I love the idea of using entirely natural substances with many proven benefits for mind, body and soul, to make perfumes. This book is a pretty decent introduction. There are numerous perfume recipies which encourage creativity and experimentation. The book is clear, serves its purpose and is clearly based on a lot of experience about combining scents. It gets four stars rather than five because it is a little modest in its aims - it doesn't use any of the exotic oils to make perfumes - and a little sparse on explaining the real magic of essential oils -ie that they are extraordinary complex substances that work on a physical, emotional and spiritual realm simultaneously. For books that do wonderful justice to essential oils see Valerie Wormwood's Fragrant Mind and Fragrant Heavens.

i love this book. if you are interested in finding out how to scent anything, be it your body, hair, skin, lotions, bath oils, or your living room -- this book is a great place to start. It is a marvelous introduction to aromatherapy focussing on teaching the basic principles you will need to understand in order to create your own blends. The book also lists a mulititude of excellent sample blends and imparts a wealth of knowledge on the essential oils and how to use them effectively. there's something in here for everyone.

This book did not win me over completely, but it does manage to save itself--and pack a wallop--with the last hundred pages.

The premise is that something is very wrong in Wildwood, of the Great Smokey Mountains. A legacy left over from 1916, when sorcery went horribly amok at a lavish chateau, has caused strange creatures to inhabit the woods, and has cloaked the mountain called Tormentil with a sinister aura. Enter Whit and his son Terry; Whit visits the woods to find an old army buddy who may have gone insane (local gossip)--but the old buddy's obssession with halfhuman beasts that he wants to target with his rifle is only the tip of the iceberg. It turns out that Whit has some unfinished business in the woods, which he didn't know he had!

Scenes throughout the book take us back to 1909-16, to shed light on what really happened to let loose what could be demons, to reveal what thrust the chateau into a nether-realm on a night of revelry, and to link the characters of 1958 with those of decades past.

Part William Sloane potboiler (there's an evil genius behind all the science-and-sorcery experimentation), part Harry Potter scenario (austere centaurs and rambunctious faeries in a magic wood, helping out a young boy, Terry, when he's in trouble), the book may also appeal to fans of Robert Holdstock's Mythago Wood.

A few complaints:

About 80 pages into the book, the first of the flashbacks to 1909ish occur, but the first few examples are in diary form. It's already late in the book to suddenly start running a parallel narrative, but that's okay. The strange thing is, all other flashbacks take the form of actual scenes--no diary headings introducing them or anything. This bumpy, unpredictable approach to the 1909-16 sections still strikes me as odd. Perhaps the little diary portions could have been modified to be scenes, or that bitty bit of info in them could have shown up as expository stuff in present-time scenes (ie. someone reminisces, a fragment of a diary is found in 1958, etc.).

Other than that, I guess it might be fair to say that a lot of the 1958 scenes at the start of the book--specifically the ones that establish a quietly sexual relationship between Terry and Cherokee beauty Faren--seem to become meaningless when everything starts to converge at the chateau, in both 1958 and 1916. Terry meets butterfly lady Josie, and hasn't got another thought for Faren. Meanwhile, Arn starts out as a harsh, unfriendly lout (this is Whit's old army pal), but by the end he almost acts like a different person. As he walks off into the sunset, I'm not sure I can forgive him for his earlier transgressions (and I'm not sure I'd let him adopt a baby!). As for the villains, neither the evil sorcerer nor the demonic serpent quite ascend to the level of memorable evildoers; they simply get crowded off the stage for most of the book, and then we're out of pages and it's time for the finale.

But, the book does pull everything together towards the home-stretch. As a time-travel buff, I liked it when the two eras intersected...past and present characters intermixing, even meeting themselves. The last hundred pages are very intense, very revealing (thank goodness), and quite satisfying.

This is one of those rare novels that made such an impression on me that I have actually dreamed about it on several occassions. It is the story of a parcel of densely wooded land near the Smokey Mountains called Wildwood. It is a place where twisted creatures, part animal and part man, roam; both beautiful and terrifying. And where a rich mogul, Mad Edgar Langford's chateau seems to blink in and out of existence after disappearing during a masquerade ball in the 1900's. Farris' writing style has depth and emotion that goes beyond most modern authors. His ideas are richly realized and wildly original and his characters are as close to real as the printed word allows. This is a horror/fantasy blend that seduces with dark and wondrous magic. Highest recommendation.

This book is well worth the time and trouble that it might take to track it down. John Farris is one of the few authors in the horror genre who continually tries new things and can be counted on to deliver from one book to the next.

In _Wildwood_, he offers a truly involving mixture of fantasy (at times, this reminded me strongly of Robert Holdstock's _Mythago Wood_) and frightening, cosmic horror. In a relatively short time, Mr. Farris has become one of my favorite authors and I haven't been disappointed yet in any of the books I've read by him, many of which have involved some rather lengthy searching through the musty, dim stacks of used bookstores. Highly recommended!

I hate to be the dissenting voice to all the gushing reviews for this book, but I thought it was weak at best. The plot was thin, the dialogue sophmoric, the character development was forced, and the overall portrait of the war was unrealistic. For example, the bushwackers that form the core of the book are almost invincible except at times that aid the story. In battles with even seasoned federal calvary, they rarely lose more than one or two men while wiping out dozens of enemies. They never suffer from hunger, even at a time when many farms were burned.

But, setting aside the lack of historical credibility, the book never evokes the feelings of the war or its human impact in a way that Charles Frazier did (I only bring up the comparision b/c of the quote on the paper edition). Bill, our main man here, never develops as a character- he just sort of lurches from phase to phase.

I wouldn't bother with this book- there are so many other novels of the Civil War worth your time.

THIS WAS AN EXCELLENT BOOK. I LOVED IT. IT TOOK ME BACK TO THAT TIME AND PLACE, AND GAVE ME A LOOK AT A GREAT HISTORICAL STORY. ONE REVIEWER WAS SO BIAS, I AM SURE HE WAS FOR THE OPPOSITE SIDE IN THIS STORY. HE MUST BE VERY UNHAPPY AND COWARDLY IN HIS APPROACHES TO NOVELS.

Some authors you read because the journey is better than the destination, but I find with Blake it's the opposite. His action and storytelling outweigh his poetry, although there is poetry, to be sure. He writes with a passion and moves with a purpose. And yes, as other reviews state here, he does not disappoint.

This book is full of practical information for seduction by scent, setting the mood for love. There is a section on sensual massage, and a very good discussion of essential oils to use. There even are recipes given for an aftershave, sensual foods, aromatherapy blends to try out for your first attempt, thoughtfully with the necessary precautions. I was left with a feeling that the book could've been more visually arresting, however. It's a great book nonetheless, so don't just take my word for it and see for yourself.

Benning Kearney knows trouble is coming when he sees Jess Whittaker step off the stage.

Jessamyn Whittaker, at 26, has inherited a newspaper, The Wildwood Times in 1868, from her father, Thad Whittaker and moved herself, lock, stock and barrel from Boston to Wildwood Valley, Oregon.

She is a very determined lady and wants to know just what the Sheriff, Ben Kearney is doing to find her father's killer. She is overwhelmed to find out that her father had purchased a house from the widow, Mrs. Cora Boult - who becomes one of Jess's close friends.

Jess is determined to go with Ben when he leaves town to go talk to the Indian chief Black Eagle. In getting clothes to ride in at the mercantile Jess meets Ella Kearney and her little daughter Alice, who is 5 or 6 years of age [this is pertinent only to time frame]. Ella is married, most happily, to Carleton Kearney, Ben's brother.

Ben Kearney, at 36, is afraid to love and Jess wants only to be a newspaper woman but their trying ride up into the mountains to Black Eagle's holdings starts their bonding and mutual admiration for each other. Jess also meets Black Eagle's adopted daughter, Walks Dancing and they become friends. Jess soon learns that Ben's friend and compadre, Jeremiah Hull is enamored of Walks Dancing.

So there is a wedding July 24, 1868 and a birth March 14 1869 and a picture received in 1874 of 3 little girls - Serena, Jessie and Mary Irene - the tallest looked to be about 6 years old - the picture contained only one word "Troublous" [grin]!

Definitely recommended as an addition to your library - you shouldn't be disappointed. [dates are only of interest if you are interested in trying to reconcile them with book #2 Lost Acres Bride]!

Eloquent nature writing with a sense of humor, sure to delight any reader of down home country living. Author Doug Elliot's chapters on the natural world are lovingly researched anecdotes on the critters, plants, folklore, and people that compose North America's natural environment. An ex-hippie, Elliot is adept at speaking naturally with a scientific appreciation of the mystery and wonder of nature, whether he's hiking for an elusive mystical Ginseng root, or revealing a prized recipe for Dried Apple Stack Cake. Stories of native American folklore, particularly stories of Coyote The Creator, a hapless though efficient god-like being are delightful fables retold here in amusing moral ending style. Mr. Elliot has also illustrated his companionable book with splendid artwork revealing an artist's eye for the love and fascination of the natural world.

An aromatherapy book, in my opinion, should be as luxuriant as possible, aromatherapy being a delicious treat for anybody. I guess this book is okay contentwise, plus it's very compact and easy to carry around. But it's just too much dense text! No pictures at all, save for the one on the cover! Good to take with you maybe when you travel, in the event that you'll be needing an aromatherapy fix, but it won't be a stand-out in your library. Oh, and it has a section on Bach Flower Therapy, too, which I am not really a fan of.

On page 84, of this book, it tells you to refer to the theraputic index on page 161. Well, there is no page 161. There are only 160 pages, the theraputic index is actually on page 156. Just thought you would like to know, but otherwise, this book has lots of good blends. Not a beginners book, you need to know about aromatherapy first before getting this book.

This book doesn't have enough recipes or enough ways to use essential oils. I havent found anything i was looking for in it. I wanted to know how to use the essential oils for applying to hair and skin, etc and I couldn't find the answer.

What a great little book. This book is worth much more than I paid for it. Christine brings such an honesty to her book. The way she explains each oil and gives a little review is so very refreshing. A paper back book I can carry with me for quick review. Thanks Christine

I got this in a flurry of purchasing perfumery books, and this is okay if you're not looking to learn much about a wide range of essential oils, but if you're looking for serious recipes it's like the rest of the books out there: good luck!

Still, this book does something that no other "current" perfume book does: it addresses the chemical compounds present in essential oils and comes close to driving home the point that these are active ingredients one is playing with.

My basic complaint is that it tries to be too much. I'm not an aromatherapist, and have no plans of branching into that, so I don't need to hear about that when I'm blending for purely aesthetic reasons. Nor do I need to read about ayurveda necessarily.

I recommend this book over the Aftel book, and indeed, can see where sections of that book found their inspiration in this volume. My hope is that Ms. Wildwood rewrites this and updates it with her current interests in mind, such as ethical harvesting of essential oils and sustainable agriculture of fragrant plants.