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The Web That Has No Weaver : Understanding Chinese Medicine [Paperback]

Ted Kaptchuk (Author)

4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (46 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Completely and thoroughly revised, The Web That Has No Weaver is the classic, comprehensive guide on the theory and practice of Chinese medicine. This accessible and invaluable resource has earned its place as the foremost authority in the synthesizing of Western and Eastern healing practices.

About the Author

Ted J. Kaptchuk, O.M.D., is associate director of the Center for Alternative Medicine Research and Education at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Product Details

Paperback: 464 pages
Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 2 edition (April 11, 2000)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0809228408
ISBN-13: 978-0809228409
Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (46 customer reviews)

Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #8,619 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
#3 in Books > Health, Mind & Body > Alternative Medicine > Chinese Medicine

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Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
East Asian medicine has made a dramatic and unlikely migration. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
deficient yang, kidney essence, yin organs, liver meridian, excess yin, empty fire, yin signs, lung meridian, kidney meridian, excess fire, stomach meridian, greasy tongue moss, greasy moss, tongue material, fundamental textures, empty pulse, clinical landscape, reddish tongue, thin pulse, jing states, floating pulse, slippery pulse, acupuncture analgesia, normal tongue, nese medicine

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Deficient Yin, Nei Jing, Ling Shu, East Asian, Deficient Blood, Pernicious Influence, Triple Burner, Congealed Blood, New York, Shanghai Institute, Eight Principal Patterns, Gall Bladder, The Patterns of the Human Landscape, Four Examinations, Non-Corporeal Soul, Tao-te Ching, Liver Fire, Yang Organs, The Yin Will, Judith Farquhar, Large Intestine, Zhejiang Committee, Chinese Philosophy, Excess Yang, Churchill Livingstone

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 100 books:

Chinese Medicine: The Web That Has No Weaver by Ted J. Kaptchuk on 11 pages
Chinese Medicine by Manfred Porkert on 6 pages
Chinese Medicine by Paul U. Unschuld on 5 pages
Science and Civilization in China by Joseph Needham on 5 pages
The Web That Has No Weaver: Understanding Chinese Medicine by Ted J. Kaptchuk on 4 pages

See all 100 books this book cites

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	85% buy the item featured on this page: The Web That Has No Weaver : Understanding Chinese Medicine by Ted Kaptchuk Paperback 4.4 out of 5 stars (46) $14.93
	7% buy Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine by Harriet Beinfield Paperback 4.2 out of 5 stars (30) $12.24
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	3% buy The Complete Illustrated Guide to Chinese Medicine: A Comprehensive System for Health and Fitness by Tom Williams Paperback 4.8 out of 5 stars (9)

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Customer Reviews

46 Reviews

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

Average Customer Review

4.4 out of 5 stars (46 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

96 of 100 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Acupuncture 101, April 14, 2001

By	"anderdog" (Camp Hill, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Web That Has No Weaver : Understanding Chinese Medicine (Paperback)

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the theory and philosophy behind traditional Chinese medicine. The average lay person may find more information here than they need at first but better that than a dumbed-down, less comprehensive book which will leave them nothing to turn to if/when they eventually decide they want more information. And unlike some Chinese medical books where 'facts' are produced seemingly from thin air, each of Kaptchuk's chapters is followed by an extensive section of notes/references.

The Web was one of the first books on Chinese medicine published in English for the layman and despite its limitations, I feel it is still one of the best. I am a practicing acupuncturist/herbalist and I recommend this book to my patients. It isn't perfect - sometimes there's too much detail, the illustrations could be clearer, could have included more info about herbs, etc. But to Kaptchuk's credit, some sections of this book are written with a beautiful simplicity unmatched by anything I've seen written since, e.g. when he compares the way Chinese painters represented the natural elements in their landscapes to the "poetic logic" a Chinese physician employs when evaluating a patient. It is no small task to sum up traditional Chinese medicine in a single volume but Kaptchuk has done an admirable job.

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304 of 329 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Classic?, August 19, 2000

By	Phylis Wheeler, LAc (Granada Hills, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Web That Has No Weaver : Understanding Chinese Medicine (Paperback)

This book is considered required reading for every acupuncture student and is often recommended for patients who are interested in learning more about the medicine. I find it too difficult for the layman. and the text becomes laborious. Exploring the wonders of Chinese medicine should be exciting and enjoyable. There are many books which fulfill this with excellent illustrations. As students we found the book less than helpful and few ever finished reading this tome. As a practitioner, it sits on my shelf, but I have never referred to it.

My recommendations for the beginner in these studies are:

1. The Complete Illustrated Guide to Chinese Medicine by Tom Williams

Great pictures, easy to read. Have it my waiting room. Most read by my patients (next to the Chinese astrology books).

2. The Chinese Way to Healing: Many Paths to Wholeness by Mischa Cohen, LAc

Mischa presents the medicine clearly and has easy to follow suggestions for self care.

3. Healing With Whole Foods, Oriental Traditions and Modern Nutrition by Paul Pitcford

Integrates Oriental and Western nutritional knowledge. Excellent resource for layperson and practitioner alike.

4. ANYTHING by Giovanni Maciocia or Dan Bensky

5. A Manual of Acupuncture by Peter Deadman and Mazin Al-Khafaji

As a professor of acupuncture, I have found this textbook to be one of the best attempts to integrate all of the translated material and organize it into a very readable reference. Excellent, invaluable resource for students and practitioners alike.

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60 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for the student of acupuncture, September 2, 1998

By	Brian Paige (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The web that has no weaver: Understanding Chinese medicine (Hardcover)

This book is a very good treatment of the subject of acupuncture, and its associated methods of diagnosis and pattern recognition. Herbology is not discussed. Having finished the book, one will at least have an understanding of what one's acupuncturist is talking about, and may be able to take steps to better one's health. The meridians are described in basic detail, with interior and exterior branches discussed. Points and their properties are not discussed. Overall, a very good and basic description of acupuncture and its methods.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars The Web that has no Weaver
This book is very interesting if you are interested in Chinese Medicine. You can get a very strong idea of how Chinese approach medicine from the idea of the whole organism in... Read more

Published 2 days ago by Doris R. Wimber

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent tool for understanding chinese medicine
An acupuncturist recommended this book to me as a way to get a better handle on Chinese medicine. I am not a professional, but found this book fairly easy to understand as well... Read more

Published 5 days ago by Andrea E. Lane

4.0 out of 5 stars This is the best chinese medicine book for laypeople...
that I know of but as always please let me know if you know something better.

The best spirit of chinese medicine will all help us break free from the bad... Read more

Published 7 months ago by Jeffrey E. Geltman

4.0 out of 5 stars part of the basic reading
I think this book is a good starter when you want to know more about Chinese medicine. I like all the history part, and the way the meridians are presented. Read more

Published 8 months ago by Jazz Girl

5.0 out of 5 stars Understand Acupuncture in easy language
This classic helps lay readers understand the basic TCM concepts in easy terms. A must for all acupuncture students. Read more

Published 8 months ago by K. Albertson

5.0 out of 5 stars The Web That has no Weaver
One of the best books in TCM, very necessary for a beginner in studying acupuncture.

Published 8 months ago by Hogea L�karpraktik Ab

5.0 out of 5 stars Love this book!
Very thorough book on chinese medicine and I am still going over it.

Highly recomended!

Published 10 months ago by Stephen Godjas

5.0 out of 5 stars Chinese Medicine
I bought this book when I was looking into going to acupuncture school. It is a very intense, in depth book. However, it has a ton of information. Read more

Published 11 months ago by Katie Everett

5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinary.
The Web That Has No Weaver : Understanding Chinese Medicine
Provides an extraordinary and insightful understanding of Chinese Medicine.

Published 16 months ago by D. Wiley

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent beginning for Oriental Medicine
I realize enthusiasm among reviewers for this text varies greatly. In the absence of identifying specific flaws, what we write may say more about us at the moment of our reading,... Read more

Published 18 months ago by Quadradox

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