a willingness to be changed by the plants and new information.
Trying to find accurate herbal information on the web can be an overwhelming task, and I prefer to sit with a cup of tea by the woodstove and read old favorites.
I have been enjoying The Herbal Medicine-Maker’s Handbook by James Green written in 2000 with 60’s vibes. Although it’s a meandering journey of a book that needs some editing, it provides interesting information that I don’t often come across in an herbal guide.
An example is a section on how different liquids extract medicine with a detailed comparison of the benefits of water, oil, glycerine, vinegar and alcohol and why you would choose one over the other.