Kindle Price: $16.99

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Buy for others

Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group.
Learn more

Buying and sending eBooks to others

  1. Select quantity
  2. Buy and send eBooks
  3. Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs

Follow the author

Vincent Lebot
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Kava: The Pacific Elixir: The Definitive Guide to Its Ethnobotany, History, and Chemistry Kindle Edition

by Vincent Lebot (Author), Mark Merlin (Author), Lamont Lindstrom (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 25 ratings
See all formats and editions
• The most comprehensive book ever written on nature's most effective stress-relieving plant.

• First paperback edition of the classic comprehensive text originally published by Yale University Press.

This complete guide to kava summarizes the literature and research on a plant that is now considered comparable or superior to anti-stress prescription drugs, and describes its use in the religious, political, and economic life of the Pacific islands for centuries. Beyond its soporific qualities kava is also used throughout the the Pacific as an analgesic, a diuretic, and an anesthetic. There is even evidence suggesting it is effective in the treatment of asthma, tuberculosis, and venereal disease. Exhaustively researched, Kava: The Pacific Elixir offers an extensive survey of this amazing plant from the perspective of the horticulturist, the ethnobotanist, and the pharmacologist.
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    406 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Healing Arts Press
  5. Publication date
    February 1, 1997
  6. File size
    28006 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Not Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
Next page
Due to its large file size, this book may take longer to download
Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A well-written, succinct, yet extensive overview of research on kava from several perspectives." ― Patrick V. Kirch, University of California, Berkeley

From the Back Cover

ETHNOBOTANY The most comprehensive treatment of kava ever written, Kava: The Pacific Elixir summarizes the literature and research on a plant that is now considered comparable or superior to anti-stress prescription drugs. Kava is consumed throughout the Pacific as a relaxing beverage for social interaction and as a support to religious inspiration. Because of its many beneficial qualities it is superior to alcohol, nicotine, tranquilizers, and other substances that serve to reduce stress and improve mood. Interest in kava is growing worldwide and its consumption is now extending well beyond the Pacific Rim as new products are developed from it for pharmacological and recreational markets worldwide. Exhaustively researched, Kava: The Pacific Elixir offers an extensive survey of this amazing plant from the perspective of the horticulturalist, the ethnobotanist, and the pharmacologist. It provides compelling insights into this plant that has been an integral part of the religious, political, and economic life of the Pacific islands for centuries. It contains information that is invaluable to the serious scholar yet is not written with the specialist alone in mind. Beyond its soporific qualities Kava is also used throughout the islands of the Pacific as an analgesic, a diuretic, and an anesthetic. There is even evidence suggesting it is effective in the treatment of asthma, tuberculosis, and venereal disease. VINCENT LEBOT is a geneticist and plant breeder studying the improvement of tropical root crops. MARK MERLIN is a professor at the University of Hawaii specializing in ethnobotany and tropical ecology, and is a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London. LAMONT LINDSTROM is a professor of anthropology at the University of Tulsa and is also the author of Knowledge and Power in a South Pacific Society and Cargo Cult: Strange Stories of Desire from Melanesia and Beyond.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B008VRZ0CM
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Healing Arts Press (February 1, 1997)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 1, 1997
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 28006 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 406 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 25 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Vincent Lebot

Vincent Lebot

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
25 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Carlos
5.0 out of 5 stars all you need for Kava
Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2023
Verified Purchase
I was recommend this by the college of on of the authors during a Kava Circle. Its is a great source to have and begin with. It's sure to get you on your road to learning more about the amazing Piper methysticum.
Helpful
 Report
Sven Mueller
4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty thorough
Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2013
Verified Purchase
Strong on the chemistry/biology/history side of kava (or sakau, as they call it here on Pohnpei). Could inquire more into health issues (why it makes the skin feel so strange, why kava makes the skin dry, and what other health effects/benefits it might have ...
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
HigHERB’Leafs
5.0 out of 5 stars Well Written & Very Informative
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2019
Verified Purchase
It's an easy & entertaining read. Some history/non-fictional books, read like you're in History Class trying to stay awake. This is very detailed & has a lot of history, but it's written "with a smile" or almost like a passion, or motivational love behind the words. IDK maybe I'm one of the few that can tell different writing emotions without special training...but what I'm trying to explain is reading this e-book is worth the buy & definitely worth your time!
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
P H RANKIN
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2017
Verified Purchase
Excellent, definitive you do not need to read another book on the subject.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
sporting road
5.0 out of 5 stars Extensive
Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2018
Extensive research on all things kava
Helpful
 Report
Baja Bluesman
1.0 out of 5 stars Worthless gibberish
Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2019
Verified Purchase
Worthless. Written by scientists for scientists. I have my master’s in education and can usually catch the gist of what a writer is trying to say. This book has three authors and not one of them could write accessible information about kava.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Report an issue

Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report