Book excerpt: The Miracle of Garlic is a compact yet comprehensive and authoritative guide to garlic, with helpful information on every possible way to use this wonderful product of nature - not only in cooking but also for health and well-being. The book opens with the history of garlic, its importance in the Mediterranean diet and its popularity around the world. The author discusses whether garlic is a miracle medicine, a valuable natural remedy, or just a useful part of a healthy diet. The first part outlines the varieties of garlic and how to grow it. A digest of the contents of garlic and how they affect health is followed by guidance on how to choose, use and store garlic. The second part offers well-tested recipes for well-loved garlic-containing dishes from around the world. The final part offers help on how to use garlic safely to aid health. The A-Z of ailments that can respond to garlic includes the possible causes of each ailment, how garlic can help, and how best to use garlic.