This page holds reviews of books on aromatherapy and essential oils. It's intended to help you decide which book(s) to buy or to order at the library. There's a star rating which is completely subjective; the most they can get is three stars, but even one means the book is worth having. No stars doesn't mean no value, either, it can mean that a book doesn't have general appeal. Prices that we paid for them are included as a guide, but they may no longer be current - most were valid in the UK 1997-9.
Please note that we don't sell books ourselves!

Still to come are reviews of Dr. Jean Valnet and Rene Gattefosse. Books on related topics such as health, anatomy and medicine may also be added.

Links to the stars:

	Rosemary Caddy - Essential oils in colour
	Robert Tisserand & Tony Balacs - Essential Oil Safety
	Julia Lawless - Encyclopaedia of essential oils
	Julia Lawless - Complete illustrated guide to aromatherapy
	Valerie Ann Worwood - Fragrant pharmacy
	Valerie Ann Worwood - Fragrant mind
	Julia Lawless - Aromatherapy and the mind
	Gill Martin - Aromatherapy - an introduction to professional and home use
	Robert Tisserand - Art of aromatherapy

Rosemary Caddy

Essential Oils in Colour

Recommended for everyone with a particular interest in aromatherapy, especially if you want to understand the character and uses of essential oils in relation to the chemicals they contain. Whether you're a student or experienced aromatherapist or an interested amateur, the Caddy profiles are invaluable giving a clear visualisation of the make-up of 90 essential oils together with uses broken down by body system.
Small enough to take everywhere as an aide-memoire.

Patricia Davis

Lots of factual and anecdotal information but you can never find any of it twice. Some bright spark thinks that because it's organised alphabetically, it doesn't need an index. Wrong!

Ulla-Maija Grace

The section on oils is not much use; information on the oils is really brief and though there is a picture of each which is supposed to show the chemical composition, it's really difficult to use (Caddy is much better).
Some of the later sections (eg. history of massage and therapist/client relations) are more interesting.
Don't buy it without the chance to look through it first and make sure that you're interested.

Kathi Kevill & Mindy Green

An interesting contrast to the New Ageiness of most of the English books, these American authors bring a noticeably different perspective, acknowledging the role of industry.
There's plenty of stuff for people who want to make their own cosmetics.

Julia Lawless

The Encyclopaedia of Essential Oils

This is the best reference book on essential oils. There are some short background chapters but the majority of the volume is a systematic presentation of the information you need on all the most commonly available aromatherapy oils (165 of them!)

Aromatherapy and the Mind

The narrative sections of this book range from the history of the use of incense, through the psychological effects of smell to Marguerite Maury's individual presriptions.
The guide to oils contains information on ritual uses and folklore, and hints to help with producing blends.

The Complete Illustrated Guide to Aromatherapy

If you're only going to have one book on aromatherapy, this is it. It's beautifully presented, gives a good introduction to the subject, clearly illustrated massage directions and an index of ailments and treatments with clinical notes. The 65 oils covered are quite enough to be going on with. When you get obsessive about aromatherapy, go out and find more detail!

Gill Martin

Aromatherapy - An Introductory Guide to Professional and Home Use

What makes this little book stand out is the clear way it puts across what happens when you go to see an aromatherapist.

Robert Tisserand

The Art of Aromatherapy

Reputedly the first aromatherapy book to have been written in English, what makes it stand out now is the extensive and well-researched history of plant medicine and aromatherapy. When you read this, you recognise where many other authors got their information.

Robert Tisserand & Tony Balacs

Essential Oil Safety

This book replaces the previous "Essential Oil Safety Manual" by Robert Tisserand, containing more detail about more oils and lots more toxicological and pharmacological information.
A book for those with a special interest who want to check for themselves the safety data relating to essential oils.
Much of the information you read elsewhere in relation to the safe use of essential oils is based on evidence which is anecdotal at best.
This book collates relevant and substantiated information and makes it accessible to the general public, linked to a comprehensive list of references to the original scientific literature.

Valerie Ann Worwood

The Fragrant Pharmacy

Interesting as an introduction to oils and aromatherapy and worth it for that, but not a reference book.

The Fragrant Mind

Another approach to thinking about essential oils and how to use them - from the point of view of the characters of the oils and people.
"Really female"