Customer Reviews

Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is the most involved and lucid explanation of the Five Phases that I have found. I refer many of my patients to this book when they come for their initial session. It has numerous drawings, charts and graphs to support the written text. The Five Phase Theory, as presented in this book, can assist practicing acupunturists or students of Oriental Medicine in deepening their understanding of how to successfully handle the myriad problems and dis-eases presented by their patients. In my 25 years of practice I found extremely few books so well written and organized for everyday use and review.

What a great book...If I had to be marooned on a desert island, etc., etc., with just one book on acupuncture, helpful for understanding the human condition, this would be the book, and there isn't even a close second that comes to mind. The authors were **the** people who brought an understanding of Chinese medicine to the U.S. in the 1970s, and this book is a heroic attempt to educate us and interest us at the same time with what they had found. It's hard to tell whether they're classic five element practitioners (I've heard differing points of view on this) but they do a FABULOUS job on breaking down what's involved with that unique, and very hard to find out about, form of acupuncture. Although practitioners will say that they can only figure out your type from actually diagnosing you in person, I found that when I put my husband and me through the written "tests" in the book, very comprehensive, we actually came out ahead: and figured out "what" we were, 1.5 years ahead of the acupuncturist so doing. That gave me even more confidence in the book. Not to mention, reading and thinking about what the test revealed about us HUGELY promoted our understanding of ourselves and each other, and made for a fun adjunct to a vacation weekend. This is a great book, and I find myself referring to it again and again, though I've also read--and own--many of the other now classic books in the field. Simple enough for a lay reader, but definitely able to communicate the elegance of the practice. Go authors! :-)

This book has been a valuable resource to me as a person seeking healing through various alternative medicines. While I found Chinese Medicine helpful I didn't understand why, and I now feel as though I can take an active roll in discussions with my provider about various treatments. I do not have a long attention span when it comes to dry manuals, but this book was written to be understood and will hold your interest. The only part of the book I found lacking was the index. As I tried to put together a 'treatment plan' for myself, I had difficulty finding specific topics/herbs again.

This book gives a good foundation for understanding how the Chinese five elements theory is used in clinical practice. The description of five-element theory is very poetically written, so the book is fun to read. There is also a good introduction to acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. The chapters on acupuncture and herbal medicine are fairly technical, so if you don't have much interest in these areas, you may find the sections boring.

The main problem with the book is it's over-emphasis on the Five Elements. From what I understand, the Chinese five element theory is not regarded as important to diagnosis and treatment in TCM as the theory of yin/yang and chi (in fact, the validity of the theory is still hotly debated in China today) so its treatment here may be a bit over-emphasized.

In the first glance I couldn't get the idea of information contained in this book but after spending few minutes on the contents I decided to purchase it. It doesn't not give you all the details you need yet it is one of the best introductions on chinese medicine one can have. It stirs up the interest for the further studies and itself could be one of a good reference books. Even those who read books for fun would enjoy reading it. The diagrams and the expression absorbs you in.

For anyone looking for a basic, easy to understand introduction to the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine, I can highly recommend this book. It focuses mainly of the five element theory of TCM, and it manages to explain a very complex concept in clear terms. It has nice self-test chapters to help the reader figure out their own predominant elements, and also offers good advice on simple herbal supplements and dietary advise based on the patterns.

However, it is very basic. If you are looking for more in-depth information on Traditional Chinese Medicine, or if you already have a basic understanding of the five elements, The Web that Has No Weaver is probably a better book to read, since it explains not only the five elements, but also the organ networks and their associated functions and spirits in much more depth.

I usually recommend Between Heaven and Earth to people who want to gain a basic understanding and introduction into the Chinese Taoist Philosophy that is the basis of Traditional Chinese Medicine. I think it is a great introductory text, and will make subsequent, more complexly written books much easier to understand.

I have read a lot of books about how the universe works but this one also tells us how to live in it. This book shifts our view of medicine, providing a how-to guide for self-awareness that includes both body and mind. It is an owner's manual for our everyday lives as well as a great introduction to Chinese medicine that is well written and easy to read.

I recommend this book to all of my clients! With so much focus being placed on alternative therapies in health care, it staggers me that so much of the general public still thinks that acupuncture is for idiots acting as a human pincushion. While it is far from an instruction manual (which was never its intent), Between Heaven and Earth gives laypeople a simplified and elegant explanation of an ancient science. If you're looking for a definitive education in TCM, go to a university and get a degree. If you want an introduction to wellness through Chinese Medicine, read this book.

I must first admit my bias: I seek to write a better intro to Chinese medicine than this, or the Web that has No Weaver...

This book talks only about "5 Phase" Chinese medicine- this is only one school of thought in Chinese medicine, and most acupuncturists don't practice it to the degree that you find described in this book.

Most acupuncturists and Chinese herbalists practice TCM, or some variation of it. There are many acupuncture styles (I mean Japanese, Korean, Tong, etc.), and herbal medicine is based on organ-system pattern diagnosis... you'll find none of that in this book.

What is in this book is good and interesting, and perhaps an ok intro to Chinese medicine, but please remember there is much much more to even getting acquainted with Chinese medicine. "The Web..." is much too philosophical and scholarly for more readers. The danger there is that no one will read the whole thing.

The danger with "Between..." is that readers will misunderstand the breadth and variation within Chinese medicine and be confused when they visit an acupuncturist who does not practice 5 phase style.

I read this book and used it as a reference in acupuncture school. I highly recommend it to everyone, including my patients.

It gives you a basic understanding of how the organs are viewed in Chinese medicine.

For example, the heart is affected by all emotions. Thus, if you experience extreme emotions for an extended period of time, you can develop a heart Qi (energy) deficiency. This would cause insomnia, palpitations and fatigue. This can be cured with acupuncture and herbs.

If you have too much stress, your liver energy becomes stagnant, or stuck. This causes you to be even more stressed with each added stressor. Chinese medicine can fix that.

Fear affects the kidneys. Have you ever noticed how often you have to go to the bathroom when you go to the dentist? :) Your kidneys become weak and can't control your bladder.

Chinese medicine treats the root of your health issues. Your symptoms will go away once you address the underlying problems.