In an abridged edition of his Native American Ethnobotany (Timber Press 1998), Moerman (emeritus anthropology, U. of Michigan-Dearborn) retains from the mother volume the some 25,000 uses of some 2,700 plant species, along with relevant references. He began his research in 1970, scoured obscure volumes in libraries and archives across the US, transferred the information to computer as soon as possible, and published a first collection in 1977. The entries, arranged alphabetically by Latin name of the plant, describe in turn how different tribes use it medicinally--for what purpose, which part of the plant, and how prepared and administered. Indexes are by tribes, plant uses, and common plant names. Related information such as the natural history of the plants, chemical composition, how the plants fit into the life and world view of users, must be sought elsewhere. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)