Michael J. Balick's Books

Messages from the Gods

A Guide to the Useful Plants of Belize

By: Michael J. Balick,Rosita Arvigo

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Messages from the Gods

A Guide to the Useful Plants of Belize

By: Michael J. Balick,Rosita Arvigo

Despite its small size, Belize is one of the most ecologically and culturally diverse nations in Central America. Over 3,400 species of plants can be found here, within a diversity of ecological habitats. Because of this, Belize is paradise for ecotourists, hosting over 900,000 visitors annually, who enjoy the natural habitat and friendly people of this nation. Many of the plants of Belize have a long history of being "useful," with properties that have served traditional herbal healers of the region as well as those who use plants as food, forage, fiber, ornament, in construction and ritual, along with many other purposes. With Messages from the Gods: A Guide to the Useful Plants of Belize, Drs. Michael Balick and Rosita Arvigo give us the definitive resource on the many species of plants in Belize and their folklore, as well as the natural history of the region and a detailed discussion of "bush" uses of plants, including for traditional healing and life in the forest, past and present. Both Balick and Arvigo bring important perspectives to the project, Balick as ethnobotanical scientist from The New York Botanical Garden, and Arvigo as a former apprentice to a Belizean healer and an experienced physician. The book has been decades in the making, a culmination of a biodiversity research project that The New York Botanical Garden and international and local collaborators have had in motion since 1987. Drs. Balick, Arvigo and their colleagues have collected and identified thousands of plants from the region, and have worked extensively with hundreds of Belizean people, many of them herbal healers and bushmasters, to record uses for many of the species. This collaboration with local plant experts has produced a fascinating discussion of the intersection of herbal medicine and spiritual belief in the area, and these interviews are used to compliment and contextualize the numerous species accounts presented. The book is both a cultural study and a specialized field guide; information is provided on many different native and introduced plants in Belize and their traditional and contemporary uses including as food, medicine, fiber, in spiritual practices and many other purposes. Richly illustrated with over 600 images and photographs, Messages from the Gods: A Guide to The Useful Plants of Belize will serve as the primary reference and guide to the ethnobotany of Belize for many years to come.

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Page Count

554

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

019935913X

ISBN 13

9780199359134

Plants, People, and Culture

The Science of Ethnobotany

By: Michael J Balick,Paul Alan Cox

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Plants, People, and Culture

The Science of Ethnobotany

By: Michael J Balick,Paul Alan Cox

Is it possible that plants have shaped the very trajectory of human cultures? Using riveting stories of fieldwork in remote villages, two of the world’s leading ethnobotanists argue that our past and our future are deeply intertwined with plants. Creating massive sea craft from plants, indigenous shipwrights spurred the navigation of the world’s oceans. Today, indigenous agricultural innovations continue to feed, clothe, and heal the world’s population. One out of four prescription drugs, for example, were discovered from plants used by traditional healers. Objects as common as baskets for winnowing or wooden boxes to store feathers were ornamented with traditional designs demonstrating the human ability to understand our environment and to perceive the cosmos. Throughout the world, the human body has been used as the ultimate canvas for plant-based adornment as well as indelible design using tattoo inks. Plants also garnered religious significance, both as offerings to the gods and as a doorway into the other world. Indigenous claims that plants themselves are sacred is leading to a startling reformulation of conservation. The authors argue that conservation goals can best be achieved by learning from, rather than opposing, indigenous peoples and their beliefs. KEY FEATURES • An engrossing narrative that invites the reader to personally engage with the relationship between plants, people, and culture • Full-color illustrations throughout—including many original photographs captured by the authors during fieldwork • New to this edition—"Plants That Harm," a chapter that examines the dangers of poisonous plants and the promise that their study holds for novel treatments for some of our most serious diseases, including Alzheimer’s and substance addiction • Additional readings at the end of each chapter to encourage further exploration • Boxed features on selected topics that offer further insight • Provocative questions to facilitate group discussion Designed for the college classroom as well as for lay readers, this update of Plants, People, and Culture entices the reader with firsthand stories of fieldwork, spectacular illustrations, and a deep respect for both indigenous peoples and the earth’s natural heritage.

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Page Count

228

Publisher

Garland Science

Published Date

ISBN 10

1000098400

ISBN 13

9781000098402

The Subsidy from Nature

Palm Forests, Peasantry, and Development on an Amazon Frontier

By: Anthony Bennett Anderson,Peter Herman May,Michael J. Balick

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The Subsidy from Nature

Palm Forests, Peasantry, and Development on an Amazon Frontier

By: Anthony Bennett Anderson,Peter Herman May,Michael J. Balick

Nature subsidy; The regional setting; The natural history of babassu; Babassu in the household economy; Babassu in the market economy; Propects for development; Nature subsidy revisited.

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Page Count

276

Publisher

Columbia University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0231072228

ISBN 13

9780231072229

Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants

By: Lewis S. Nelson,Michael J. Balick

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Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants

By: Lewis S. Nelson,Michael J. Balick

This third edition of the Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants is designed to assist the clinician in the initial response to the needs of a child or adult exposed to a poisonous or injurious plant. It highlights common and important plants that lead to the adverse effects upon exposure, and it describes the mechanisms of action of the implicated toxin, clinical manifestations, and specific therapeutics, as available, for each. This truly comprehensive resource is botanically rigorous with insights from both the pharmacognosy and medical literature. At the same time, it is also for those who are interested in growing and enjoying the plants in their environment, filling in a not-often-discussed botanical and horticultural niche that goes beyond their beautiful physical appearance. Plants contain many useful chemicals that humans have used for millennia as botanical curatives. This book will help the reader understand the fine balance between a medication and a poison, why plants contain these natural substances, and their impact on the human body. With its thorough references and full-color photos of hundreds of potentially toxic and injurious plants inside and outside the home, this book is useful for identifying and addressing concerns about cultivated species and those found in the wild. This book will be of interest to botanists, horticulturists, clinicians, and naturalists as well as hikers, gardeners, and all those who simply enjoy the wonders of nature and the great outdoors.

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Page Count

349

Publisher

Springer Nature

Published Date

ISBN 10

149398926X

ISBN 13

9781493989263

Rainforest Remedies

One Hundred Healing Herbs of Belize

By: Rosita Arvigo,Michael J. Balick

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Rainforest Remedies

One Hundred Healing Herbs of Belize

By: Rosita Arvigo,Michael J. Balick

The work of Rosita Arvigo and Michael Balick to bring the knowledge of the Mayan healers to the Western reader deserves due credit. This revised and enlarged second edition includes much additional information about the major herbs in the Mayan pharmacopoeia. Their work proves that the rainforest has more value to mankind alive than cut down

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Page Count

314

Publisher

Lotus Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0914955136

ISBN 13

9780914955139

The Catfish Connection

Ecology, Migration, and Conservation of Amazon Predators

By: Ronaldo Barthem,Michael Goulding

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The Catfish Connection

Ecology, Migration, and Conservation of Amazon Predators

By: Ronaldo Barthem,Michael Goulding

The Amazon Basin's rivers, estuaries and tributaries are home to as many as 1000 species of catfish. In this work, two scientists offer a natural history of the Amazon giant catfish and its central place as a source of food and income within the ecology and economy of the Amazon Basin. While focusing primarily on two species of giant catfish - known locally as Dourada and Piramutaba - the authors also present illustrated accounts of 13 distinct large fish. Their research yields strong statistical data and field observations that illustrate the catfishes' extensive migratory range and presents solid evidence of animal species requiring or using a large part of the basin for their ecological needs.

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Page Count

172

Publisher

Columbia University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

023110832X

ISBN 13

9780231108324

Arthritis, the Doctors' Cure

By: Michael Loes,Megan Shields,Gary Wikholm,David Steinman

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Arthritis, the Doctors' Cure

By: Michael Loes,Megan Shields,Gary Wikholm,David Steinman

Many arthritis sufferers are not aware that a regime of natural therapies can greatly reduce arthritis pain. In this book the authors explain how diet, exercise, lifestyle modification, and glucosamine sulfate can both relieve pain and rebuild damaged joints with no adverse side effects.

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Page Count

242

Publisher

Contemporary Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

0879839295

ISBN 13

9780879839291

Messages from the Gods

A Guide to the Useful Plants of Belize

By: Michael J. Balick,Rosita Arvigo

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Messages from the Gods

A Guide to the Useful Plants of Belize

By: Michael J. Balick,Rosita Arvigo

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Page Count

554

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0199965757

ISBN 13

9780199965755

Book's by Michael J. Balick

Messages from the Gods

Messages from the Gods

Plants, People, and Culture

Plants, People, and Culture

The Subsidy from Nature

The Subsidy from Nature

Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants

Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants

Rainforest Remedies

Rainforest Remedies

The Catfish Connection

The Catfish Connection

Arthritis, the Doctors' Cure

Arthritis, the Doctors' Cure

Messages from the Gods

Messages from the Gods

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