New book: Everything Healthy Tea Book

Tea writer and publisher Babette Donaldson has just added a tea-themed book to Adams Media’s “Everything®” series. “The Everything Healthy Tea Book” offers insights into tea from a health and wellness perspective, exploring the various tea types, the subject of caffeine, and research on health impacts. At 304 pages, this is no lightweight volume. Donaldson explains that it was a type of book that she had long dreamed of writing. When Adams Media asked her to take on the project, she accepted, knowing that the scope and timeline would be a challenge. “It was one I had always wanted to write -- a very basic introduction to tea for the person who had only experienced the familiar brand tea easily available on grocery store shelves. How do we make the huge subject of tea, which may seem very complex, more comfortable and inviting? How to we discuss the whole leaf teas, now more available and arguably containing more health advantages, without sounding like a tea snob?” There are eighteen chapters in the book and several useful appendices. The first two chapters delve into tea basics — tea 101 and some of its history. The next chapter offers a broad overview of some of tea’s healthful benefits in impacting bone health, cholesterol, diabetes and more. Caffeine takes over the next chapter, followed by a look at some of the potential health downsides of tea consumption including decreased iron absorption, staining of teeth and issues of overuse during pregnancy. Many of the remaining chapters look at specific tea types: black, green, oolong, white, Pu’erh, and then herbals and blends, as well as specific steeping techniques and equipment. Donaldson, a resident of California, has been a regular speaker at World Tea Expo and Seattle’s Northwest Tea Festival. She is responsible for organizing the San Francisco International Tea Festival as well. She has written and published several other books, including the Emma Lea tea book series for children and a young adult book, Going Gongfu: A Tea Adventure in China. "Going Gongfu" follows Emma Lea into junior high. Also released in 2014 was Fun with Tea, an activity book of crossword puzzles, songs and games for adults and children to do together.