The Complete Illustrated Guide to Chinese Medicine

I’m an acupuncturist and I found this book in a used bookstore and got a copy for my waiting room. It has lots of lovely pictures and is a good entry level reference!

My partner is a Chinese Medicine Acupuncturist and Herbalist. Her basic education took 5 years to complete. Five years later, she still takes many supplementary courses each year to continue her education. Most of her free time is spend with distance learning courses or reaching herbs. Chinese Medicine is vast and deep. A 5 year basic study is not nearly enough time to understand this medicine. In Chinese Medicine, they say even a lifetime is not long enough to understand this medicine. Thankfully for the lay person we have this book!I personally own 2 copies of this book. One I have at home, the other is in our Chinese Medicine office. Many of our patients have purchased their own copy of this book after reading our office copy.The Complete Illustrated Guide to Chinese Medicine is the best book that I have read to understand what my partner practices. I have read other books, like The Web That Has No Weaver : Understanding Chinese Medicineand Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine, although highly recommended, these 2 books are much more technical and can be overwhelming at times (especially The Web 2nd edition). After reading The Complete Illustrated Guide, if you want to learn more then these other two books are worth a read. Far and away the best dietary book on Chinese Medicine is Bob Flaw's The Tao of Healthy Eating: Dietary Wisdom According to Traditional Chinese Medicine. Also, The Book of Jook: Chinese Medicinal Porridges--A Healthy Alternative to the Typical Western Breakfast by Bob Flaws is a good helpful for breakfast food and as a total diet longevity practice (similar to Kitchari in Ayurveda).The Complete Illustrated Guide to Chinese Medicine provides a complete overview of all of the modalities included under the largre umbrella of Chinese Medicine. You'll learn about the medicine theory, diagnosis, energetic "anatomy", acupuncture, herbal medicine, diet, exercise, qi gong, tai chi, meditation, and lifestyle theory.The section on diet is lacking, in my opinion, however the author does state that information on diet could fill an entire book itself - which is definitely true. Read The Tao of Healthy Eating: Dietary Wisdom According to Traditional Chinese Medicine for proper Chinese Medicine dietary knowledge.The sections on Qi Gong and Tai Chi are great for a general book. You'll be taught a basic sequence in each. For additional learning, Mantak Chia's books and DVDs are some of the most complete spiritual-style Qi Gong practices practices. Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming has created some of the best martial arts style Qi Gong and Tai Chi books and DVDs.The theory and science sections make up the majority of this book, providing an excellent introduction with much knowledge and no fluff. Someone interesting in attending TCM school would greatly benefit by reading this book first. You'll understand what TCM is and have good preparation for the conceptual basis of Chinese Medicine.The entire book is filled with pictures to support the information. A picture is worth 1,000 words and many times it is only through pictures that proper understanding can be attained (like meridians, tongue diagnosis, etc). The book is very well organized with section titles and concise paragraphs with subtitles. It is clear that the authors spent much time and calculation to create this book.Personally, I can't think of anything missing from this book. Although I would have liked to see another 2-4 pages on dietary theory and practice, it is not strong enough of a complaint to remove a star from my rating. This book is 5 stars all the way!Additional note:It is important to remember that Chinese Medicine is a medicine and should only be practiced by a trained professional. There is a lot that a person can do to improve health and grow spiritually without the help of a Chinese Medicine practitioner/doctor - like diet, exercise, meditation, qi gong, yoga, etc. However when it comes to deeper knowledge and practices like Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine, these are best left to the professionals. My partner is a professional Chinese Medicine Acupuncturist and Herbalist. It is common that people come into her office who are worse off after having self-treated using herbal knowledge from books, magazines, and newscasts. Taking herbs for symptom relief is not anywhere close to the Chinese Medicine herbal understanding. If you are suffering from health problems, please see a professional.After it's complete, an education in Chinese Medicine is a 5 year Ph.D. program (including both Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine). This is an entire year longer than Western Medicine. This is not to say that Chinese Medicine is superior, but rather that both studies are long and difficult. Chinese Medicine should not be looked at to be inferior to modern Western medicine. Rather both are complete forms of medicine and require much more understanding than can be gained by a single text book.The Complete Illustrated Guide to Chinese Medicine is the best place to start to better understand what Chinese Medicine is and how you can live a healthier and happier life.Was my review helpful? Please click "Yes" below.

This Book help you understand your own body, how it works and you learn lots of things about health and fitness thru food that we consumed. I think families should have this book especially if they have children. Its a good book for children to read to understand how their bodies work.

An other good pick!! This book is nice enough for a beginner to get the very first concept of TCM. Definitely a good start.

I love this book

I wanted a book that could give me a guide to Chinese Medicine that would help me understand what it is and how it linked with the things I have picked up in my life. Thank you for the author and producers of this book for going a long way to helping me achieve a basic and fundamental understanding of the subject.There may well be other books on the topic of equal merit, I simply have read few.In Love and Light

This book is great. It is very informative. It is easy to read and understand and has alot of pictures. i would recommend this book for any one wanting to learn about Chinese Medicine.

I bought this book used in good condition and it is exactly that. The book is actually in perfect condition minus the fact the the paper covering the hard binding is a little worn. For the price I can't complain at all, it was a great value! Thanks!

👍👍

Found this book in the university library and at the end of my borrowing time I decided to buy it because it really is a reference book with great attention paid to detail, good photography, excellent lay-out. If you are interested in this topic as a layperson, this book provides a well designed introduction.

Great condition! Great delivery time! So far the book has been very informative. It is written in a very easy way to read and learn about acupuncture.I purchased it because it was on the table at my acupuncturist's office - first time receiving acupuncture.