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Dao of Chinese Medicine: Understanding an Ancient Healing Art 1st Edition

by Donald Edward Kendall (Author)
4.1 out of 5 stars 15 customer reviews
ISBN-13: 978-0195921045
ISBN-10: 0195921046
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Product Details

  • Hardcover: 370 pages
  • Publisher: Oxford University Press; 1 edition (August 15, 2002)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0195921046
  • ISBN-13: 978-0195921045
  • Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 1.2 x 7.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #217,808 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Top Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsA MAJOR ACHIEVEMENT ...BEYOND EVEN JOSEPH NEEDHAM
By AcuDoc on June 22, 2003
Format: Hardcover
As a Western-trained biochemist and a critical commentator of Chinese Medicine, I read Donald Kendall's book with keen interest. For more than two decades since the rise of popularity of acupuncture in the West, Chinese Medicine has been regarded as any other folklore medicine derived mainly from empirical experience with little scientific basis, despite the fact that it has been practiced for over two thousand years and has long been the only mainstream healthcare system in China until recent century. Even today, this healing art is still practiced as a complementary medicine in China and in overseas Chinese communities.
In recent years, the quest for herbal-based alternative medicine in the West has made Chinese Medicine increasingly appealing not only to the ordinary populace, but also to western medical professionals. This ancient healing art is said to have embraced the environmental, nutritional as well as emotional influence in its etiology and be capable of providing individualized therapies which could only be realized by the future pharmacogenomic approach.
However, to most westerners Chinese Medicine is as mysterious as the Chinese Ancient Civilization it belongs. The reasons could well be that the classical cannons of this healing art are all written in very concise and hard to understand ancient Chinese, and its underlying therapeutic principles are shrouded in the ancient Chinese worldviews of Five Phases and Yin-Yang.Read more ›
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5.0 out of 5 starsA very important book
By Todd Luger on October 25, 2007
Format: Hardcover
Deke Kendall proposes that the contents of the nei jing su wen are largely based upon anatomy. Yet, ironically as I read Deke, I have developed a newfound interest in classical acupuncture. While Deke may be dismissed as a reductionist, I think he is actually a great example of the trend espoused by Zhang xi chun and embodied by Jiao shu de. Maintaining the spirit of CM while integrating with the west. Deke most definitely accomplished that goal. His entire presentation of physiology and anatomy is completely from the perspective of Western Medicine serving Chinese, not vice-versa. He asserts that CM will be proven to be real just as it is written, not by scrapping large parts of the corpus to make it fit science (as the modern chinese did somewhat in their state texts). He believes every word of nei jing and he makes strong cases for pulse diagnosis and classical point selection that never made sense to me before.

Far from reducing CM to prevailing reductionistic ideas, Deke shows that there is different way of understanding the neurovascular system and its role in health and disease and the neijing details that. His model explains all the effects of acupuncture satisfactorily and he attempts to ground his ideas in a reading of the classics. Rather than reducing CM with his model, Deke has actually paved the way for EXPANDING western science to accommodate explanations of phenomena hitherto inconceivable. I think work like Deke's is exactly what leads to a paradigm shift. The structures of normal science are challenged from within and a more expansive model is developed as a result.

Anyone who thinks Deke Kendall's work is the scientization of TCM either:

1. has not read the book

2.Read more ›
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1.0 out of 5 starsThe Dao that can be described is not the real Dao
By K. W. van Kooten on August 2, 2005
Format: Hardcover
As an acupuncturist and MD I am certainly interested in ideas about how acupuncture works. But I do not expect someone to tell me that his view of acupuncture is the 'true way' or therefor all other ideas about acupuncture, including the 'meridian' idea and the 'energy' idea are wrong. And that is exactly what Donald Kendall does.

Acupuncture in its various forms has always been very opportunistic in the good sense of the word: when an idea works it is a good idea (even if it is 'wrong'), if it doesn't work it is not a good idea, (even if is 'right').

So: it is very interesting to read that Chong Mai is in fact the aorta, Ren Mai the vena cava and so on, but this does not help my patients. Abolishing the concept of 'qi' as 'energy' circulating through 'meridians' certainly harms my patients, because in my practice this concept is extremely useful, versatile and elucidating. And so are the 'metaphysical' aspects of Chinese Medicine.

It is certainly possible to research the working mechanisms of acupuncture and the correlations to Western anatomy and physiology while retaining the 'meridian' concept. Outstanding examples of this approach are "Hara diagnosis - reflections on the sea" by Stephen Birch and Kiiko Matsumoto, and "Chasing the Dragons Tail" by Yoshio Manaka, Kazuko Itaya and Stephen Birch. Those are books I do read over and again and still find new insights and am invited to find out my own 'Dao'. I don't expect I will ever read Donald Kendalls book again, although it certainly did help me in finding out why trying to find one-to-one correlations between Chinese and Western medical concepts is not part of my 'Dao'.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

A treasure

Published 12 months ago by Amazon Customer
1.0 out of 5 starsI was expecting the book to give some great new ideas about TCM

I was expecting the book to give some great new ideas about TCM. Boy was I disappointed. Nothing in the book haven't learned already!

Published 20 months ago by Xing Zhang
5.0 out of 5 starsShould be required reading for western acupuncturists

Unfortunately, this is probably one of the most overlooked books about Chinese medicine in the West. It is thought provoking and well documented. Read more

Published on December 10, 2014 by TST
4.0 out of 5 starsVery indepth

I have read over and over but do not feel I got the MEATY info from this book yet. Maybe it's my world right know or maybe it's over my head? it's not though. Read more

Published on October 28, 2013 by Leslie K. Gray
4.0 out of 5 starsLike it

Not finished, but enjoying it. Nice flow to reading. Brings the Neijing alive and meshes it in interesting dance with Western medicine

Published on July 8, 2013 by Beth
4.0 out of 5 starsGood quality

I got the book about a week after the purchase. The book came in really nice condition, almost new. They full filled their promise. Thank you.

Published on December 9, 2011 by Yang
5.0 out of 5 starsExcellent look at the Foundations of Chinese Medicine

I am a student of Chinese Medicine, currently in my second year. This book is a huge achievement. The author is basically trying to make the most accurate translation of some of... Read more

Published on January 10, 2011 by nutmegjamie
5.0 out of 5 starsGreat find

I do a lot of professional reading, and it's great to find what I want, in perfect ..new! condition, and at a phenomenal price. Easy to find, and quickly received. Read more

Published on April 14, 2010 by Lynne Caryl
5.0 out of 5 starsExcellent!

The book arrived in a timely manner and it is excellent! Bought it for a book discussion among acupuncturists and so glad to have it and have read it.

Published on September 20, 2009 by M. Young
5.0 out of 5 starsTHE FUTURE OF INTEGRATED MEDICINE

"Why does anyone care whether Chinese anatomy and physiology are explained as energy flowing through meridians, or by the circulation of blood, nutrients, other vital substances,... Read more

Published on September 18, 2004 by Lionel Chan

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