On one recent Fourth of July, Peggy and I skipped the manmade fireworks. Instead, we pulled a few lawn chairs past our gazebo into the Garden of Youth to watch nature's own pyrotechnics, the cosmic dance of the evening primrose blossoms and the hawk moths.... We felt calm and peaceful. We felt alive. Rejuvenated. Young.

--From chapter 1

For Dr. Jim Duke, even gazing at the blossoms of his favorite herb can be an anti-aging activity. His passion for medicinal plants is understandable: They help him feel and look younger than his 72 years.

Dr. Duke is convinced that almost all plants contain compounds that can slow aging and minimize its effects on the body and mind. In The Green Pharmacy Anti-Aging Prescriptions, he identifies the herbs and foods that he believes deliver on the promise of lifelong youth.

Some of these plants are familiar, like ginkgo for a sharp memory and garlic for...well, just about anything. Others are just beginning to attract attention, like pigweed to strengthen bones and astragalus to boost the immune system.

While Dr. Duke specializes in medicinal plants, he firmly believes that a healthy diet and regular exercise must round out any anti-aging plan. That's why this book combines herbal preventives and treatments with nutritional recommendations and lifestyle strategies.

But Dr. Duke isn't advocating a formal anti-aging "program" or "regimen." He's giving you choices, so you can develop your own anti-aging plan, based on your unique needs and concerns.

By taking the right herbs, eating the right foods, and making some minor lifestyle adjustments, you can stay healthy and maintain your youthful zest for life. Getting older has never felt so good!

Amazon.com Review
The title may be a bit misleading: while there are plenty of anti-aging ideas presented here, Anti-Aaging Prescriptions also contains chapters devoted to the more general topics of pain relief, weight loss, and insomnia. Written with lots of personal advice from James Duke (who has a Ph.D., not an M.D.), you'll find recipes for everything from mouthwash to skin cream, along with recommendations for following a "Paleolithic" diet and getting plenty of exercise. To Duke, "Paleolithic" means lots of raw-plant food and steady exercise, so really it's just a fun term for what we already know: eating vegetables and grains and working up a sweat are good for us.

The number of herbs mentioned in this book may be overwhelming if you read it cover to cover, so start with the specific sections that you find of particular interest. The table of contents is laid out very specifically, so you can turn right to the section on angina, joint pain, bunions, impotence, or whatever health issue you're looking to improve. Duke has anywhere from 5 to 20 suggested herbs or supplements for any condition, along with the best way of growing or buying that herb and the proper dosage and method of application. Some herbs, such as ephedra, are known to be potentially dangerous, and Duke does an excellent job cautioning users to follow proper dosages as carefully as you would any prescription medicine. He writes with plenty of personal experience and includes interesting anecdotes, but his discussions of particular studies tend to be on the vague side--he may tell you the positive results, but not mention the year the study was published, or who conducted it. Still, anecdotal evidence is enough proof for most of us, and Dr. Duke's upbeat tone, wealth of information, and specific recipes may be just what the doctor ordered. --Jill Lightner