The Complete Illustrated Guide to Chinese Medicine: A Comprehensive System for Health and Fitness (Paperback)

by Tom Williams (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
The Complete Illustrated Guide to Chinese Medicine is a fine prescription for those tired of the bureaucracy or the ineffectiveness of Western medicine. It's also a good resource for those who are just interested in exploring ways to improve their general health. Replete with hundreds of color photographs that lucidly introduce and explain the arts of acupuncture, meditation, acupressure massage, and herbalism, the book includes fitness programs such as qigong and taiji, which help to unblock Qi (pronounced "chee"), the body's life force. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) focuses on Qi and maintains that imbalances of Qi cause illness. The Complete Illustrated Guide shows the meridians, or energy fields, that determine the placement of acupuncture needles to stimulate the Qi. It also explains shen the mental aspect of the body; jing, the constitution; and zangfu, the organ systems. Numerous case studies show how traditional Chinese medical techniques have been used to diagnose and treat patients with various complaints, including heartburn, PMS, and exhaustion. Overall, this is a solid, beautifully organized resource for the family that you'll turn to again and again.

From Library Journal
Beautifully illustrated, this is not a how-to guide but an excellent manual that explains the basic concepts and principles of Chinese medicine and its practical applications. Besides discussing acupuncture, meditation, acupressure massage, and herbalism, the text also covers fitness programs such as qigong. Helpful for readers trying to decide whether Chinese medicine is worth exploring.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Element Books Ltd.; 1 edition (March 4, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1852309040
• ISBN-13: 978-1852309046
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #259,079 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars lfoote, August 5, 2000

By	Leslie Arden Foote (usa) - See all my reviews

This book was loaned to me by a fellow physician and I had a hard time giving it back. It's a great resource for information that covers a little of everything in Chinese Medicine. I practice acupuncture and have found much of the information useful for preparing lectures, not only for the general public, but for other physicians as well. It's a versatile book good not only for it's comprehensive content, but also as a coffee table book as the illustrations are great. Would heartily recommend it to anyone interested in understanding the vast offerings of Chinese Medicine.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ancient tradition, many modalities, July 27, 2004

By	Pieter "Toypom" (Johannesburg) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

Over 3000 years old, Chinese medicine is based on the Taoist holistic vision of balancing all the body harmonies. This book is a lavishly illustrated and complete guide to every aspects of this tradition. It is not a self-help book, but a guide explaining the concepts and principles and providing a detailed description of certain therapeutic exercises that everyone can use to optimise health.

Part One explores the theories behind the medicine, including basic principles like Yi and Yang, the basic substances like Qi and energy flow, the meridian system, the zangfu system and the causes of disharmony.

Part Two considers the Chinese approach to diagnosis, including diagnostic techniques like looking, hearing, questioning and touching, and includes an overview of the patterns of disharmony.

Part Three deals with Chinese approaches to treatment, including the principles of treatment and diagnosis and specific modalities like acupuncture, herbalism, qigong and lifestyle factors such as exercise, diet and feng shui.

The Further Reading section consists of bibliographies under headings like general, herbal, diet and others. A list of useful addresses in various countries is supplied and the At-A-Glance Directory is an illustrative index to finding treatments. The book concludes with a glossary and index and contains full colour illustrations and photographs.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good introduction to Traditional Chinese Medicine, March 8, 2000

By A Customer

As a physician who is studying and doing acupuncture, I find this a good basic introduction to Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is heavily illustrated, which helps the reader to understand some very difficult concepts, which are alien to the Western mind, especially for medical personnel. I can highly recommend it for someone who is interested in becoming familiar with Acupuncture and other Traditional Chinese Medicine.