The Pocket Book of Plants that Heal seeks to cast a spotlight on a selection of common healing plants. The aim is to teach you to recognize them, magnified by the remarkable botanical photographs by Pierre and Délia Vignes, and try out the traditional recipes that use them. No "deadly" plants have been included, and most are harmless if used properly. It is not an exhaustive collection. Humankind has always had a close relationship with the plant world, both for nutrition and healing. Excavations in Iraq have uncovered a 60,000-year-old tomb containing the remains of eight medicinal plants. There is little doubt that the medicinal use of plants is as old as the human race itself. Observations of chimpanzees in West Africa indicate that it may even be older.

These studies revealed the apes were using many plants with as-yet-unexplored medicinal properties. There have been many changes in the relationship between plants and humans since the days when our great-great-grandmothers used healing plants from jars on the kitchen shelves to make infusions with boiling water and to treat family ailments. Our knowledge of plants has grown, analysis has become more widespread and active elements have been isolated. This has led to a better understanding of how many (but far from all) plants react with the body. Despite enormous advances in modern medicine, the use of healing plants still offers multiple advantages. Plant-based treatments are once again taking centre stage as the efficacy of some medication, such as antibiotics, is on the decline. Bacteria and viruses are continually adapting and learning to resist the drugs that target them. Herbal medicine, which offers natural remedies that are well accepted by the human body, is often associated with classic treatments and is currently undergoing an exceptional renaissance, especially for the treatment of chronic illnesses, such as asthma or arthritis.