Plants of Love: Aphrodisiacs in Myth, History, and the Present

The beautifully illustrated Plants of Love explores the history, culture, and religious beliefs related to plants used as aphrodisiacs. There are an amazing number of plants thought to help with impotency, enhance lovemaking, or even cause people to fall in love. Christian Ratsch employs medieval European paintings, Egyptian hieroglyphics, Tibetan folk art, and erotic Asian silkscreens to enhance the lively text, stories, and information on the safe use of these special plants. An eye-opening array of plants and herbs--including nettles, asparagus, seeds of the iboga bush, and ginseng--are discussed in detail to explore and illustrate the science and symbolism of aphrodisiacs throughout history.