If you have Parkinson's disease, can you overdose on l-dopa if you eat fava beans? Can taking aspirin regularly reduce your risk for Alzheimer's Disease? Spinella offers information at a layman's level on the uses and effects of various herbal medicines, including herbs said to have stimulant, cognition enhancement, sedative and anti- anxiety properties. He also describes herbs said to treat mental illness and pain, and covers herbal hallucinogens, cannabis, and the differences among use, abuse and addiction. He describes how the herbs seem to affect the workings of the brain and nervous system, as well as other structures of the body, gives information about the relationship between dosage and effects, and analyzes some of the more common urban legends. Spinella also provides a glossary and a large bibliography. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

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