How Herbs Healed the World tells the origin stories of these remarkable plants and their impact on our lives: revealing how poisons such as deadly nightshade were deployed to dispatch opponents in ancient Rome but are a vital ingredient in modern medicine or how herbs such as yarrow are still being used to treat wounds today, just as they were thousands of years ago. Uncovering stories and folklore from cultures around the globe, this book shows how herbs have enriched our lives for centuries. Seventy-five beautifully illustrated examples have been chosen to tell the entwined history of humans and herbs; showing how ancient spirituality and modern science come together within these powerful plants.