An excellent little book, 18 Jul 2008
This little gem of a book should be in every backpackers back pocket. Concise, focused and descriptive you'll have no trouble identifying the plants and shellfish. There has been some comments about lack of information on animals to eat, this is probably because rabbits, pheasants and such are classed as game and will belong to the landowner. Whilst it's ok to pick a few plants, mushrooms and shellfish it will probably be frowned on if you start blasting away at the countryside or setting traps!

A Handy Pocket Volume, 13 Aug 2007


Richard Mabey is the author of several books on flora and fauna so he is well qualified to write a book such as this. Over one hundred edible plants are featured together with recipes and other culinary information. There is also information on how to pick and when to pick and the regulations on picking which are very important. As I come from farming stock I have to say that food for free does not mean going into a field and digging up a few potato plants or for that matter cabbages.

There are plenty of hedgerow plants available for free, if you are prepared to look for them and suffer the odd few scratches. There is nothing better than a bowl of freshly picked blackberries or raspberries, if you can get them home before they are all eaten.

Plants that are edible are fully illustrated and described and the recipes are both old and new. Other fascinating information is how the plants have been used through the ages. An ideal book for all those who are nature lovers and like the idea of something for nothing. I think the last part covers 99.9% of the population.

Good Introduction, 02 May 2007
I bought this book recently through a desire to understand the countryside around me and try some of its natural foodstuffs.
The book is very well presented and includes an excellent foreword by the author. It provides a basic explaination of the various flora, a little of their natural and culinary history and there are nice photographs with identification hints.
I think I would like to have seen more recipies and ways in which they might be implemented. In the section dedicated to Spring I think there are only three recipies with much of the other suggestions directed towards salads. On balance a satisfactory purchase but I think that if my interest in wild foods develops I will certainly have to follow up my purchase with something more wholly dedicated to the culinary.

Excellent pocket sized guide, 05 Feb 2006
This is a 2004 version and worthy addition to the very popular and pocket-sized Collins Gem series. ISBN 0-00-718303-8. Food For Free - A Fantastic Feast of Plants and Folklore.

The book starts with an introduction by the author Richard Mabey. It then has short sections titled 'Roots', 'Green Vegetables', 'Herbs', 'Spices', 'Flowers', 'Fruits', 'Making Jellies and Jams' and 'Nuts'. They include general advice, observations and uses. The main section of the book is given over to identification, with at least two pages per entry. An interesting section follows titled ’Picking Rules’ which gives advice on how to pick correctly how to stay safe. The last section before the main body of the book is a summary calendar which groups the picking times for entries into a colour-coded calendar - very useful as a quick reference.

Every entry is accompanied with a drawing. Most of the drawings are excellent, but one or two are a little small and thus less detailed. Fortunately, almost every entry also has a photograph. The combination of colour drawings and colour photographs is what makes this little pocket book a true 'gem'. If the drawing is a little weak, the photo will be excellent and vice-versa. Almost fool proof.

Each entry starts with the common English name (Latin is in small type at the top of the page)a colour illustration and description. Taking Beech (at random), it says: 'Widespread and common throughout the British Isles, especially on chalky soils. A stately deciduous tree, with smooth, grey bark, to 40m (130ft). Leaves: bright green, alternate, oval. Flowers: male drooping, stalked heads; female in pairs. Fruit: four inside a prickly brown husk, Sept-Oct. When ripe this opens into four lobes, this liberating the brown, three-sided nuts.' The illustration depicts a leaf, spring twig with unopened buds, an opening husk revealing nut inside and bare nut. The article continues with headings; Harvest/Pick, Uses, Beech Nut, Beech Nut Oil, Beech Leaf Noyau. The photo at the end of the entry is a good close-up of a twig with a cluster of husks. (I didn’t know, for example, that ‘fresh from the tree Beech leaves are a fine salad vegetable, as sweet as a mild cabbage though much softer in texture’.)

The book, in line with its title, covers Plants and Trees, Fungi, Seaweeds and Shellfish. There is a glossary at the end and a page devoted to further reading. There is a List of Recipes and finally an index of entries in common English or Latin.

There aren't that many books devoted to 'British' wild foods so to find one which lists over 100 edible plants, berries, mushrooms, seaweed and shellfish is most welcome. Given the true pocket size measurements of the Collins Gem series of books, the price of a fiver (£4-99) and the quality of each entry, this is as good as it gets. Obviously not a benchmark reference work or field-guide, but at least this fits in the pocket - which is the main purpose of such books, isn't it? Five stars!

Excites the interest but not actually that practical, 26 Oct 2005
This is an excellent book but in the wrong package. Richard Mabey does a very good job of giving a seasonal guide to what's out there that you can have for free and does a respectable job of telling you how to use it. It falls short in two respects;

First it is not a comprehensive guide to any particular food source so while he may tell you how to cook ceps and morels and gives a reasonable guide to identifying it without this being a comprehensive guide to fungi you will never be entirely certain that what you have is a cep or a morel. To some extent that is true for everything he shows whether its fungi, nuts or fruit.

The second point is more significant for a book on foraging and is that this edition is simply too big to take into the field. In some ways this isn't a significant problem as because the book isn't comprehensive it wouldn't be the choice to take into the field with you.

This book falls somewhere between the coffee table forager's manual and Delia goes wild. Both of which might sound like criticisms but for someone who hasn't foraged wild food previously both of those would be the ideal starting point. If that's you then buy this book and read it but leave it at home when you go out and get a good field guide to take with you.

Note - since writing that review I have realised that this is available in several editions. Some of the other editions are small enough to use as a field guide.

An excellent little book, 18 Jul 2008
This little gem of a book should be in every backpackers back pocket. Concise, focused and descriptive you'll have no trouble identifying the plants and shellfish. There has been some comments about lack of information on animals to eat, this is probably because rabbits, pheasants and such are classed as game and will belong to the landowner. Whilst it's ok to pick a few plants, mushrooms and shellfish it will probably be frowned on if you start blasting away at the countryside or setting traps!

A Handy Pocket Volume, 13 Aug 2007


Richard Mabey is the author of several books on flora and fauna so he is well qualified to write a book such as this. Over one hundred edible plants are featured together with recipes and other culinary information. There is also information on how to pick and when to pick and the regulations on picking which are very important. As I come from farming stock I have to say that food for free does not mean going into a field and digging up a few potato plants or for that matter cabbages.

There are plenty of hedgerow plants available for free, if you are prepared to look for them and suffer the odd few scratches. There is nothing better than a bowl of freshly picked blackberries or raspberries, if you can get them home before they are all eaten.

Plants that are edible are fully illustrated and described and the recipes are both old and new. Other fascinating information is how the plants have been used through the ages. An ideal book for all those who are nature lovers and like the idea of something for nothing. I think the last part covers 99.9% of the population.

Good Introduction, 02 May 2007
I bought this book recently through a desire to understand the countryside around me and try some of its natural foodstuffs.
The book is very well presented and includes an excellent foreword by the author. It provides a basic explaination of the various flora, a little of their natural and culinary history and there are nice photographs with identification hints.
I think I would like to have seen more recipies and ways in which they might be implemented. In the section dedicated to Spring I think there are only three recipies with much of the other suggestions directed towards salads. On balance a satisfactory purchase but I think that if my interest in wild foods develops I will certainly have to follow up my purchase with something more wholly dedicated to the culinary.

Excellent pocket sized guide, 05 Feb 2006
This is a 2004 version and worthy addition to the very popular and pocket-sized Collins Gem series. ISBN 0-00-718303-8. Food For Free - A Fantastic Feast of Plants and Folklore.

The book starts with an introduction by the author Richard Mabey. It then has short sections titled 'Roots', 'Green Vegetables', 'Herbs', 'Spices', 'Flowers', 'Fruits', 'Making Jellies and Jams' and 'Nuts'. They include general advice, observations and uses. The main section of the book is given over to identification, with at least two pages per entry. An interesting section follows titled ’Picking Rules’ which gives advice on how to pick correctly how to stay safe. The last section before the main body of the book is a summary calendar which groups the picking times for entries into a colour-coded calendar - very useful as a quick reference.

Every entry is accompanied with a drawing. Most of the drawings are excellent, but one or two are a little small and thus less detailed. Fortunately, almost every entry also has a photograph. The combination of colour drawings and colour photographs is what makes this little pocket book a true 'gem'. If the drawing is a little weak, the photo will be excellent and vice-versa. Almost fool proof.

Each entry starts with the common English name (Latin is in small type at the top of the page)a colour illustration and description. Taking Beech (at random), it says: 'Widespread and common throughout the British Isles, especially on chalky soils. A stately deciduous tree, with smooth, grey bark, to 40m (130ft). Leaves: bright green, alternate, oval. Flowers: male drooping, stalked heads; female in pairs. Fruit: four inside a prickly brown husk, Sept-Oct. When ripe this opens into four lobes, this liberating the brown, three-sided nuts.' The illustration depicts a leaf, spring twig with unopened buds, an opening husk revealing nut inside and bare nut. The article continues with headings; Harvest/Pick, Uses, Beech Nut, Beech Nut Oil, Beech Leaf Noyau. The photo at the end of the entry is a good close-up of a twig with a cluster of husks. (I didn’t know, for example, that ‘fresh from the tree Beech leaves are a fine salad vegetable, as sweet as a mild cabbage though much softer in texture’.)

The book, in line with its title, covers Plants and Trees, Fungi, Seaweeds and Shellfish. There is a glossary at the end and a page devoted to further reading. There is a List of Recipes and finally an index of entries in common English or Latin.

There aren't that many books devoted to 'British' wild foods so to find one which lists over 100 edible plants, berries, mushrooms, seaweed and shellfish is most welcome. Given the true pocket size measurements of the Collins Gem series of books, the price of a fiver (£4-99) and the quality of each entry, this is as good as it gets. Obviously not a benchmark reference work or field-guide, but at least this fits in the pocket - which is the main purpose of such books, isn't it? Five stars!

Excites the interest but not actually that practical, 26 Oct 2005
This is an excellent book but in the wrong package. Richard Mabey does a very good job of giving a seasonal guide to what's out there that you can have for free and does a respectable job of telling you how to use it. It falls short in two respects;

First it is not a comprehensive guide to any particular food source so while he may tell you how to cook ceps and morels and gives a reasonable guide to identifying it without this being a comprehensive guide to fungi you will never be entirely certain that what you have is a cep or a morel. To some extent that is true for everything he shows whether its fungi, nuts or fruit.

The second point is more significant for a book on foraging and is that this edition is simply too big to take into the field. In some ways this isn't a significant problem as because the book isn't comprehensive it wouldn't be the choice to take into the field with you.

This book falls somewhere between the coffee table forager's manual and Delia goes wild. Both of which might sound like criticisms but for someone who hasn't foraged wild food previously both of those would be the ideal starting point. If that's you then buy this book and read it but leave it at home when you go out and get a good field guide to take with you.

Note - since writing that review I have realised that this is available in several editions. Some of the other editions are small enough to use as a field guide.

very effective self help guide, 07 Jul 2008
This is an excellent book to make you realise how your feelings are determined by your thoughts, and how you can positively influence your mood by changing the way you think. Some self-help books don't deliver because they're too vague but this book is also very practical, with many useful exercises. It's no wonder that many people are so enthusiastic about CBT and talking about it as an alternative to medication. I do not suffer from depression and was always a fairly happy person but this book has taught me how to be happier still. I would also recommended Eckhart Tolle's the Power of Now for a slightly different perspective and Steve Taylor's Making Time Making Time: Why Time Seems to Pass at Different Speeds and How to Control It for an invesigation into time and how we can learn to expand time and learn to live in the present.


The old made new, 07 Mar 2008
I always recommend books on cognitive psychology as they represent the cutting edge of psychotherapy. I also always recommend FREE YOUR MIND by Anthony Stultz-he helps us to see the roots of CBT are from the Buddhist tradition and he presents a system that combines CBT in a Buddhist orientation.

Helpful Strategies, 04 Jul 2007
This book offers many helpful cognitive therapy strategies to overcome mental distortions that lead to mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. Cognitive therapy looks at changing thought patterns that contribute to negative feelings. Once you gain an understanding of your own distortions and how they contribute to your feeling down or anxious, you can then creative positive thoughts and feel better about yourself with the helpful cognitive therapy strategies offered in this book.

I highly recommend this book as a practical hands-on book on cognitive therapy. Also try "Feeling Good" by David Burns and for a novel about Logan's struggle with depression, check out "Nexus: A Neo Novel."


12 years on, still using it..., 01 Jul 2007
When I had post-natal depression, OCD (cleaning...) and agoraphobia, my GP referred me to a psychologist. Who sat me down with this book. We worked through it, chapter by chapter. As a medical professional, I was familiar with the concepts, but hadn't been able to see clearly enough to put them into practice for myself. Within 18 months, I was living a full normal life and haven't had a panic attack since. 12 years on, I still refer other people to this book, use it with my own clients, and use the techniques to get me through exams, interviews and public speaking. Brilliant.

A practical guide to coping with anxiety, 08 Apr 2007
I read this book from two perspectives - that of a person who has suffered from anxiety and panic attacks for many years. And also as a person who is now helping others to manage their own anxiety.

This book provides a very practical way to cope with anxiety. It uses the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy approach which is proven as a successful therapeutic method for treating anxiety and panic. The book is very action oriented and, through numerous worksheets, encourages the reader to try the techniques for themselves.

The exercises are deceptively simple but are very effective. I found that I had already used some of the techniques and this book helped me to develop them further and also reassured me that I was on the right path - both in how I cope with my own anxiety and how I support others who are in the same position.

This book is easy to understand and gives you the building blocks to manage anxiety and make the changes that will improve your life - highly recommended!

An excellent little book, 18 Jul 2008
This little gem of a book should be in every backpackers back pocket. Concise, focused and descriptive you'll have no trouble identifying the plants and shellfish. There has been some comments about lack of information on animals to eat, this is probably because rabbits, pheasants and such are classed as game and will belong to the landowner. Whilst it's ok to pick a few plants, mushrooms and shellfish it will probably be frowned on if you start blasting away at the countryside or setting traps!

A Handy Pocket Volume, 13 Aug 2007


Richard Mabey is the author of several books on flora and fauna so he is well qualified to write a book such as this. Over one hundred edible plants are featured together with recipes and other culinary information. There is also information on how to pick and when to pick and the regulations on picking which are very important. As I come from farming stock I have to say that food for free does not mean going into a field and digging up a few potato plants or for that matter cabbages.

There are plenty of hedgerow plants available for free, if you are prepared to look for them and suffer the odd few scratches. There is nothing better than a bowl of freshly picked blackberries or raspberries, if you can get them home before they are all eaten.

Plants that are edible are fully illustrated and described and the recipes are both old and new. Other fascinating information is how the plants have been used through the ages. An ideal book for all those who are nature lovers and like the idea of something for nothing. I think the last part covers 99.9% of the population.

Good Introduction, 02 May 2007
I bought this book recently through a desire to understand the countryside around me and try some of its natural foodstuffs.
The book is very well presented and includes an excellent foreword by the author. It provides a basic explaination of the various flora, a little of their natural and culinary history and there are nice photographs with identification hints.
I think I would like to have seen more recipies and ways in which they might be implemented. In the section dedicated to Spring I think there are only three recipies with much of the other suggestions directed towards salads. On balance a satisfactory purchase but I think that if my interest in wild foods develops I will certainly have to follow up my purchase with something more wholly dedicated to the culinary.

Excellent pocket sized guide, 05 Feb 2006
This is a 2004 version and worthy addition to the very popular and pocket-sized Collins Gem series. ISBN 0-00-718303-8. Food For Free - A Fantastic Feast of Plants and Folklore.

The book starts with an introduction by the author Richard Mabey. It then has short sections titled 'Roots', 'Green Vegetables', 'Herbs', 'Spices', 'Flowers', 'Fruits', 'Making Jellies and Jams' and 'Nuts'. They include general advice, observations and uses. The main section of the book is given over to identification, with at least two pages per entry. An interesting section follows titled ’Picking Rules’ which gives advice on how to pick correctly how to stay safe. The last section before the main body of the book is a summary calendar which groups the picking times for entries into a colour-coded calendar - very useful as a quick reference.

Every entry is accompanied with a drawing. Most of the drawings are excellent, but one or two are a little small and thus less detailed. Fortunately, almost every entry also has a photograph. The combination of colour drawings and colour photographs is what makes this little pocket book a true 'gem'. If the drawing is a little weak, the photo will be excellent and vice-versa. Almost fool proof.

Each entry starts with the common English name (Latin is in small type at the top of the page)a colour illustration and description. Taking Beech (at random), it says: 'Widespread and common throughout the British Isles, especially on chalky soils. A stately deciduous tree, with smooth, grey bark, to 40m (130ft). Leaves: bright green, alternate, oval. Flowers: male drooping, stalked heads; female in pairs. Fruit: four inside a prickly brown husk, Sept-Oct. When ripe this opens into four lobes, this liberating the brown, three-sided nuts.' The illustration depicts a leaf, spring twig with unopened buds, an opening husk revealing nut inside and bare nut. The article continues with headings; Harvest/Pick, Uses, Beech Nut, Beech Nut Oil, Beech Leaf Noyau. The photo at the end of the entry is a good close-up of a twig with a cluster of husks. (I didn’t know, for example, that ‘fresh from the tree Beech leaves are a fine salad vegetable, as sweet as a mild cabbage though much softer in texture’.)

The book, in line with its title, covers Plants and Trees, Fungi, Seaweeds and Shellfish. There is a glossary at the end and a page devoted to further reading. There is a List of Recipes and finally an index of entries in common English or Latin.

There aren't that many books devoted to 'British' wild foods so to find one which lists over 100 edible plants, berries, mushrooms, seaweed and shellfish is most welcome. Given the true pocket size measurements of the Collins Gem series of books, the price of a fiver (£4-99) and the quality of each entry, this is as good as it gets. Obviously not a benchmark reference work or field-guide, but at least this fits in the pocket - which is the main purpose of such books, isn't it? Five stars!

Excites the interest but not actually that practical, 26 Oct 2005
This is an excellent book but in the wrong package. Richard Mabey does a very good job of giving a seasonal guide to what's out there that you can have for free and does a respectable job of telling you how to use it. It falls short in two respects;

First it is not a comprehensive guide to any particular food source so while he may tell you how to cook ceps and morels and gives a reasonable guide to identifying it without this being a comprehensive guide to fungi you will never be entirely certain that what you have is a cep or a morel. To some extent that is true for everything he shows whether its fungi, nuts or fruit.

The second point is more significant for a book on foraging and is that this edition is simply too big to take into the field. In some ways this isn't a significant problem as because the book isn't comprehensive it wouldn't be the choice to take into the field with you.

This book falls somewhere between the coffee table forager's manual and Delia goes wild. Both of which might sound like criticisms but for someone who hasn't foraged wild food previously both of those would be the ideal starting point. If that's you then buy this book and read it but leave it at home when you go out and get a good field guide to take with you.

Note - since writing that review I have realised that this is available in several editions. Some of the other editions are small enough to use as a field guide.

very effective self help guide, 07 Jul 2008
This is an excellent book to make you realise how your feelings are determined by your thoughts, and how you can positively influence your mood by changing the way you think. Some self-help books don't deliver because they're too vague but this book is also very practical, with many useful exercises. It's no wonder that many people are so enthusiastic about CBT and talking about it as an alternative to medication. I do not suffer from depression and was always a fairly happy person but this book has taught me how to be happier still. I would also recommended Eckhart Tolle's the Power of Now for a slightly different perspective and Steve Taylor's Making Time Making Time: Why Time Seems to Pass at Different Speeds and How to Control It for an invesigation into time and how we can learn to expand time and learn to live in the present.


The old made new, 07 Mar 2008
I always recommend books on cognitive psychology as they represent the cutting edge of psychotherapy. I also always recommend FREE YOUR MIND by Anthony Stultz-he helps us to see the roots of CBT are from the Buddhist tradition and he presents a system that combines CBT in a Buddhist orientation.

Helpful Strategies, 04 Jul 2007
This book offers many helpful cognitive therapy strategies to overcome mental distortions that lead to mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. Cognitive therapy looks at changing thought patterns that contribute to negative feelings. Once you gain an understanding of your own distortions and how they contribute to your feeling down or anxious, you can then creative positive thoughts and feel better about yourself with the helpful cognitive therapy strategies offered in this book.

I highly recommend this book as a practical hands-on book on cognitive therapy. Also try "Feeling Good" by David Burns and for a novel about Logan's struggle with depression, check out "Nexus: A Neo Novel."


12 years on, still using it..., 01 Jul 2007
When I had post-natal depression, OCD (cleaning...) and agoraphobia, my GP referred me to a psychologist. Who sat me down with this book. We worked through it, chapter by chapter. As a medical professional, I was familiar with the concepts, but hadn't been able to see clearly enough to put them into practice for myself. Within 18 months, I was living a full normal life and haven't had a panic attack since. 12 years on, I still refer other people to this book, use it with my own clients, and use the techniques to get me through exams, interviews and public speaking. Brilliant.

A practical guide to coping with anxiety, 08 Apr 2007
I read this book from two perspectives - that of a person who has suffered from anxiety and panic attacks for many years. And also as a person who is now helping others to manage their own anxiety.

This book provides a very practical way to cope with anxiety. It uses the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy approach which is proven as a successful therapeutic method for treating anxiety and panic. The book is very action oriented and, through numerous worksheets, encourages the reader to try the techniques for themselves.

The exercises are deceptively simple but are very effective. I found that I had already used some of the techniques and this book helped me to develop them further and also reassured me that I was on the right path - both in how I cope with my own anxiety and how I support others who are in the same position.

This book is easy to understand and gives you the building blocks to manage anxiety and make the changes that will improve your life - highly recommended!


Better Books Out There!, 19 Mar 2008
As an A Level psychology student using both the AS and A2 versions, i feel that i am eligible to comment.
There are so many other text books out there that would better equip studets with the knowledge needed to pass exams. Fair enough, the descriptions of subtopics are thorough. However, the commentary (evaluation) boxes, rather pretentiously, go all around the houses, and do not explain evaluative points concisively.
The layout of the book is poor, and the use of a KEY to have to work out which sections are explaining what just makes the book altogether confusing.
This review has been written after having to copy out of the book for a day's lesson - so i know that my notes are definately not sufficient enough to revise for a single topic for my exam.
The Collins Psycology books for A and AS level are much better!

Textbook, 26 Dec 2006
I'm mainly writing this review, to make the point that has not necessarily been made clear. This is the textbook version of this series for the A2 exams, 'The Exam Companion' equivalant is the book specifically for revision.
As a textbook, it depends what your needs are for the book. If you are buying one for your own personal use, you should find this very useful as it is written by the right people and not overly detailed like many textbooks out there. If, however, you are using it to compliment your classwork, all psychology textbooks use different studies etc. and this textbook (while probably contatining everything you need) is without a doubt concise.
To be clear this would not be suitable as a revision guide, but depending on your needs, could be a useful textbook.

Why people giving this low score - this book great, 15 Dec 2006
I see that 2 teachers are slating this book, but my whole class uses this book and is teacher recommended. Fair enougth people may not like the fact that it is very concise and doesnt elaborate too much. But i believe thuis is what makes a perfect a level book - just gives you the facts you need to do well in the exam, which thias book does. Its great for taking the notes you need. It has no unneccesary information, and doesnt waffle on about irrlevant stuff. A level is hard enough without a book that gives you an information overload and assumes you want to know everything about psychology.

Great book - great layout - exam advice - I PASSED!!!!!!, 15 Dec 2006
I used this book last year as part of a2 psychology and thought this book was the best of the lot (admittedly the eysenck one is pretty good also) but this one was just that bit better because it was more concise and was layed out in a way that meant the info was easier to remeber. When you go to a page it clearly states all the differetn approaches on the left hand page including the theories etc... than on the right hand side concluded them including critisicms and advantages.

This layout is perfect for exams because it covers the Ao1 and Ao2 in a easy way to folloew. You can just easily ectract the arguments and can have some good notes ready for your exams.

I strongly advise this book if you are doing a2 psychology.

Not very complete and not much of a companion either, 07 Dec 2006
I am a psychology teacher and graduated in the subject at a good uni so am no stranger. I use the AS and A2 versions and have to agree with the negative review. The AS version is excellent and is working really well with my L6 but the A2 is poorly written. I have trouble understanding what it is trying to say sometimes and have to spend ages going back over it - not what you want from a text book. It flits in and out of research especially in AO2 areas meaning you never really get any meat on the bones and instead have to end up getting students to rote learn minor studies rather than promoting real understanding. When I read other A2 textbooks I can skim through them in no time by comparison. Overall NOT RECOMMENDED...

An excellent little book, 18 Jul 2008
This little gem of a book should be in every backpackers back pocket. Concise, focused and descriptive you'll have no trouble identifying the plants and shellfish. There has been some comments about lack of information on animals to eat, this is probably because rabbits, pheasants and such are classed as game and will belong to the landowner. Whilst it's ok to pick a few plants, mushrooms and shellfish it will probably be frowned on if you start blasting away at the countryside or setting traps!

A Handy Pocket Volume, 13 Aug 2007


Richard Mabey is the author of several books on flora and fauna so he is well qualified to write a book such as this. Over one hundred edible plants are featured together with recipes and other culinary information. There is also information on how to pick and when to pick and the regulations on picking which are very important. As I come from farming stock I have to say that food for free does not mean going into a field and digging up a few potato plants or for that matter cabbages.

There are plenty of hedgerow plants available for free, if you are prepared to look for them and suffer the odd few scratches. There is nothing better than a bowl of freshly picked blackberries or raspberries, if you can get them home before they are all eaten.

Plants that are edible are fully illustrated and described and the recipes are both old and new. Other fascinating information is how the plants have been used through the ages. An ideal book for all those who are nature lovers and like the idea of something for nothing. I think the last part covers 99.9% of the population.

Good Introduction, 02 May 2007
I bought this book recently through a desire to understand the countryside around me and try some of its natural foodstuffs.
The book is very well presented and includes an excellent foreword by the author. It provides a basic explaination of the various flora, a little of their natural and culinary history and there are nice photographs with identification hints.
I think I would like to have seen more recipies and ways in which they might be implemented. In the section dedicated to Spring I think there are only three recipies with much of the other suggestions directed towards salads. On balance a satisfactory purchase but I think that if my interest in wild foods develops I will certainly have to follow up my purchase with something more wholly dedicated to the culinary.

Excellent pocket sized guide, 05 Feb 2006
This is a 2004 version and worthy addition to the very popular and pocket-sized Collins Gem series. ISBN 0-00-718303-8. Food For Free - A Fantastic Feast of Plants and Folklore.

The book starts with an introduction by the author Richard Mabey. It then has short sections titled 'Roots', 'Green Vegetables', 'Herbs', 'Spices', 'Flowers', 'Fruits', 'Making Jellies and Jams' and 'Nuts'. They include general advice, observations and uses. The main section of the book is given over to identification, with at least two pages per entry. An interesting section follows titled ’Picking Rules’ which gives advice on how to pick correctly how to stay safe. The last section before the main body of the book is a summary calendar which groups the picking times for entries into a colour-coded calendar - very useful as a quick reference.

Every entry is accompanied with a drawing. Most of the drawings are excellent, but one or two are a little small and thus less detailed. Fortunately, almost every entry also has a photograph. The combination of colour drawings and colour photographs is what makes this little pocket book a true 'gem'. If the drawing is a little weak, the photo will be excellent and vice-versa. Almost fool proof.

Each entry starts with the common English name (Latin is in small type at the top of the page)a colour illustration and description. Taking Beech (at random), it says: 'Widespread and common throughout the British Isles, especially on chalky soils. A stately deciduous tree, with smooth, grey bark, to 40m (130ft). Leaves: bright green, alternate, oval. Flowers: male drooping, stalked heads; female in pairs. Fruit: four inside a prickly brown husk, Sept-Oct. When ripe this opens into four lobes, this liberating the brown, three-sided nuts.' The illustration depicts a leaf, spring twig with unopened buds, an opening husk revealing nut inside and bare nut. The article continues with headings; Harvest/Pick, Uses, Beech Nut, Beech Nut Oil, Beech Leaf Noyau. The photo at the end of the entry is a good close-up of a twig with a cluster of husks. (I didn’t know, for example, that ‘fresh from the tree Beech leaves are a fine salad vegetable, as sweet as a mild cabbage though much softer in texture’.)

The book, in line with its title, covers Plants and Trees, Fungi, Seaweeds and Shellfish. There is a glossary at the end and a page devoted to further reading. There is a List of Recipes and finally an index of entries in common English or Latin.

There aren't that many books devoted to 'British' wild foods so to find one which lists over 100 edible plants, berries, mushrooms, seaweed and shellfish is most welcome. Given the true pocket size measurements of the Collins Gem series of books, the price of a fiver (£4-99) and the quality of each entry, this is as good as it gets. Obviously not a benchmark reference work or field-guide, but at least this fits in the pocket - which is the main purpose of such books, isn't it? Five stars!

Excites the interest but not actually that practical, 26 Oct 2005
This is an excellent book but in the wrong package. Richard Mabey does a very good job of giving a seasonal guide to what's out there that you can have for free and does a respectable job of telling you how to use it. It falls short in two respects;

First it is not a comprehensive guide to any particular food source so while he may tell you how to cook ceps and morels and gives a reasonable guide to identifying it without this being a comprehensive guide to fungi you will never be entirely certain that what you have is a cep or a morel. To some extent that is true for everything he shows whether its fungi, nuts or fruit.

The second point is more significant for a book on foraging and is that this edition is simply too big to take into the field. In some ways this isn't a significant problem as because the book isn't comprehensive it wouldn't be the choice to take into the field with you.

This book falls somewhere between the coffee table forager's manual and Delia goes wild. Both of which might sound like criticisms but for someone who hasn't foraged wild food previously both of those would be the ideal starting point. If that's you then buy this book and read it but leave it at home when you go out and get a good field guide to take with you.

Note - since writing that review I have realised that this is available in several editions. Some of the other editions are small enough to use as a field guide.

very effective self help guide, 07 Jul 2008
This is an excellent book to make you realise how your feelings are determined by your thoughts, and how you can positively influence your mood by changing the way you think. Some self-help books don't deliver because they're too vague but this book is also very practical, with many useful exercises. It's no wonder that many people are so enthusiastic about CBT and talking about it as an alternative to medication. I do not suffer from depression and was always a fairly happy person but this book has taught me how to be happier still. I would also recommended Eckhart Tolle's the Power of Now for a slightly different perspective and Steve Taylor's Making Time Making Time: Why Time Seems to Pass at Different Speeds and How to Control It for an invesigation into time and how we can learn to expand time and learn to live in the present.


The old made new, 07 Mar 2008
I always recommend books on cognitive psychology as they represent the cutting edge of psychotherapy. I also always recommend FREE YOUR MIND by Anthony Stultz-he helps us to see the roots of CBT are from the Buddhist tradition and he presents a system that combines CBT in a Buddhist orientation.

Helpful Strategies, 04 Jul 2007
This book offers many helpful cognitive therapy strategies to overcome mental distortions that lead to mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. Cognitive therapy looks at changing thought patterns that contribute to negative feelings. Once you gain an understanding of your own distortions and how they contribute to your feeling down or anxious, you can then creative positive thoughts and feel better about yourself with the helpful cognitive therapy strategies offered in this book.

I highly recommend this book as a practical hands-on book on cognitive therapy. Also try "Feeling Good" by David Burns and for a novel about Logan's struggle with depression, check out "Nexus: A Neo Novel."


12 years on, still using it..., 01 Jul 2007
When I had post-natal depression, OCD (cleaning...) and agoraphobia, my GP referred me to a psychologist. Who sat me down with this book. We worked through it, chapter by chapter. As a medical professional, I was familiar with the concepts, but hadn't been able to see clearly enough to put them into practice for myself. Within 18 months, I was living a full normal life and haven't had a panic attack since. 12 years on, I still refer other people to this book, use it with my own clients, and use the techniques to get me through exams, interviews and public speaking. Brilliant.

A practical guide to coping with anxiety, 08 Apr 2007
I read this book from two perspectives - that of a person who has suffered from anxiety and panic attacks for many years. And also as a person who is now helping others to manage their own anxiety.

This book provides a very practical way to cope with anxiety. It uses the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy approach which is proven as a successful therapeutic method for treating anxiety and panic. The book is very action oriented and, through numerous worksheets, encourages the reader to try the techniques for themselves.

The exercises are deceptively simple but are very effective. I found that I had already used some of the techniques and this book helped me to develop them further and also reassured me that I was on the right path - both in how I cope with my own anxiety and how I support others who are in the same position.

This book is easy to understand and gives you the building blocks to manage anxiety and make the changes that will improve your life - highly recommended!


Better Books Out There!, 19 Mar 2008
As an A Level psychology student using both the AS and A2 versions, i feel that i am eligible to comment.
There are so many other text books out there that would better equip studets with the knowledge needed to pass exams. Fair enough, the descriptions of subtopics are thorough. However, the commentary (evaluation) boxes, rather pretentiously, go all around the houses, and do not explain evaluative points concisively.
The layout of the book is poor, and the use of a KEY to have to work out which sections are explaining what just makes the book altogether confusing.
This review has been written after having to copy out of the book for a day's lesson - so i know that my notes are definately not sufficient enough to revise for a single topic for my exam.
The Collins Psycology books for A and AS level are much better!

Textbook, 26 Dec 2006
I'm mainly writing this review, to make the point that has not necessarily been made clear. This is the textbook version of this series for the A2 exams, 'The Exam Companion' equivalant is the book specifically for revision.
As a textbook, it depends what your needs are for the book. If you are buying one for your own personal use, you should find this very useful as it is written by the right people and not overly detailed like many textbooks out there. If, however, you are using it to compliment your classwork, all psychology textbooks use different studies etc. and this textbook (while probably contatining everything you need) is without a doubt concise.
To be clear this would not be suitable as a revision guide, but depending on your needs, could be a useful textbook.

Why people giving this low score - this book great, 15 Dec 2006
I see that 2 teachers are slating this book, but my whole class uses this book and is teacher recommended. Fair enougth people may not like the fact that it is very concise and doesnt elaborate too much. But i believe thuis is what makes a perfect a level book - just gives you the facts you need to do well in the exam, which thias book does. Its great for taking the notes you need. It has no unneccesary information, and doesnt waffle on about irrlevant stuff. A level is hard enough without a book that gives you an information overload and assumes you want to know everything about psychology.

Great book - great layout - exam advice - I PASSED!!!!!!, 15 Dec 2006
I used this book last year as part of a2 psychology and thought this book was the best of the lot (admittedly the eysenck one is pretty good also) but this one was just that bit better because it was more concise and was layed out in a way that meant the info was easier to remeber. When you go to a page it clearly states all the differetn approaches on the left hand page including the theories etc... than on the right hand side concluded them including critisicms and advantages.

This layout is perfect for exams because it covers the Ao1 and Ao2 in a easy way to folloew. You can just easily ectract the arguments and can have some good notes ready for your exams.

I strongly advise this book if you are doing a2 psychology.

Not very complete and not much of a companion either, 07 Dec 2006
I am a psychology teacher and graduated in the subject at a good uni so am no stranger. I use the AS and A2 versions and have to agree with the negative review. The AS version is excellent and is working really well with my L6 but the A2 is poorly written. I have trouble understanding what it is trying to say sometimes and have to spend ages going back over it - not what you want from a text book. It flits in and out of research especially in AO2 areas meaning you never really get any meat on the bones and instead have to end up getting students to rote learn minor studies rather than promoting real understanding. When I read other A2 textbooks I can skim through them in no time by comparison. Overall NOT RECOMMENDED...

an insiration, 12 Jun 2008
I found myself so much in toads situation, a friend gave me this book. I hadn`t read a paper or watched tv for weeks, I read this book in a couple of days! This book is not only useful to inspiring herons but also to us depressed toads. I loved this book and am now in agreement to attend for counselling,couldn`t recommend it highly enough! An insight from cover to cover.

A fantastic book., 17 Oct 2007
After being given this book by my previous counsellor, I found it to be a very pleasing read. Not only does it give the reader a sense of what should be expected in counselling, it uses the story to explain several different ideas in transactional analysis.

Even if you haven't a clue what transactional analysis is, this book allows a gentle movement into what can be considered a very confusing set of theories with the familiar Mr. Toad woven into it. Brilliant.

Please read!!, 15 Sep 2007
How I wish I had read this book years ago. It was recommended by my counselling skills tutors and I believe its set me on the path to truly understanding my own behaviours as well as understanding things a little more from a counsellors view point. I can't recommend it enough. Excellent.

Simple and wonderful., 02 May 2007
My Aunt bought me this book two years ago during a period of stress in my life. Only now have I finally picked up this book, at another time of worry in my life. Thirty pages in it made a difference. I haven't put it down. It is wonderful. Thank you Toad. Thank you Heron. Thank you Aunt.

Heartwarming - a little treasure, 28 Jan 2007
Being someone who is involved in counselling I find myself getting tied in knots by the more erudite texts and some complicated people. After all these years, this little book brought all the basics back into focus. So simple, yet so thorough. I wonder if I was to give this to my clients when they first consult whether they would ever come back? Or maybe they would definitely return to 'do the work' knowing how much there was to be gained. Lucky Toad. Thank Goodness for Mole! Ratty might be very happy. I still have my doubts about Badger though!!

An excellent little book, 18 Jul 2008
This little gem of a book should be in every backpackers back pocket. Concise, focused and descriptive you'll have no trouble identifying the plants and shellfish. There has been some comments about lack of information on animals to eat, this is probably because rabbits, pheasants and such are classed as game and will belong to the landowner. Whilst it's ok to pick a few plants, mushrooms and shellfish it will probably be frowned on if you start blasting away at the countryside or setting traps!

A Handy Pocket Volume, 13 Aug 2007


Richard Mabey is the author of several books on flora and fauna so he is well qualified to write a book such as this. Over one hundred edible plants are featured together with recipes and other culinary information. There is also information on how to pick and when to pick and the regulations on picking which are very important. As I come from farming stock I have to say that food for free does not mean going into a field and digging up a few potato plants or for that matter cabbages.

There are plenty of hedgerow plants available for free, if you are prepared to look for them and suffer the odd few scratches. There is nothing better than a bowl of freshly picked blackberries or raspberries, if you can get them home before they are all eaten.

Plants that are edible are fully illustrated and described and the recipes are both old and new. Other fascinating information is how the plants have been used through the ages. An ideal book for all those who are nature lovers and like the idea of something for nothing. I think the last part covers 99.9% of the population.

Good Introduction, 02 May 2007
I bought this book recently through a desire to understand the countryside around me and try some of its natural foodstuffs.
The book is very well presented and includes an excellent foreword by the author. It provides a basic explaination of the various flora, a little of their natural and culinary history and there are nice photographs with identification hints.
I think I would like to have seen more recipies and ways in which they might be implemented. In the section dedicated to Spring I think there are only three recipies with much of the other suggestions directed towards salads. On balance a satisfactory purchase but I think that if my interest in wild foods develops I will certainly have to follow up my purchase with something more wholly dedicated to the culinary.

Excellent pocket sized guide, 05 Feb 2006
This is a 2004 version and worthy addition to the very popular and pocket-sized Collins Gem series. ISBN 0-00-718303-8. Food For Free - A Fantastic Feast of Plants and Folklore.

The book starts with an introduction by the author Richard Mabey. It then has short sections titled 'Roots', 'Green Vegetables', 'Herbs', 'Spices', 'Flowers', 'Fruits', 'Making Jellies and Jams' and 'Nuts'. They include general advice, observations and uses. The main section of the book is given over to identification, with at least two pages per entry. An interesting section follows titled ’Picking Rules’ which gives advice on how to pick correctly how to stay safe. The last section before the main body of the book is a summary calendar which groups the picking times for entries into a colour-coded calendar - very useful as a quick reference.

Every entry is accompanied with a drawing. Most of the drawings are excellent, but one or two are a little small and thus less detailed. Fortunately, almost every entry also has a photograph. The combination of colour drawings and colour photographs is what makes this little pocket book a true 'gem'. If the drawing is a little weak, the photo will be excellent and vice-versa. Almost fool proof.

Each entry starts with the common English name (Latin is in small type at the top of the page)a colour illustration and description. Taking Beech (at random), it says: 'Widespread and common throughout the British Isles, especially on chalky soils. A stately deciduous tree, with smooth, grey bark, to 40m (130ft). Leaves: bright green, alternate, oval. Flowers: male drooping, stalked heads; female in pairs. Fruit: four inside a prickly brown husk, Sept-Oct. When ripe this opens into four lobes, this liberating the brown, three-sided nuts.' The illustration depicts a leaf, spring twig with unopened buds, an opening husk revealing nut inside and bare nut. The article continues with headings; Harvest/Pick, Uses, Beech Nut, Beech Nut Oil, Beech Leaf Noyau. The photo at the end of the entry is a good close-up of a twig with a cluster of husks. (I didn’t know, for example, that ‘fresh from the tree Beech leaves are a fine salad vegetable, as sweet as a mild cabbage though much softer in texture’.)

The book, in line with its title, covers Plants and Trees, Fungi, Seaweeds and Shellfish. There is a glossary at the end and a page devoted to further reading. There is a List of Recipes and finally an index of entries in common English or Latin.

There aren't that many books devoted to 'British' wild foods so to find one which lists over 100 edible plants, berries, mushrooms, seaweed and shellfish is most welcome. Given the true pocket size measurements of the Collins Gem series of books, the price of a fiver (£4-99) and the quality of each entry, this is as good as it gets. Obviously not a benchmark reference work or field-guide, but at least this fits in the pocket - which is the main purpose of such books, isn't it? Five stars!

Excites the interest but not actually that practical, 26 Oct 2005
This is an excellent book but in the wrong package. Richard Mabey does a very good job of giving a seasonal guide to what's out there that you can have for free and does a respectable job of telling you how to use it. It falls short in two respects;

First it is not a comprehensive guide to any particular food source so while he may tell you how to cook ceps and morels and gives a reasonable guide to identifying it without this being a comprehensive guide to fungi you will never be entirely certain that what you have is a cep or a morel. To some extent that is true for everything he shows whether its fungi, nuts or fruit.

The second point is more significant for a book on foraging and is that this edition is simply too big to take into the field. In some ways this isn't a significant problem as because the book isn't comprehensive it wouldn't be the choice to take into the field with you.

This book falls somewhere between the coffee table forager's manual and Delia goes wild. Both of which might sound like criticisms but for someone who hasn't foraged wild food previously both of those would be the ideal starting point. If that's you then buy this book and read it but leave it at home when you go out and get a good field guide to take with you.

Note - since writing that review I have realised that this is available in several editions. Some of the other editions are small enough to use as a field guide.

very effective self help guide, 07 Jul 2008
This is an excellent book to make you realise how your feelings are determined by your thoughts, and how you can positively influence your mood by changing the way you think. Some self-help books don't deliver because they're too vague but this book is also very practical, with many useful exercises. It's no wonder that many people are so enthusiastic about CBT and talking about it as an alternative to medication. I do not suffer from depression and was always a fairly happy person but this book has taught me how to be happier still. I would also recommended Eckhart Tolle's the Power of Now for a slightly different perspective and Steve Taylor's Making Time Making Time: Why Time Seems to Pass at Different Speeds and How to Control It for an invesigation into time and how we can learn to expand time and learn to live in the present.


The old made new, 07 Mar 2008
I always recommend books on cognitive psychology as they represent the cutting edge of psychotherapy. I also always recommend FREE YOUR MIND by Anthony Stultz-he helps us to see the roots of CBT are from the Buddhist tradition and he presents a system that combines CBT in a Buddhist orientation.

Helpful Strategies, 04 Jul 2007
This book offers many helpful cognitive therapy strategies to overcome mental distortions that lead to mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. Cognitive therapy looks at changing thought patterns that contribute to negative feelings. Once you gain an understanding of your own distortions and how they contribute to your feeling down or anxious, you can then creative positive thoughts and feel better about yourself with the helpful cognitive therapy strategies offered in this book.

I highly recommend this book as a practical hands-on book on cognitive therapy. Also try "Feeling Good" by David Burns and for a novel about Logan's struggle with depression, check out "Nexus: A Neo Novel."


12 years on, still using it..., 01 Jul 2007
When I had post-natal depression, OCD (cleaning...) and agoraphobia, my GP referred me to a psychologist. Who sat me down with this book. We worked through it, chapter by chapter. As a medical professional, I was familiar with the concepts, but hadn't been able to see clearly enough to put them into practice for myself. Within 18 months, I was living a full normal life and haven't had a panic attack since. 12 years on, I still refer other people to this book, use it with my own clients, and use the techniques to get me through exams, interviews and public speaking. Brilliant.

A practical guide to coping with anxiety, 08 Apr 2007
I read this book from two perspectives - that of a person who has suffered from anxiety and panic attacks for many years. And also as a person who is now helping others to manage their own anxiety.

This book provides a very practical way to cope with anxiety. It uses the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy approach which is proven as a successful therapeutic method for treating anxiety and panic. The book is very action oriented and, through numerous worksheets, encourages the reader to try the techniques for themselves.

The exercises are deceptively simple but are very effective. I found that I had already used some of the techniques and this book helped me to develop them further and also reassured me that I was on the right path - both in how I cope with my own anxiety and how I support others who are in the same position.

This book is easy to understand and gives you the building blocks to manage anxiety and make the changes that will improve your life - highly recommended!


Better Books Out There!, 19 Mar 2008
As an A Level psychology student using both the AS and A2 versions, i feel that i am eligible to comment.
There are so many other text books out there that would better equip studets with the knowledge needed to pass exams. Fair enough, the descriptions of subtopics are thorough. However, the commentary (evaluation) boxes, rather pretentiously, go all around the houses, and do not explain evaluative points concisively.
The layout of the book is poor, and the use of a KEY to have to work out which sections are explaining what just makes the book altogether confusing.
This review has been written after having to copy out of the book for a day's lesson - so i know that my notes are definately not sufficient enough to revise for a single topic for my exam.
The Collins Psycology books for A and AS level are much better!

Textbook, 26 Dec 2006
I'm mainly writing this review, to make the point that has not necessarily been made clear. This is the textbook version of this series for the A2 exams, 'The Exam Companion' equivalant is the book specifically for revision.
As a textbook, it depends what your needs are for the book. If you are buying one for your own personal use, you should find this very useful as it is written by the right people and not overly detailed like many textbooks out there. If, however, you are using it to compliment your classwork, all psychology textbooks use different studies etc. and this textbook (while probably contatining everything you need) is without a doubt concise.
To be clear this would not be suitable as a revision guide, but depending on your needs, could be a useful textbook.

Why people giving this low score - this book great, 15 Dec 2006
I see that 2 teachers are slating this book, but my whole class uses this book and is teacher recommended. Fair enougth people may not like the fact that it is very concise and doesnt elaborate too much. But i believe thuis is what makes a perfect a level book - just gives you the facts you need to do well in the exam, which thias book does. Its great for taking the notes you need. It has no unneccesary information, and doesnt waffle on about irrlevant stuff. A level is hard enough without a book that gives you an information overload and assumes you want to know everything about psychology.

Great book - great layout - exam advice - I PASSED!!!!!!, 15 Dec 2006
I used this book last year as part of a2 psychology and thought this book was the best of the lot (admittedly the eysenck one is pretty good also) but this one was just that bit better because it was more concise and was layed out in a way that meant the info was easier to remeber. When you go to a page it clearly states all the differetn approaches on the left hand page including the theories etc... than on the right hand side concluded them including critisicms and advantages.

This layout is perfect for exams because it covers the Ao1 and Ao2 in a easy way to folloew. You can just easily ectract the arguments and can have some good notes ready for your exams.

I strongly advise this book if you are doing a2 psychology.

Not very complete and not much of a companion either, 07 Dec 2006
I am a psychology teacher and graduated in the subject at a good uni so am no stranger. I use the AS and A2 versions and have to agree with the negative review. The AS version is excellent and is working really well with my L6 but the A2 is poorly written. I have trouble understanding what it is trying to say sometimes and have to spend ages going back over it - not what you want from a text book. It flits in and out of research especially in AO2 areas meaning you never really get any meat on the bones and instead have to end up getting students to rote learn minor studies rather than promoting real understanding. When I read other A2 textbooks I can skim through them in no time by comparison. Overall NOT RECOMMENDED...

an insiration, 12 Jun 2008
I found myself so much in toads situation, a friend gave me this book. I hadn`t read a paper or watched tv for weeks, I read this book in a couple of days! This book is not only useful to inspiring herons but also to us depressed toads. I loved this book and am now in agreement to attend for counselling,couldn`t recommend it highly enough! An insight from cover to cover.

A fantastic book., 17 Oct 2007
After being given this book by my previous counsellor, I found it to be a very pleasing read. Not only does it give the reader a sense of what should be expected in counselling, it uses the story to explain several different ideas in transactional analysis.

Even if you haven't a clue what transactional analysis is, this book allows a gentle movement into what can be considered a very confusing set of theories with the familiar Mr. Toad woven into it. Brilliant.

Please read!!, 15 Sep 2007
How I wish I had read this book years ago. It was recommended by my counselling skills tutors and I believe its set me on the path to truly understanding my own behaviours as well as understanding things a little more from a counsellors view point. I can't recommend it enough. Excellent.

Simple and wonderful., 02 May 2007
My Aunt bought me this book two years ago during a period of stress in my life. Only now have I finally picked up this book, at another time of worry in my life. Thirty pages in it made a difference. I haven't put it down. It is wonderful. Thank you Toad. Thank you Heron. Thank you Aunt.

Heartwarming - a little treasure, 28 Jan 2007
Being someone who is involved in counselling I find myself getting tied in knots by the more erudite texts and some complicated people. After all these years, this little book brought all the basics back into focus. So simple, yet so thorough. I wonder if I was to give this to my clients when they first consult whether they would ever come back? Or maybe they would definitely return to 'do the work' knowing how much there was to be gained. Lucky Toad. Thank Goodness for Mole! Ratty might be very happy. I still have my doubts about Badger though!!

Excellent, 30 Nov 2006
I am a Paramedic & find this to be an invaluable reference that is small enough to be carried around. It explains things clearly & simply, so would also be useful for the layperson.

A good introduction but I'm sure there are better out there, 16 Aug 2006
I am presently studying a Pitmans Medical Secretarial and Audio Transcription course and was given this dictionary as part of my course.I already have a knowledge of (human) biology so know a lot of the terminology and their meanings but am obviously coming across a lot of terminology I am not familiar with and which are not in the book but their abbreviations are.This I am finding confusing because I am not sure if the abbreviation has the same meaning as the word I am meant to use and find myself a majority of the time 'googling' for the word and terminology or using an online medical dictionary which at times does not have the words I am looking for either.There are a lot of words missing that I feel should be there such as 'radius' and 'ulna' and other body parts and there are words in the dictionary I personally don't think should be there such as 'cyberstalking' and 'e-mail'.The advantage with this book is its size and the hardwearing plastic cover-a good size for both the pocket and bag but I am sure there are other and better medical dictionaries available which I myself will look for.I have given this book 3 out 5 because it is a good introduction if a person is starting out as either a medical secretary or in the medical profession but I would strongly recommend looking for and purchasing a better medical dictionary, even if it is larger than this particular book.Hopefully the 25th edition will be better revised.

Bailliere's Nurses Dictionary, 07 Dec 2005
As an Occupational Therapist of many years I still constantly come across terminology that leaves my head spinning! This dictionary is invaluable in helping me to understand what problems some of my clients might face thus helping me to help them. I find that my students also find it useful.

A god send!, 02 Jan 2005
I bought this because I am doing a reflexology course and found that some words in my anatomy and physiology books just dont make sense! This is an absolute god send, it explains words in laymans terms. I dont know what I would have done without it.

Even us scientists need help!, 12 Jul 2004
As a Biomedical scientist working in a medical laboratory, you will often find yourself coming across terms that are either new to you or which you know but do not fully understand. A copy of Baillierie's Nurses' Dictionary was purchased for me at Christmas and I can trully say that it has been the most useful present, which I have received. There are still some terms missing, which would come in useful but I'm sure will be added in future editions, but for the size of book has an amazing amount of content with the addition of some useful appendices. Recommended for nurses and anyone who needs to come to terms with medical terminology (including scientists).

An excellent little book, 18 Jul 2008
This little gem of a book should be in every backpackers back pocket. Concise, focused and descriptive you'll have no trouble identifying the plants and shellfish. There has been some comments about lack of information on animals to eat, this is probably because rabbits, pheasants and such are classed as game and will belong to the landowner. Whilst it's ok to pick a few plants, mushrooms and shellfish it will probably be frowned on if you start blasting away at the countryside or setting traps!

A Handy Pocket Volume, 13 Aug 2007


Richard Mabey is the author of several books on flora and fauna so he is well qualified to write a book such as this. Over one hundred edible plants are featured together with recipes and other culinary information. There is also information on how to pick and when to pick and the regulations on picking which are very important. As I come from farming stock I have to say that food for free does not mean going into a field and digging up a few potato plants or for that matter cabbages.

There are plenty of hedgerow plants available for free, if you are prepared to look for them and suffer the odd few scratches. There is nothing better than a bowl of freshly picked blackberries or raspberries, if you can get them home before they are all eaten.

Plants that are edible are fully illustrated and described and the recipes are both old and new. Other fascinating information is how the plants have been used through the ages. An ideal book for all those who are nature lovers and like the idea of something for nothing. I think the last part covers 99.9% of the population.

Good Introduction, 02 May 2007
I bought this book recently through a desire to understand the countryside around me and try some of its natural foodstuffs.
The book is very well presented and includes an excellent foreword by the author. It provides a basic explaination of the various flora, a little of their natural and culinary history and there are nice photographs with identification hints.
I think I would like to have seen more recipies and ways in which they might be implemented. In the section dedicated to Spring I think there are only three recipies with much of the other suggestions directed towards salads. On balance a satisfactory purchase but I think that if my interest in wild foods develops I will certainly have to follow up my purchase with something more wholly dedicated to the culinary.

Excellent pocket sized guide, 05 Feb 2006
This is a 2004 version and worthy addition to the very popular and pocket-sized Collins Gem series. ISBN 0-00-718303-8. Food For Free - A Fantastic Feast of Plants and Folklore.

The book starts with an introduction by the author Richard Mabey. It then has short sections titled 'Roots', 'Green Vegetables', 'Herbs', 'Spices', 'Flowers', 'Fruits', 'Making Jellies and Jams' and 'Nuts'. They include general advice, observations and uses. The main section of the book is given over to identification, with at least two pages per entry. An interesting section follows titled ’Picking Rules’ which gives advice on how to pick correctly how to stay safe. The last section before the main body of the book is a summary calendar which groups the picking times for entries into a colour-coded calendar - very useful as a quick reference.

Every entry is accompanied with a drawing. Most of the drawings are excellent, but one or two are a little small and thus less detailed. Fortunately, almost every entry also has a photograph. The combination of colour drawings and colour photographs is what makes this little pocket book a true 'gem'. If the drawing is a little weak, the photo will be excellent and vice-versa. Almost fool proof.

Each entry starts with the common English name (Latin is in small type at the top of the page)a colour illustration and description. Taking Beech (at random), it says: 'Widespread and common throughout the British Isles, especially on chalky soils. A stately deciduous tree, with smooth, grey bark, to 40m (130ft). Leaves: bright green, alternate, oval. Flowers: male drooping, stalked heads; female in pairs. Fruit: four inside a prickly brown husk, Sept-Oct. When ripe this opens into four lobes, this liberating the brown, three-sided nuts.' The illustration depicts a leaf, spring twig with unopened buds, an opening husk revealing nut inside and bare nut. The article continues with headings; Harvest/Pick, Uses, Beech Nut, Beech Nut Oil, Beech Leaf Noyau. The photo at the end of the entry is a good close-up of a twig with a cluster of husks. (I didn’t know, for example, that ‘fresh from the tree Beech leaves are a fine salad vegetable, as sweet as a mild cabbage though much softer in texture’.)

The book, in line with its title, covers Plants and Trees, Fungi, Seaweeds and Shellfish. There is a glossary at the end and a page devoted to further reading. There is a List of Recipes and finally an index of entries in common English or Latin.

There aren't that many books devoted to 'British' wild foods so to find one which lists over 100 edible plants, berries, mushrooms, seaweed and shellfish is most welcome. Given the true pocket size measurements of the Collins Gem series of books, the price of a fiver (£4-99) and the quality of each entry, this is as good as it gets. Obviously not a benchmark reference work or field-guide, but at least this fits in the pocket - which is the main purpose of such books, isn't it? Five stars!

Excites the interest but not actually that practical, 26 Oct 2005
This is an excellent book but in the wrong package. Richard Mabey does a very good job of giving a seasonal guide to what's out there that you can have for free and does a respectable job of telling you how to use it. It falls short in two respects;

First it is not a comprehensive guide to any particular food source so while he may tell you how to cook ceps and morels and gives a reasonable guide to identifying it without this being a comprehensive guide to fungi you will never be entirely certain that what you have is a cep or a morel. To some extent that is true for everything he shows whether its fungi, nuts or fruit.

The second point is more significant for a book on foraging and is that this edition is simply too big to take into the field. In some ways this isn't a significant problem as because the book isn't comprehensive it wouldn't be the choice to take into the field with you.

This book falls somewhere between the coffee table forager's manual and Delia goes wild. Both of which might sound like criticisms but for someone who hasn't foraged wild food previously both of those would be the ideal starting point. If that's you then buy this book and read it but leave it at home when you go out and get a good field guide to take with you.

Note - since writing that review I have realised that this is available in several editions. Some of the other editions are small enough to use as a field guide.

very effective self help guide, 07 Jul 2008
This is an excellent book to make you realise how your feelings are determined by your thoughts, and how you can positively influence your mood by changing the way you think. Some self-help books don't deliver because they're too vague but this book is also very practical, with many useful exercises. It's no wonder that many people are so enthusiastic about CBT and talking about it as an alternative to medication. I do not suffer from depression and was always a fairly happy person but this book has taught me how to be happier still. I would also recommended Eckhart Tolle's the Power of Now for a slightly different perspective and Steve Taylor's Making Time Making Time: Why Time Seems to Pass at Different Speeds and How to Control It for an invesigation into time and how we can learn to expand time and learn to live in the present.


The old made new, 07 Mar 2008
I always recommend books on cognitive psychology as they represent the cutting edge of psychotherapy. I also always recommend FREE YOUR MIND by Anthony Stultz-he helps us to see the roots of CBT are from the Buddhist tradition and he presents a system that combines CBT in a Buddhist orientation.

Helpful Strategies, 04 Jul 2007
This book offers many helpful cognitive therapy strategies to overcome mental distortions that lead to mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. Cognitive therapy looks at changing thought patterns that contribute to negative feelings. Once you gain an understanding of your own distortions and how they contribute to your feeling down or anxious, you can then creative positive thoughts and feel better about yourself with the helpful cognitive therapy strategies offered in this book.

I highly recommend this book as a practical hands-on book on cognitive therapy. Also try "Feeling Good" by David Burns and for a novel about Logan's struggle with depression, check out "Nexus: A Neo Novel."


12 years on, still using it..., 01 Jul 2007
When I had post-natal depression, OCD (cleaning...) and agoraphobia, my GP referred me to a psychologist. Who sat me down with this book. We worked through it, chapter by chapter. As a medical professional, I was familiar with the concepts, but hadn't been able to see clearly enough to put them into practice for myself. Within 18 months, I was living a full normal life and haven't had a panic attack since. 12 years on, I still refer other people to this book, use it with my own clients, and use the techniques to get me through exams, interviews and public speaking. Brilliant.

A practical guide to coping with anxiety, 08 Apr 2007
I read this book from two perspectives - that of a person who has suffered from anxiety and panic attacks for many years. And also as a person who is now helping others to manage their own anxiety.

This book provides a very practical way to cope with anxiety. It uses the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy approach which is proven as a successful therapeutic method for treating anxiety and panic. The book is very action oriented and, through numerous worksheets, encourages the reader to try the techniques for themselves.

The exercises are deceptively simple but are very effective. I found that I had already used some of the techniques and this book helped me to develop them further and also reassured me that I was on the right path - both in how I cope with my own anxiety and how I support others who are in the same position.

This book is easy to understand and gives you the building blocks to manage anxiety and make the changes that will improve your life - highly recommended!


Better Books Out There!, 19 Mar 2008
As an A Level psychology student using both the AS and A2 versions, i feel that i am eligible to comment.
There are so many other text books out there that would better equip studets with the knowledge needed to pass exams. Fair enough, the descriptions of subtopics are thorough. However, the commentary (evaluation) boxes, rather pretentiously, go all around the houses, and do not explain evaluative points concisively.
The layout of the book is poor, and the use of a KEY to have to work out which sections are explaining what just makes the book altogether confusing.
This review has been written after having to copy out of the book for a day's lesson - so i know that my notes are definately not sufficient enough to revise for a single topic for my exam.
The Collins Psycology books for A and AS level are much better!

Textbook, 26 Dec 2006
I'm mainly writing this review, to make the point that has not necessarily been made clear. This is the textbook version of this series for the A2 exams, 'The Exam Companion' equivalant is the book specifically for revision.
As a textbook, it depends what your needs are for the book. If you are buying one for your own personal use, you should find this very useful as it is written by the right people and not overly detailed like many textbooks out there. If, however, you are using it to compliment your classwork, all psychology textbooks use different studies etc. and this textbook (while probably contatining everything you need) is without a doubt concise.
To be clear this would not be suitable as a revision guide, but depending on your needs, could be a useful textbook.

Why people giving this low score - this book great, 15 Dec 2006
I see that 2 teachers are slating this book, but my whole class uses this book and is teacher recommended. Fair enougth people may not like the fact that it is very concise and doesnt elaborate too much. But i believe thuis is what makes a perfect a level book - just gives you the facts you need to do well in the exam, which thias book does. Its great for taking the notes you need. It has no unneccesary information, and doesnt waffle on about irrlevant stuff. A level is hard enough without a book that gives you an information overload and assumes you want to know everything about psychology.

Great book - great layout - exam advice - I PASSED!!!!!!, 15 Dec 2006
I used this book last year as part of a2 psychology and thought this book was the best of the lot (admittedly the eysenck one is pretty good also) but this one was just that bit better because it was more concise and was layed out in a way that meant the info was easier to remeber. When you go to a page it clearly states all the differetn approaches on the left hand page including the theories etc... than on the right hand side concluded them including critisicms and advantages.

This layout is perfect for exams because it covers the Ao1 and Ao2 in a easy way to folloew. You can just easily ectract the arguments and can have some good notes ready for your exams.

I strongly advise this book if you are doing a2 psychology.

Not very complete and not much of a companion either, 07 Dec 2006
I am a psychology teacher and graduated in the subject at a good uni so am no stranger. I use the AS and A2 versions and have to agree with the negative review. The AS version is excellent and is working really well with my L6 but the A2 is poorly written. I have trouble understanding what it is trying to say sometimes and have to spend ages going back over it - not what you want from a text book. It flits in and out of research especially in AO2 areas meaning you never really get any meat on the bones and instead have to end up getting students to rote learn minor studies rather than promoting real understanding. When I read other A2 textbooks I can skim through them in no time by comparison. Overall NOT RECOMMENDED...

an insiration, 12 Jun 2008
I found myself so much in toads situation, a friend gave me this book. I hadn`t read a paper or watched tv for weeks, I read this book in a couple of days! This book is not only useful to inspiring herons but also to us depressed toads. I loved this book and am now in agreement to attend for counselling,couldn`t recommend it highly enough! An insight from cover to cover.

A fantastic book., 17 Oct 2007
After being given this book by my previous counsellor, I found it to be a very pleasing read. Not only does it give the reader a sense of what should be expected in counselling, it uses the story to explain several different ideas in transactional analysis.

Even if you haven't a clue what transactional analysis is, this book allows a gentle movement into what can be considered a very confusing set of theories with the familiar Mr. Toad woven into it. Brilliant.

Please read!!, 15 Sep 2007
How I wish I had read this book years ago. It was recommended by my counselling skills tutors and I believe its set me on the path to truly understanding my own behaviours as well as understanding things a little more from a counsellors view point. I can't recommend it enough. Excellent.

Simple and wonderful., 02 May 2007
My Aunt bought me this book two years ago during a period of stress in my life. Only now have I finally picked up this book, at another time of worry in my life. Thirty pages in it made a difference. I haven't put it down. It is wonderful. Thank you Toad. Thank you Heron. Thank you Aunt.

Heartwarming - a little treasure, 28 Jan 2007
Being someone who is involved in counselling I find myself getting tied in knots by the more erudite texts and some complicated people. After all these years, this little book brought all the basics back into focus. So simple, yet so thorough. I wonder if I was to give this to my clients when they first consult whether they would ever come back? Or maybe they would definitely return to 'do the work' knowing how much there was to be gained. Lucky Toad. Thank Goodness for Mole! Ratty might be very happy. I still have my doubts about Badger though!!

Excellent, 30 Nov 2006
I am a Paramedic & find this to be an invaluable reference that is small enough to be carried around. It explains things clearly & simply, so would also be useful for the layperson.

A good introduction but I'm sure there are better out there, 16 Aug 2006
I am presently studying a Pitmans Medical Secretarial and Audio Transcription course and was given this dictionary as part of my course.I already have a knowledge of (human) biology so know a lot of the terminology and their meanings but am obviously coming across a lot of terminology I am not familiar with and which are not in the book but their abbreviations are.This I am finding confusing because I am not sure if the abbreviation has the same meaning as the word I am meant to use and find myself a majority of the time 'googling' for the word and terminology or using an online medical dictionary which at times does not have the words I am looking for either.There are a lot of words missing that I feel should be there such as 'radius' and 'ulna' and other body parts and there are words in the dictionary I personally don't think should be there such as 'cyberstalking' and 'e-mail'.The advantage with this book is its size and the hardwearing plastic cover-a good size for both the pocket and bag but I am sure there are other and better medical dictionaries available which I myself will look for.I have given this book 3 out 5 because it is a good introduction if a person is starting out as either a medical secretary or in the medical profession but I would strongly recommend looking for and purchasing a better medical dictionary, even if it is larger than this particular book.Hopefully the 25th edition will be better revised.

Bailliere's Nurses Dictionary, 07 Dec 2005
As an Occupational Therapist of many years I still constantly come across terminology that leaves my head spinning! This dictionary is invaluable in helping me to understand what problems some of my clients might face thus helping me to help them. I find that my students also find it useful.

A god send!, 02 Jan 2005
I bought this because I am doing a reflexology course and found that some words in my anatomy and physiology books just dont make sense! This is an absolute god send, it explains words in laymans terms. I dont know what I would have done without it.

Even us scientists need help!, 12 Jul 2004
As a Biomedical scientist working in a medical laboratory, you will often find yourself coming across terms that are either new to you or which you know but do not fully understand. A copy of Baillierie's Nurses' Dictionary was purchased for me at Christmas and I can trully say that it has been the most useful present, which I have received. There are still some terms missing, which would come in useful but I'm sure will be added in future editions, but for the size of book has an amazing amount of content with the addition of some useful appendices. Recommended for nurses and anyone who needs to come to terms with medical terminology (including scientists).

Fascinating stories of therapy where the psychiatrist is not God, 19 May 2008
Having read most of Yalom's other books, I expected this to be an insightful and instructive read. And so it proved. Yalom's ten 'cases' are recounted with gentleness, caring and consideration. The author does not cast himself in the role of the psychiatrist-God who has all the answers but as a person with likes and dislikes, with successes and failures, someone whose best intentions at times backfire and who can hit the spot with some of his patients through sheer accident. He treats his patients with consideration and respect without romanticizing the despair and anxiety he faces in his work. The book offers an interesting counter-part to Freud's classic case studies, which evoked the detective story genre as the psychoanalyst seeks to put together the clues offered him/her by the patient. Here too there is suspense. But the answers come from unexpected, sometimes accidental, quarters. Yet, each and every one of these cases provides a meaningful story with a beginning, a middle and, always, a satisfying end.

What an amazing book..., 15 Nov 2007
I rarely read books to the end, even those I like, but this had me gripped from start to finish.

Yalom makes interactions with his patients into riveting, detective story narratives wrapped in essential human needs and the essential fears and desires at the heart of nearly all of us (he says we all fear death for example).

He takes each patient (and us as viewers) on a sort of an absolutely enthralling intellectual ramble seeking the essence of the patients pain. He manages to eek out the most interesting characteristics from these stories and his insights into them are incredible. Interspersed in the accounts are interesting digressions into the process of psychotherapy; what it is for and what it aims to do.

For someone interested in psychotherapy (someone "psychologically minded" as he says) or into the deeper meaning of all of our lives journeys, this is juicy juicy stuff.

Simply the best, 21 Jun 2007
This is a "fly on the wall" book. It lets budding counsellors and psychotherapists see what really goes on in the consulting room of one of the most important therapists of the age. I recommend this to students every year, and every year they are gripped by the stories.

An essential read for anyone interested in the inner lifes of clients therapists or themselves

Fascinating Stories, 23 Mar 2007
This book is riveting. It's all about people who are exhibiting extreme behaviour: overeating, passionately in love with someone half your age, a man paranoid about losing face, a sleazy sex maniac and a boring accountant with lurid dreams.

Dr Yalom gets them all in his surgery and talks them through their problems. He uncovers the most amazing things, which are an inspiration, offering insights into how we all tick.

I find lots of people quite hostile or afraid of psychotherapy. I've recommended this book to them because, whatever your views on therapy, it's a gripping read.

Brilliant & Engaging, 03 Jan 2007
Love's Executioner is one of the best books I've read in a long time. It was engaging, interesting and I couldn't put it down. I read the entire book in two days. I also found it helpful in highlighting the therapeutic relationship, which students of psychotherapy will find helpful. Overall an excellent book!!!

An excellent little book, 18 Jul 2008
This little gem of a book should be in every backpackers back pocket. Concise, focused and descriptive you'll have no trouble identifying the plants and shellfish. There has been some comments about lack of information on animals to eat, this is probably because rabbits, pheasants and such are classed as game and will belong to the landowner. Whilst it's ok to pick a few plants, mushrooms and shellfish it will probably be frowned on if you start blasting away at the countryside or setting traps!

A Handy Pocket Volume, 13 Aug 2007


Richard Mabey is the author of several books on flora and fauna so he is well qualified to write a book such as this. Over one hundred edible plants are featured together with recipes and other culinary information. There is also information on how to pick and when to pick and the regulations on picking which are very important. As I come from farming stock I have to say that food for free does not mean going into a field and digging up a few potato plants or for that matter cabbages.

There are plenty of hedgerow plants available for free, if you are prepared to look for them and suffer the odd few scratches. There is nothing better than a bowl of freshly picked blackberries or raspberries, if you can get them home before they are all eaten.

Plants that are edible are fully illustrated and described and the recipes are both old and new. Other fascinating information is how the plants have been used through the ages. An ideal book for all those who are nature lovers and like the idea of something for nothing. I think the last part covers 99.9% of the population.

Good Introduction, 02 May 2007
I bought this book recently through a desire to understand the countryside around me and try some of its natural foodstuffs.
The book is very well presented and includes an excellent foreword by the author. It provides a basic explaination of the various flora, a little of their natural and culinary history and there are nice photographs with identification hints.
I think I would like to have seen more recipies and ways in which they might be implemented. In the section dedicated to Spring I think there are onl