Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Books

This is a good book for general and basic information about TCM. It lacks details about treatments and diseases, though.

I've had the fortune to study under Master Holland. I'd simply like to assure everyone out there that this is a man who knows what he's talking about! Insightful, well-spoken, and brilliant, you'll definitely want to pick up all of his books! Pick up this little wonder if you're someone worried about your first acupuncture experience, or are a practicioner wanting to offer a bit reassurance to your clients. Worth the buy!!
Check out his school at [...]

This book pulled me in the moment I opened it. It is incredibly easy to read and is a very good introductory guide to Traditional Chinese Medicine. I would recommend it to anyone who is curious about TCM but does not want to read large books on the topic. This book is written without lots jargon or unnecessary details. It is easy to follow and understand.
Read it, you won't regret it, especially if you are a beginner such as myself.

Voices of Qi is a pleasant way to obtain a great deal of TCM information in a short amount of time. Mr. Holland has the skills and talent to present some very new ways of thinking in some very familiar ways of thought. The book bridges the Eastern concepts with the Western mindset and does so with ease. With the rise in public and private interest of acupuncture this book should be read by all. It is one of those books that makes one say, "I wish I could write like that". Also, the book has very beautiful illustrations and design from cover to cover. I highly recommend and suggest this book for everyone, from M.D.s to massage students.

This book is a little gem. It sets out the basis of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the theoretical framework and types of treatment (acupuncture, acupressure, moxibustion, cupping, herbal medicine and Qi gong) in an amazingly easy to understand way. It also includes additional information on the history of TCM, accreditation in the US, and safety aspects. If you want to get to grips with what TCM is all about, but don't want to be bogged down with a tome, this is the book for you.

Master Chia and his wife have a collection of books based on Chinese healing, specifically dealing with massage, Chi energy or both. This book is an easy-to-use guide even for someone without any background knowledge on the subject and provides a good introduction that is brief and easy enough to understand so the healing can start nearly immediately.

Broken into chapters according to anatomy, there are simple drawings showing location and technique accompanied by step-by-step instructions that guide your hands and explanations that detail the benefit. Be aware these are not necessarily 'cures' or immediate fix-its for everything that ails you, but rather a way of healing and prevention to promote overall health. By massaging the body's organs, which work flawlessly for decades without much attention (and we often take for granted), we can expel toxins, help them work more efficiently and bolster our immune system without drugs, side effects or expensive doctor visits.

Also, by empowering ourselves, we take more control of our health and our lives.

I have been looking for the information found in this book for a while. I learned these techniques from a teacher but always wanted something written to refer back to or to share with others. The information and pictures are invaluable and the results are incredible.

This is definitely one of his easiest books to use, since it is mostly just simple directions of where to rub for what purpose, and what to visualize as you do it. One night I'd eaten a 2-day old bean soup and was up for hours with nightmarish gas. Finally I remembered I had this book and sat up, rubbing my eyelids and ears and large intestine just the way he recommended. The gas went away and I was totally rejuvenated. Since then I never question anything he suggests! Also, these massages really help me deal with the effects of air travel.

If you are interested in your own health, this is a great book. It is an easy to understand book om Taoist Chi Self-massage to keep the energy in the internal organs cirkulating. The beginner can use it right away, and there is still some avanced things for the avanced student.

Pierre Maegaard Knudsen
(Massage Therapist)

The Western concept of massage concerns itself with muscle manipulation, but Chi Self-Massage focuses on both internal and sense organs and employs Taoist techniques which until recently have been closely guarded secrets. Master Mantak Chia pieces this system into a logical routine any can duplicate, using methods used by these masters to explore the theory and purposes behind Chi Self-Massage. Spirituality blends with practical application in an easily-followed guide.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Dampness and phlegm are among the most vexing elements in treating patients with Chinese Medicine. This book is the best I have seen in discussing the physiological function of jin and ye fluids, pathogenic damp and phlegm and the organ systems that deal with them.

This is simply the best book in the English language on Chinese herbal medicine. The depth of information goes far beyond anything else available and it is all backed up by the experience of one of the West's premiere practitioners

This book gives you a lot idea of understanding in oriental medicine. It bring to you real taste of classics especially huang di nei jing and nan jing.The majority books of oriental medicine in English don't give us real picture of oriental medicine, but the book does!! One thing I want to wish is when they using pin yin, should be accompained chinese character. Great book!!!!

This book is excellent. For the advanced student or practitioner, this book enlightens the reader on all aspects of Fluid, Jin-ye, Phlegm, Dampness, and their origins. It also discusses herbs in a very interesting and useful way, comparing and contrasting phlegm and damp herbs and their specifics. This is my favorite theory book on my shelf.

This book is excellent. For the advanced student or practitioner, this book enlightens the reader on all aspects of Fluid, Jin-ye, Phlegm, Dampness, and their origins. It also discusses herbs in a very interesting and useful way, comparing and contrasting phlegm and damp herbs and their specifics. This is my favorite theory book on my shelf.

The clinical handbook of internal medicine is a truly useful clinical reference. It contains a wealth of information and clinical tips relevant to the practice of Chinese medicine in the western world. The authors have considered differences in diet and other lifestyle factors between Western and Chinese patients in their analysis of disease presentations and their solutions. The herbal section is comprehensive and has insights into commonly seen clinical variations not considered in other works (to my knowledge). Its compact size makes it easy to carry around and its clear layout makes finding the relevant information easy. Some more information on acupuncture points and protocols would improve it, however, the authors comment that internal medicine is the province of herbal medicine is fair. I can't wait for the second volume (when is it due?).

This is a wonderful guide for students of Chinese Medicine who may need another perspective while learning this art! Very useful, eagerly awaiting the second volume to come.

The information in this book has improved my understanding of the problems patients present with and what I can do about them. It's easy to access and matches what I see in clinic. A great addition to my clinic library and thoroughly recommended.

The clinical handbook of internal medicine is a truly useful clinical reference. It contains a wealth of information and clinical tips relevant to the practice of Chinese medicine in the western world. The authors have considered differences in diet and other lifestyle factors between Western and Chinese patients in their analysis of disease presentations and their solutions. The herbal section is comprehensive and has insights into commonly seen clinical variations not considered in other works (to my knowledge). Its compact size makes it easy to carry around and its clear layout makes finding the relevant information easy. Some more information on acupuncture points and protocols would improve it, however, the authors comment that internal medicine is the province of herbal medicine is fair. I can't wait for the second volume (when is it due?).

Absolutely fabulous! The best glossy photos of diagnostic tongues I've seen! Excellent case studies, too. Bravo! This book will be a treasure in my professional library.

This is an excellent book for anyone interested in Chinese tongue diagnosis. The book is divided into sections according to pattern (Kidney disharmonies, Stomach and Spleen disharmonies, etc). Each section contains approximately 30 full-color, well-photographed tongues representing the pattern. This makes it easy to see the range of tongue signs for each pattern. Also, the description of the tongue, the patient's symptoms, Western diagnosis and Chinese diagnosis are printed next to the photo of the tongue for easy reference. (You don't have to flip back and forth between the text pages and the color plates, as in Maciocia's Tongue Diagnosis in Chinese Medicine.) This book isn't cheap, but the quality of the photographs and the clear description of the tongues makes it a very worthwile investment.

As a medical professional, I have an interest in what works to bring health to the system. At times, alternative medicines when appropriately applied, in the hands of the right people, ones trained in health care and disease, can offer stimulating results. But the question of how to obtain reliable material to diagnose and treat a disease remains a current issue. This book helps bridge the gap between Chinese diagnostics and the Western approach to disease. Atlas of Chinese Tongue Diagnosis provides visual illustrations of various ailments, mapped outwardly on the tongue, and includes written descriptions and symptoms. When applicable, it correlates the topography of the tongue to Western disease. However, the book is not all inclusive. It lacks treatment. I would suggest a companion, Radiant Health by Ron Teeguarden. Teeguarden's work covers portions of the ancient Chinese art of health and offers a treatment program designed to correct deficencies and disturbances in Qi. The two together provide a reliable source for a medical professional to understand and apply the basics in Chinese medicine. I highly rate this book when accompanied with Teeguarden's.

This is another outstanding book by Dr. Leon Hammer. This book continues with many of the psycho-medical and five element themes Hammer used in his first book Dragon Rises - Red Bird Flies. This text is easy to read. The concepts are easy to follow. The writing is comprehensive and fairly ties many schools of thought and other predominant TCM texts together. This book is good for practitioners of all skill levels and schools of thought. This is a must read for any serious TCM practitioner!

I was looking for a book that can teach me the secrets of pulse diagnosis but the problem was the terminology. I went to seek help from aryvedic practioners but could not comprehend. "Chinese Pulse Diagnosis" is a readable and highly informative approach on the subject. Pulse diagnosis is a difficult art to master and more difficult is its teaching. Leon I. Hammer has used the latest method of teaching for this ancient art which I hope will give a new life to art. I understood many things of the art for the first time though I read them in many other books before.

Having taken the basic level of instruction in this type of pulse diagnosis, I have to say that even with support, the very comprehensive nature of this massive tome is challenging. On the other hand, what Dr. Hammer is intending to do is to clarify and perhaps enlarge a particular method of pulse diagnosis. It is a refreshing change from what to my thinking is an endless rehash of quotes from Classic volumes translated from Chinese, or rewrites of same. Li Shi Zhen's work notwithstanding, we need more people to bring this type of material forward if pulse diagnosis is to be promoted fully here in the west. Dr. Hammer has tried mightily to be specific and describe both the pulse qualities and their implications from both his and his teacher Dr. Shen's point of view. Anyone wishing to see a more complete (if frighteningly detailed) discussion of pulse diagnosis should at the very least read and give some serious thought to what's presented by Dr. Hammer here, even if they are skeptical about the approach. This book should taken seriously by all English speaking Chinese medicine practitioners, whether they ultimately agree with it or not. It has that much to say. I myself am still trying to get a handle on the initial material. The book has few competitors in english in terms of detail and possible clinical benefits for the reader. What I have already got from it has changed my practice.

This simplifies the understanding of the meridian channels like no other book has. Used it daily with my studies.

Easy to read, no hard to understand terminology. Exactly what the instructor/school requires.

I am an avid amateur student of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Because I do only independent study, I find this book a little bit terse for my needs. The material of this book is very complete, and it is presented in the most useful possible form for reference and review. Almost all the information is put into self-explanatory tables that essentially anyone could follow. The organization is so perfect that nothing could possibly be any better. It is like the ultimate set of class notes from a very good course on diagnosis. However, if you don't HAVE a course to go to and if you don't HAVE a teacher to enlarge a little bit on the content, you will probably need a bigger, wordier text (like Tie-Tao Deng's text) to go with this one. Still, the organization is so exceptional that this book has to be of considerable value to any student of TCM. (If you are already a master, you don't need any book, do you?)

This book is genuinely eye-opening. It is an advanced text focusing on five-phase acupuncture models. It discusses various phase types, and also utilizes case studies to clarify his perspective. It is highly psycho-emotionally oriented, and therefore useful to add to the more standard library of acupuncturists. Along with Jeremy Ross' book, I use this book most frequently.

There are other books out there, but few that have an easy to read format for both students and patients. This is a must read for anyone who desires to learn and understand Five Element Chinese Acupuncture. Lonny is great to hear in lecture but much better in his writing style.

Lonny Jarrett is one of the few authors who provides a complete analysis of the five elements that can be applied to everyday practice. I found as I read his book, which I did several times, various patients came to mind (others were not so clear...). Patients also related to the descriptions of the five elements as it affected their lives. The approach provided me with the extra information I needed to better treat an energy imbalance, rather than symptoms alone. The way Lonny combines the things we learn, the way we interpret the world, and the make up we bring to it, was practical and applicable. He seems to be more from the Worsley school with its emphasis on the psychological rather than the cosmological school. If more books like Lonny's come to print, I believe Western Chinese Medicine will really have come of age.

It is known fact that the best way to deepen ones understanding of Chinese medicine is by reviewing case studies. As a beginner practitioner, who has finished schooled more than a year and a half, this book was just what I was looking for.
What I like about the book is that is follows you through from the patient's presentation, to the underlying theory of the case, emphasizing the pathogeneses rather than just the pattern diagnosis which is what I find in most other TCM books. This I believe gives a practitioner a better understanding of the pathology as a dynamic process rather that a fixed imbalance.
Another refreshing aspect is that the treatments presented in most cases are combination of acupuncture with herbal formula. The authors explain why they chose each point and sometimes how the points were needled in order to maximize the therapeutic effect. When a herbal formula are used, the authors usually present the basic underlying formula and then explains how it was modified to tailor it to the patients needs.
Another nice feature is that the book introduces advanced concepts which do not appear in basic TCM books. For example it presents a complicated case in which a patient was to weak for herbal tonification, and it explains how to deal with such a case. Another chapter deals with "Constraint Disorders" which most TCM books do not address, but I think are quite common in a Western clinic.
I can go on and on praising the book, but I will just summarize that if you wish to hone you diagnosis and treatment skills, you will not be disappointed.

It is a great book, contains dozens of case staudies related to the different organs.
Each CS has comprehensive explanation, also general explanation of the organ related.
It seems like a very good book for whom that wants to etends his/her knowledge in 'Chinese Pathology' more than the classic course - 'Syndromes'.

The most comprehensive TCM book for any level. Concise and clear explanations with understandable flow charts. You really understand why and how the protocol was created. A book anyone can read and learn from.

TAKING THE PULSE IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT WAYS OF MAKING A TCM DIAGNOSIS.BUT THE SKILL IS VERY DIFFICULT TO LEARN;THE ONLY WAY TO LEARN IT IS THROUGH PRACTICE. DOCTORS USED TO TAKE THE PULSE MORE OFTEN THAN WE DO NOW.AS WELL AS THE ARTERIES AT THE WRISTS,THEY USED TO CHECK THE PULSES ON THE HEAD,LEGS AND SOME OTHERS PARTS OF THE BODY.THE METHOD OF PULSE TAKING HAS BEEN SIMPLIFIED SINCE THE FIRST BOOK ON THE SUBJECT(MAI JIG - THE CLASSIC BOOK ON PULSE TAKING)WAS PUBLISHED ABOUT 1,600 YEARS AGO.THE AUTHOR,D.WANG SHU-HE,WAS THE FIRST TO RECOMMEND THE NEW METHOD OF PULSE TAKING:DU QU CUEN KOU(ONLY CHECK THE PULSES AT THE WRIST). THIS BOOK IS DIVIDED INTO TEN BOOKS,A LOT OF TIME AND WORK WAS NEEDED TO TRANSLATE THIS BOOK.IT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE IN YOUR COLLECTION IF YOU ARE REALLY INTERESTED IN MAKING DIAGNOSIS.

This is the only English translation available on the Pulse Classic and it is done very well. The many footnotes add richness to one's understanding of the concepts of Chinese medicine. A must for the serious student.

You may well have had a doctor or a nurse take your pulse. They will almost invariably feel for the radial pulse in your wrist just below your thumb.

In traditional Chinese medicine it is said that your do not have just one pulse at each wrist, but three superficial and three deep pulses on each side, that can accurately reflect the condition of the main organ systems of the body. When performed by an expert, pulse diagnosis can be remarkably accurate, though there is little research evidence to support its use. It takes time and personal instruction to learn to do it well.

The Pulse Classic or Mai Jing, was written around the second century A.D. in the late Han Dynasty. It is the oldest surviving book devoted entirely to the art of pulse diagnosis and is considered to be essential reading for anyone interested in understanding the rationale for and methods of reading the pulse.

As good as this book is, it is not a beginner's text. I strongly recommend starting with the excellent "Secret of Pulse Diagnosis" by Bob Flaws or Giovanni Maciocia's masterful "Diagnosis in Chinese Medicine: A Comprehensive Guide."

This book is an absolute goldmine for anyone wanting to master this skill. You will need a teacher to complete your training, but if you are equipped with the information in this book, your training will proceed by leaps and bounds.