Certainly informative in regard to what TCM stands for today - from a historical development angle - but a little unsettling when I have been looking for 1) a reliable book on the methodology, and 2) some answers to medical conundrums. It seems like his analysis leads one to believe that ALL medicine is a work in progress, and that the psychological factor is as important in healing as the purely physical response to medical effort. If any one person or tradition had truly uncovered the medicine that gets the patient what he/she wants every time (a fountain of youth, basically) we would all surely know about it. A lot of interesting thoughts in this book to mull over. One reason TCM philosophy in general appeals to me is the concept of the interrelatedness of all phenomenon. It seems like this is largely missing in western analytical sciences.
Fascinating overview of the history and current state of Chinese TCM. He’s clearly done a ton of research and the information in this book points out a lot of reasons to be skeptical about what’s advertised as TCM all over the internet. This feels like an important read for anyone planning to use TCM to treat any illnesses.
Very informative if you only want to know the historical or sociological background of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). This isn't a book on its methodology, but it does explain the different kinds of practices in China and its influence in the West.
A brief history of Chinese Medicine. I found the Chinese words and translations very interesting. It is a quick easy read if you like history and understanding the background of Chinese heritage.
This was not what I thought it would be. I wanted actual recipes, the good and the bad. Instead, this book is about the life history summary from start to present.