A valuable reference for physicians and other health professionals with an interest in...acupuncture and its basic theory...should also become a required text for acupuncture students...well-referenced...unique and well suited for learning. —Doody's Book Review
"The colorful illustrations and diagrams and clear photographs caught my attention. The appealing layout throughout makes it an ideal quick reference for locating acupuncture points or reviewing basic TCM theory. For easier learning the major points are grouped by topographical area, again with clear anatomical illustrations. A CD-ROM that makes an excellent quick reference tool with similar photographs and anatomical illustrations of point location accompanies [the book]. The section on diagnosis and treatment of interal disease provides useful treatment strategies, with point selection, combinations and needling methods...Its strength lies in its presentation, with large color diagrams, logical tables and flow charts...appealing for its logical and well-illustrated overview of TCM theory and pattern differentiation."—The Lantern: A Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Reviewer: Robert E Burke, MSN, MPS, BSN (Pace University)
Description: This book provides practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), physicians, and other health professionals with an overview of the theory, practice, and application of acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. The authors do this by combining the principles of TCM with Western medical acupuncture and offer the reader numerous illustrations, diagrams, tables, algorithms and an accompanying CD-ROM to complement the text.
Purpose: The authors state that this book was designed to create quality standards in acupuncture education. They use the visual didactic processing system (VISDAC), purported to be a successful educational tool in Germany, to provide the reader with a quick, reliable and efficient way of learning about acupuncture and the basic principles of Chinese Medicine. These realistic objectives are achieved.
Audience: This book was written for those who practice Traditional Chinese Medicine and for anyone studying for certification. It is also a valuable reference for physicians and other health professionals with an interest in learning more about acupuncture and its basic theory. The authors, Drs. Hecker, Peuker, Steveling and Kastner, are all experts in the profession, each having different levels of experience. Their credibility is demonstrated in their private practice and their professional commitment to the advancement of acupuncture through education and research.
Features: The book covers the standards of any good acupuncture reference. It reviews the basics of theory, point location, and indications for each point. Each section is extensively illustrated, providing the reader with excellent visual detail for anatomical reference. There is a nice review of TCM theory in the second half of the book that includes a wonderful review of the mind-body relationships of the organ networks according to TCM. This section also includes many detailed diagrams and tables to facilitate learning and understanding of these concepts. There are several unique features. One is the organization of material in the "Channel" chapters. The authors provide a summary at the beginning and end of each of these chapters that facilitates learning by gently introducing the material in the beginning and tying it together at the end. The content of these sections offers detailed anatomical and TCM physiological information about the important points first, before reviewing the other less commonly used points on the channel. Also unique are the little blue boxes interspersed in these chapters that highlight important concepts. I appreciated the chapters about the scientific aspects of acupuncture, the review of cupping with color photographs demonstrating its proper technique, the chapter on potential side effects and accidental damage that can be induced with improper acupuncture technique and the accompanying CD-ROM. As the reference guide that it is meant to be, the book has very few shortcomings. The content areas that I would like to see in a second edition include a more detailed review of channel theory, specifically the Tendinomuscular and Extraordinary Channels, and an overview of Painful Obstruction (Bi) Syndromes. Adding more depth to channel theory and introducing the reader to Bi Syndromes will offer more detail on how things are connected in TCM and will serve as a bridge to advanced study and practice within the profession.
Assessment: This is a valuable reference for acupuncture professionals and should become a required text for acupuncture students. The book is well referenced and the organization of material is unique and well suited for learning. The information in this book is consistent with three other acupuncture books: Deadman et al., A Manual of Acupuncture (Journal of Chinese Medicine Publications, 1998); Xinnong, Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion, 4th edition (Foreign Languages Press, 1996); and Stux et al., Basics of Acupuncture, 5th edition (Springer, 2003). Readers also interested in learning more about channel theory should consider Navigating the Channels of Traditional Chinese Medicine, by Ni (Oriental Medicine Center, 1996), to complement this book.
