The most common question we get at Share A Care is some version of “I have one of the Be Your Own Doctor books — do I need the other one?” The short answer is that they are two different books, not two editions of the same one, and most families end up wanting both. Here is how they differ.
They are companions, not a sequel
Be Your Own Doctor (2010) introduces Rachel Weaver’s approach to herbal home health care through 101 stories and shows how to prepare teas, tinctures and salves. After it came out, the questions did not stop — they multiplied. Be Your Own Doctor II (2015) was Rachel’s answer: an overflow of practical information that did not fit in the first volume, developed directly from what readers asked her.
Because of that history, the second book does not repeat the first. Rachel deliberately left out things she had already explained in depth, so the two volumes complement each other rather than overlap.
What is in Volume I
- 101 stories from Rachel’s family and community experience
- An introduction to common herbs and household ingredients
- How to prepare herbal teas, tinctures and salves
- Home health care basics and recognizing when professional care is needed
- 336 pages
What is in Volume II
- Additional herbal home care information not included in the first volume
- Common herbs and simple remedies, including charcoal and turmeric
- Rachel’s discussions of arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure and other complex health concerns
- Resources for further reading about natural approaches to cancer
- Lists of supplies and where to find suppliers
- 272 pages
Which should you start with?
The books can be read separately — you do not need the first to use the second. That said, Rachel herself called the first book a “must have” because its information is so basic and helpful, and the second assumes you can look up the fundamentals there. If you are buying one, start with Be Your Own Doctor. If you already own it and find yourself wishing it said more about ongoing, grown-up health concerns, Be Your Own Doctor II is the one written for you.
The same voice throughout
Both are written in Rachel’s clear, common-sense style, meant to be easy to remember in times of illness or emergency. Both reflect her Christian faith and her habit of trying the simplest thing on hand first. Neither contains New Age content.
Getting both
Each volume is $24.95 direct from Share A Care, the original publisher. If you want the whole series — the two Be Your Own Doctor volumes plus Back Yard Pharmacy and Be Your Child’s Pediatrician — the four-book set ships free within the United States. Read about Rachel Weaver, M.H.