"The use of medicinal plants dates to prehistoric times when ancient man found that ingestion or application of certain herbs and barks was effective in treating some of the ailments that plagued him. Herbal medicine is a part of virtually all cultures, and Tonga is no exception. However, several early visitors in the first decades of the 'European Era' in Tongan history noted the relatively minor use of herbal plants, especially in comparison with the adjacent Fiji Islands. Whether or not this evaluation is true may never be learned, but today in tonga, herbal remedies are used at one time or another by a large percentage of the population,

Tongan Herbal Medicine

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Whistler, Art

Alternative Medicine

W. Arthur Whistler

The dream of becoming a beachcomber on some distant tropical shore has always held a particular fascination for Westerners. To be able to spend one's day relaxing under a tropical sun and walking a palm-covered beach bordering a blue lagoon has seemed like the ideal escape from the everyday pressures of the hurried lifestyle of our Western world. Ever since its European discovery, Polynesia has captivated the imagination of adventurers looking for an island paradise. Now, with the age of jet travel, a visit to the islands is no longer an impossible dream. Every year thousands of people fly to the South Pacific to spend their vacation in the tropical sun. One of the most remarkable features of Polynesia is the vast array of exotic flowers to be found growing everywhere in profusion. For those who are interested in nature, the easiest way to identify these exotic species is by using an illustrated book on tropical flowers. There are already a number of such books available, but most of these deal only with cultivated ornamental plants such as hibiscus, frangipani, and jasmine. These are well-suited to those who do not go beyond the confines of their hotel or local tourist attractions. But it is for those who seek out nature, away from the hotels, aways from the tourist attractions, or even away from civilization, that this book is intended.

Flowers of the Pacific Island Seashore: A Guide to the Littoral Plants of Hawai'i, Tahiti, Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, Fiji, and Micronesia

Science & Math

Biological Sciences

"The aim of this book is to present a picture of past and present Polynesian medicinal plants. Although several books have been published on herbal medicine in Polynesia, these are either limited in geographic scope (mostly to Hawai‘i) or are unscientific in basis. Restricting the study of herbal medicine to a single Polynesian island or archipelago is a disadvantage because the early accounts of medicinal practices are so sketchy. A more comprehensive approach is rewarding because so much can be learned from the similarities among the various Polynesian cultures. A scientific approach is necessary because of the nature of the subject―medicine and plants. "To establish a comprehensive and scientific basis for this book, three types of research were conducted: (1) an extensive review of the literature on Polynesia; (2) interviews with scores of Polynesian healers in Hawai‘i, Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti. the Cook Islands, and Tokelau; and (3) botanical collecting work in Polynesia over a twenty-year period, involving over forty research trips to the South Pacific." ―from the Preface

Polynesian Herbal Medicine

Religion & Spirituality

Whistler, W. Arthur

New Age & Spirituality

Wayside Plants of the Islands has been designed as a guide book to the identification of the most common plant species encountered in the lowlands of the Pacific Islands. It is based upon the author's 25 years of botanical excursions in Hawai'i, Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti, Fiji, Guam, Belau (Palau), and the other Pacific Islands. The lowlands here have been highly disturbed and are now entirely dominated by "alien" weedy species. This guide book includes color photos of 170 of the most common of these lowland species, with descriptions and other pertinent information. Most of the plants covered are widespread species that may be found in any part of the tropics, so this book is useful throughout the tropical Pacific and beyond.

Wayside Plants of the Islands: A Guide to the Lowland Flora of the Pacific Islands

Wayside Plants of the Islands is based on the author's twenty-five years of botanical excursions in Hawai'i, Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti, Fiji, Guam, Belau (Pelau), and other Pacific islands. It includes color photos of 170 of the most common lowland species, with descriptions and other pertinent information.

The Samoan archipelago is divided politically into a western portion known as Samoa (formerly known as Western Samoa) and an eastern portion known as American Samoa. These volcanic islands in the heart of Polynesia were once almost entirely covered with a mantle of tropical rainforest, but after over 3000 years of human occupation, much of the native vegetation has been removed and that which remains is gravely threatened by a growing population, an unrelenting timber industry, and recurring hurricanes. The Samoan Rainforest is a study of the plant cover of these islands, based on the author’s work in Samoa that spans three decades. Based upon structure and species present, the vegetation of the archipelago is divided into several “plant communities,” such as littoral strand, marshes, mangroves, freshwater swamps, lowland rainforest, montane rainforest, cloud forest, summit scrub, montane scrub, volcanic scrub, and several types of disturbed vegetation, which are discussed in detail in the text and richly illustrated with 130 color photos. In addition to the discussion of the plant communities present, there is an introductory chapter on the flora, botanical history, and classification of Samoa plants; one on characteristics of tropical rainforests; and a concluding chapter on the past, present, and future of the native vegetation. The book is aimed at high school and college students, teachers, and researchers who are doing or wish to do work in Samoan forests.

The Samoan Rainforest: A Guide to the Vegetation of the Samoan Archipelago

The Samoan archipelago is divided politically into a western portion known as Samoa (formerly known as Western Samoa) and an eastern portion known as American Samoa. Extensive south Pacific rain forests comprising several hundred species of native trees occur in these volcanic islands in the heart of Polynesia. Rainforest Trees of Samoa is designed to enable the layperson and scientist alike to identify the most common trees (mostly native species, but also the naturalized “alien” species) in the lowland and mid-elevation forest (i.e., the vast majority of trees one is likely to encounter in the Samoan forest). The book is based on the author’s work in Samoa that spans the last three decades. The information on the species presented (about 140 of them) includes the scientific name, Samoan and English names (if any), synonyms, the botanical family to which the plant belongs, and the range of the species. This is followed by the habitat, ethnobotanical uses in Samoa, and a complete botanical description, including a condensed “Distinguishing Characters.” Each species is covered by one to four color photographs of the leaves, fruits, and flowers to aid in the identification of the tree. In addition, a botanical key is presented that can aid in determining the identity of any unknown species. A table is provided that shows the island distribution of each of the species within the Samoan archipelago. Also included are a bibliography of pertinent literature and a glossary of botanical terms. The book is 210 pages long, and includes 228 color photos. It is designed to be of use to foresters, botanists, naturalists, teachers, students, or just nature lovers who visit the archipelago. It is also a very useful guide to the trees of Tonga, Niue, and the Cook Islands, since most of the species covered also occur in these archipelagos and islands. Also included are six tree species that are new to science (two of them from Tonga).

Rainforest Trees of Samoa: A Guide to the Common Lowland and Foothill Forest Trees of the Samoan Archipelago

"Samoans have learned by centuries of experience which trees provide the best timber, which plants are edible, which make the best cordage, and which can be used as medicines. However, as people move away from a culture based on the traditional use of the surrounding plants and animals to one based on imported goods, they lose a valuable part of their tradition.... Samoans have been the keepers of this knowledge and these plants for close to three millennia, but as we begin the new millennium, traditional lore is unfortunately no longer being passed on to the younger generation. This loss of traditional plant lore and traditional plants has prompted me to write Plants in Samoan Culture." --from the Preface

Plants in Samoan Culture: The Ethnobotany of Samoa

Business & Money

Economics

See the best price to sell, buy or rent books by the W. Arthur Whistler publisher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by W. Arthur Whistler

See the best price to sell, buy or rent books by the W. Arthur Whistler publisher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Tongan Herbal Medicine

Flowers of the Pacific Island Seashore: A Guide to the Littoral Plants of Hawai'i, Tahiti, Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, Fiji, and Micronesia

Polynesian Herbal Medicine

Wayside Plants of the Islands: A Guide to the Lowland Flora of the Pacific Islands

Wayside Plants of the Islands: A Guide to the Lowland Flora of the Pacific Islands

The Samoan Rainforest: A Guide to the Vegetation of the Samoan Archipelago

Rainforest Trees of Samoa: A Guide to the Common Lowland and Foothill Forest Trees of the Samoan Archipelago

Plants in Samoan Culture: The Ethnobotany of Samoa