Ginseng, the Divine Root

February 6, 2006
Take an ordinary root. Endow it with restorative capacities and a pungent flavor a bit like sarsaparilla or anise. Make it elusive to capture, and you've got a commodity worthy of myth—and, in the case of ginseng, one which will inexplicably boom and bust with the dictates of fashion (unless you live in China, in which case it will be omnipresent). The U.S. is experiencing a ginseng boom at the moment—in the more "rational" mid-century period it fell out of favor—evidenced not only by its frequent appearance on package labels but also by this intelligent, wide-ranging account by documentarian Taylor. Skeptical (though ultimately persuasive) about ginseng's subtle but genuine curative powers, Taylor uses the intriguing substance, prevalent in both China and the eastern U.S., as an occasion to ponder the different approaches to medicine in East and West and to present some amusing characters, including traders, experts and the "ginsengers" who hunt the "sang." There's little doubt that ginseng is as beguiling as Taylor's subtitle suggests—even its biggest American booster is wont to claim, paradoxically, that ginseng is good for "everything, and not really anything." Readers may also want to see Ginseng Dreams: The Secret World of America's Most Valuable Plant
by Kristin Johannsen (Reviews, Jan. 2).

February 1, 2006
Taylor is no stranger to discovering the secrets of natural history, having done documentary work for the National Geographic and Discovery channels and written for "Smithsonian" magazine, the "Washington Post", and the "Village Voice". Here, he takes us on a fascinating tour through ginseng's history, writing in a style that shows he obviously enjoyed his research and the people he met; in his descriptions of natural settings, he reads like a master storyteller. This is not a how-to guide for growing or using ginseng; instead, Taylor describes the cultural, political, and economic roots of ginseng, from China's Qing dynasty to the Colonial Americas to present-day dealers and hunters in Appalachia (where the plant grows). Amazingly, Taylor's prose jumps back and forth in time and place without seeming disjointed or losing flow. Who knew that this unassuming root had such a colorful history and promising future? Highly recommended for East Coast libraries and recommended for all libraries that collect in areas of popular natural history." - Marianne Stowell Bracke, Univ. of Arizona Libs., Tucson"

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2006
Taylor here traces the commercial complex surrounding the ancient herb ginseng. He profiles his guides through the hierarchy of the ginseng business, from collecting it in America to its sale in China, its main market. His first escort, an agriculture extension agent, takes Taylor into the woods of New York State, where the author learns about finding the furtive shoots of the plant. A lot of ginseng, it turns out, is harvested from the wild as a sideline by folks aware of its value, which inevitably tempts poachers. After collecting poaching stories from a ranger in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Taylor completes ginseng's supply chain by talking to ginseng farmers in Wisconsin, a buyer in New York City, and retailers in China. Including discussion of the medicinal benefits attributed to ginseng, as well as interesting historical arcana--the Jesuits, the Qing dynasty, and Daniel Boone oddly have ginseng in common--Taylor's adventurous tour should tap into the root's rising popularity with herbal-product consumers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)