As the previous users said, yes this does work. And when they are referring to pinching the tops off of the basil, they mean the little flower clusters that appear - pinch them off while they're still green, before they actually blossom into purple flowers. Mint, rosemary, oregano also work well.

The only herb I have personally found basically pointless to grow is cilantro. Unlike basil, which goes on producing all summer, cilantro bolts after just a couple weeks and is then basically leafless. Though you can then allow the seeds to dry on the plant (coriander seeds - useful many styles of cooking) it's a bit of a waste of garden space in my own opinion. I'd prefer to grow herbs that are longer lived.