As you might imagine, I have a huge collection of spice reference and spice blend books. At this point, I use spices instinctively, but when I was in school and beginning to formulate the Spice Diet, I wanted to absorb everything I could about herbs and spices. If you are as excited about cooking high-flavor food as I hope you are, you might want to read more on the subject. The first three books on the list are big reference books on spices and herbs, and the last three are small, practical books about spice blends. They are all first rate.
The Spice and Herb Bible, 3rd ed., by Ian Hemphill and Kate Hemphill (Storey Publishing, LLC, 2014).
The Spice Bible: Essential Information and More Than 250 Recipes Using Spices, Spice Mixes, and Spice Pastes by Jane Lawson (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2008).
The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America’s Most Imaginative Chefs by Karen Page and Andrew Dorenburg (Little, Brown and Company, 2008).
Herb Mixtures & Spicy Blends: Ethnic Flavorings, No-Salt Blends, Marinades/Dressings, Butters/Spreads, Dessert Mixtures, Teas/Mulling edited by Deborah L. Balmuth (Storey Publishing, LLC, 1996).
The Magic of Spice Blends: A Guide to the Art, Science, and Lore of Combining Flavors by Aliza Green (Quarry Books, 2015).
Spice Mix Recipes: Top 50 Most Delicious Dry Spice Mixes (A Seasoning Cookbook) by Julie Hatfield (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016).