Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I feel kind of silly for purchasing this book. One thing is for sure - I WILL be sending it back! Problem #1 There is no author or even editor(s) listed anywhere. There are none listed in the book. There are none listed on the publisher's website (which is a whole other issue - I have my doubts about the publishing company as well). If there is a book about herbs, essential oils, or anything regarding my health, I want to know WHO is giving me the information. I want to know what qualifications they have to be making the claims they make. Problem #2 There are no references in this book. If there is no author, there should at least be good references. None of the claims in this book have any annotations what-so-ever. There is a reference section in the back, but as far as I know, these are just books the (unknown) author skimmed over at some point and picked up some pointers from. Problem #3 The recommendations in this book for oil usage do not align with those taught by certified aromatherapists. For example, most of the oils are recommend for usage without dilution and are recommended to take internally. The only places that I find these practices recommended are in works produced in some form by essential oil MLM companies. While I like some of the oils, I do not feel their practices in regard to oil usage are safe. The reference section does list several books about herbs as references, which concerns me a little bit. Essential oils and uses of whole plants (leaves, stems, etc), are two very different things. You would talk to an herbalist about herbs and an aromatherapist about essential oils. Problem #4 The book refers to the importance of only taking "therapeutic grade" essential oils internally. There is no official grading system for essential oils. The terms therapeutic grade and certified pure therapeutic grade are marketing terms. While they may mean something to the companies who use them, they are no more reliable than a food company that labels its product as natural. There are other problems, but I will not go on. The oils in this book are mostly those offered by Young Living (although no blends are included). If you are a Young Living oils user who just wants a run-down of the oils and some general usage that is in line with what the company advocates, this might just be the book for you. If you are starting out using oils and want to really learn about oils and how to safely use them, I would not consider this a reliable source. I recommend moving on.