A Practical Dictionary of Chinese Medicine [Hardcover]

Nigel Wiseman (Author), Ye Feng (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0912111542 | ISBN-13: 978-0912111544 | Publication Date: June 1998 | Edition: 2nd

The only book of its kind in the English language.

Editorial Reviews

Review

...what a great resource for all of us in the Oriental medicine community.a much needed beginning to giving English-speaking practitioners and teachers a common reference base. -- Aron Skrypeck, New Mexico Center for Nursing Therapeutics

I cannot praise this dictionary too highly. It goes beyond defining Chinese Medicine terminology in the West and will surely shape its future as it has defined its past. It belongs on everybody's shelf: the student, the practitioner, the teacher, and the academic. -- Chris Zaslawski, Meeting Point

In developing the ability to read Chinese medical source texts, one's task is made tremendously easier by Wiseman and Ye's new Dictionary. This book is the product of a tremendous effort and is an important contribution to the transmission and understanding of Chinese medical knowledge to the West. -- The Journal of the National Academy of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

Language Notes

Text: English, Chinese

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 945 pages
• Publisher: Paradigm Pubns; 2nd edition (June 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0912111542
• ISBN-13: 978-0912111544
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9 x 2.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #794,593 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sets the standard + addendum comments!, July 14, 2005

By 

Richard M. Caiander "Richard Caiander" (Shelburne Falls, MA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Practical Dictionary of Chinese Medicine (Hardcover)

I received the book, 'The Practical Dictionary of Chinese Medicine' direct from Amazon. I have to say, there's nothing like it in English that I have encountered so far in my studies of Chinese medicine dating back to 1984. Of course, back then, Dan Bensky's book, 'Acupuncture, A Comprehensive Text' was still relatively hot off the press and his herbal series weren't out yet. The 'Essentials of Chinese Acupuncture' was the standard text at most acupuncture schools in the U.S. We've come a long way: clearly, Wiseman's terminological linguistics have made Chinese medical concepts and terms really accessible to the non-Chinese fluent student and practitioner. It's apparent that Wiseman is setting the standard for Chinese medical translations in English for our time. No one even comes close, though I do think that Blue Poppy Press puts out some outstanding books and there are other clinical publications that I have found very useful. All that said: an authoritative and linguistically consistent dictionary is absolutely necessary and I believe that Wiseman's is the one to get! I give this book 5+ stars. Of course, no book can ever have everything but that goes without saying.

June 20 2009 Additional Comments:

As an addendum to my review back in 2005, I was surprised to see a review that gave 'A Practical Dictionary of Chinese Medicine' only ONE star along with some very negative comments. This book is a complete encyclopedia (It's not just a dictionary!) of carefully translated terminology, concepts and treatment protocols rendered into high level English for those of us who haven't tackled the Chinese language. Lucky for us somebody did it! To those who don't want to approach Chinese medicine with technical precision, don't buy it! But if you want to upgrade your understanding of Chinese medicine using a terminology worthy of the breadth and scope of this traditional medicine's capacity, I can think of no other book in English that compares. It's easy to criticize and difficult to create something of value. This work is monumental in scope and I'd seriously suggest taking a hard look at this book before discounting its place in the development of Chinese medicine in the western world. While you're at it, you might want to try to obtain another Nigel Wiseman book, re-published in 2006, English-Chinese Chinese-English Dictionary of Chinese Medicine (really a glossary) ISBN: 7-5357-1656-3 This book may well help you to deal with the vast amount of terminology covered in A Practical Dictionary of Chinese Medicine. The two books are complimentary.

- Richard Caiander, Licensed Acupuncturist, Massachusetts

17 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A New Cornerstone for Chinese Medicine in the West, June 19, 2000

By 

Ken Rose - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Practical Dictionary of Chinese Medicine (Hardcover)

Every so often a book comes into existence that exerts a powerful influence on the zone of life for which it was intended. This new dictionary falls into this category. Since its arrival it has already become a lightning rod for discussion and debate concerning the whole conduct of the translation and therefore the transmission of traditional Chinese medicine into English and English-speaking areas. The authoring of dictionaries is a thankless task. Samuel Johnson, no stranger to this work, noted that mankind tends to consider the writers of dictionaries as the slaves of science. The work of Nigel Wiseman and Feng Ye reflects a deep sense of service to their chosen discipline, but far from being slaves they stand in the vanguard of a liberating force that is developing in Chinese medical studies. We all owe them our thanks for having put so much information between the covers of a single volume that can be used to forward the development of deeper understanding of this complex subject. To illustrate the utility of the book, I just came from a visit to the office of a friend, an MD who practices acupuncture to whom I recommended the dictionary when it was first publised. "Thanks for turning me on to this book," he said, pointing to the Practical Dictionary beside his desk. "I use it every day."

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An absolute must, September 5, 2006

By 

Robert S. Flaws "Bob Flaws" (Boulder, CO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Practical Dictionary of Chinese Medicine (Hardcover)

Serious students of Chinese medicine can essentially learn all of Chinese medicine from this single book. It is the single most important English language book currently available on Chinese medicine, bar none.