Do you have someone to buy for, who is just that bit difficult? They don’t drink, they’re watching their figure and they have pretty much everything? Well if you have, here are a couple of fabulous gifts – and if you haven’t, these are still fabulous gifts for anyone.

‘Just The Tonic’ is a most fascinating book. Beautifully bound and illustrated, it would look lovely on a coffee table, but it is so interesting I fear it will soon be well-thumbed. I mean, did you realise that all those ex-pats chugging G&Ts in India and the tropics weren’t just being decadent and self-indulgent. No, they were protecting themselves from malaria – long before modern anti-malarials were available.

Co-written by Kim Walker (a medical herbalist) and Mark Nesbitt (curator of the Economic Botany Collection at Kew Gardens), the book is filled with fascinating facts. It doesn’t just tell the story of Indian tonic water, but explains the cultural, medical and political influences which shaped many of today’s drinks – both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.  And if you’re feeling exhausted from reading the whole story in one sitting (I promise you, you won’t be able to put it down until you’ve finished), the last chapter is thoughtfully devoted to cocktail recipes – go treat yourself.

Available from Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew Shop RRP £18.

 

The Kew Shop has many other interesting and unusual gifts on their website too, including a book containing twelve sheets of high quality wrapping paper, each printed with a painting from the Marianne North collection. These are gift wraps with a difference, to be reserved for very special people. In fact they are so beautiful I’m not sure I could bear to use them. Ms North was a Victorian traveller and painter and her collection is housed at Kew. Each painting is unique and stunning – different flowers, fruit, birds and insects – I particularly love the stick insect painting, created in 1880.

Available also from Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew Shop RRP £10

 

I strongly recommend you take a look at the Kew Shop – so many beautiful and unusual gifts.

 

By Dr K Thompson, author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk

 

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.