A Manual of Acupuncture

Rating:
Summary: The Bible of Acupuncture!!!
Review: At last! This book is not a manual of acupuncture, it is THE manual.

Students of TCM, don't let the price tag intimidate you, and let me assure you that it is worth every penny. This hefty and handsome volume leaves nothing unsaid, and meticulously provides detailed information, plenty of informative quotes from a wealth of classical sources, and is a joy to handle, browse, and read from. Of particular interest and value are the sections which describe the special point groupings, because they not only provide the lists of points which belong to these categories, but also systematized and coherent explanations behind the workings of cleft-xi, yuan-source, luo-connecting, and many other point categories. Also of great value are the commentaries pertaining to each individual point, because they describe relationships and important pointers regarding the workings of each individual point, how their use and indications developed through history, and other tidbits of information which will open new avenues of investigation and application for astute students and practitioners. The commentaries on the points provide not only information, but are written in a lucid prose, the style of which aids memorization and learning of important information.

The point location information is accurate, albeit in a few cases too brief, in my opinion. The illustrations are very detailed and actually useful (unlike in other texts) in locating the points. The notes and cautions on needling of points in sensitive areas are placed where they are readily visible, and provide information on the local anatomy of the point, and what the consequences of inappropriate insertion could be.

There are charts which show major points per anatomical region (which are actually legible and understandable), and indexes aplenty: pinyin and chinese point names, english point names, and a particularly interesting point indications index. There is also a Glossary of the Wisemanese-seeming terminology used by the authors, which although similar to that of A Practical Dictionary, is not exactly the same.

Should you buy this book? ABSOLUTELY!!! You will never need another acupoint book, EVER. There is a companion set of Point cards by the same authors, which uses the same illustrations and a summary of point information based on the contents of the book. One word of advice, though: if it stays standing on the shelf for too long, the pages tend to sag. However, given the amount of use this book has, that's unlikely to happen.

Rating:
Summary: Best Point Atlas in English
Review: Deadman and colleagues should be commended for this major contribution to the English-language literature of Chinese medicine. It does what it does exceedingly well. It does so, in part, because of what it is not.

It should be understood that the Manual is chiefly an atlas and desk reference of acupuncture points and channels, not a classroom textbook or a clinic handbook or a self-study guide per se, though it does list some illustrative combinations with each point. Other books are available that fill the role of textbook better than this one does. This one's audience is the person who already knows something of the foundations and clinical applications of acupuncture.

The manual is not encyclopedic when compared with the larger Chinese-language works of acupuncture, but it does draw on them in a concise and informative way that conveys the character, historic application and contemporary application of each point, using carefully selected information from a wide range of primary sources. Accordingly, it could be viewed more as a work of editorship than of creativity, and in a reference work of this sort, that is exactly what is desired.

It often goes unmentioned, but Deadman is zealous in his ongoing support of his publications. Errata and updates are available, for free, from his web site. The Manual is also available in CD-ROM format, and Deadman has even produced flashcards based on the substance of the Manual.

The illustrations are in fact of excellent quality, some of the best ever in a book of this sort. Pair the illustrations with the detailed treatment of point location and application, great typography, durable construction, and well-chosen excerpts from primary sources ranging from ancient to modern, and you have an acupuncture reference you can use to deepen your knowledge for years to come.

Rating:
Summary: A MUST HAVE BOOK!!!!
Review: Peter Deadman et. al. have really hit the nail on the head with this book. It is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful and functional books of acupuncture points on the market! The drawings illustrating the points are wonderful!!! There is a reason this is a reference for the NCCAOM!

The Manual starts off describing the channels and collaterals, point categories ( luo connecting, xi cleft, eight influential, etc) and does a really nice, concise job of explaining the function of the points. Point selection methods are discussed (local, distal, point combos, cross needling etc.) and then point location and needling (cun measurements, needle angles, depth, surface anatomy, precautions, etc). There is a nice chart of the Meeting Points of the Channels and drawings illustrating the cutaneous regions.

I can't stress how incredible the drawings are...clear, concise, easy to see where the point is in relation to bone, tendons, and/or musculature. The descriptions of the points aren't limited to the usual functions and indications, but delve into the logic behind the uses for points. There are references to classical literature, such as the Spiritual Pivot and Essential Questions, which are used to explain the classical reasoning behind point application.

My favorite of all my dozens of books on acupuncture. If you never buy another book, this one is the last one to get...or the first!

Rating:
Summary: My fave acupuncture book, one of my favorite Paperweights
Review: Really a phenomenal book- the best, most complete, and authoritative book on acupuncture for students and practitioners.

If you're a regular person, though, don't expect to be able to use this info - it's for professionals.

My favorite things about it are the anatomical point location drawings, and the references to Chinese classic acupuncture texts. Since not all of these texts have been translated into English, this is a treasure.

Besides that, it has other uses:

My desk from IKEA isn't too sturdy. The place you put the keyboard has a pad for the butt of your palms (ergonomic, but not really), but that part is attached by hinges (because it's so important to hide the keyboard when you're not using it) and I put a lot of weight there, and today the second of its three hinges broke. It just hung there looking stupid. It seemed to be saying, "See, wasn't it worth it to spend three hours lost in IKEA wandering around looking for the checkout, grunting me into the car, putting me together, then dissembling me and moving me across town to your new house, and reassembling me?"

My wife and I determined that screwing door jam deadbolt lock hole covers across the space would be the ideal engineering solution. But to drill into it, I needed a solid surface beneath it. I placed atop my chair seat a hefty trinity of Harrison's, A Manual of Acupuncture, and A Practical Dictionary of Chinese Medicine, plus the more slim Dao of Chinese Medicine to create a firm work table. With the help of those books and their authors, I was able to fix my desk, and now I obviously am able to work again. In fact, I spent more time writing this review than fixing my desk.

Thanks guys!

P.S. One more use you might consider for huge books like this: if you get papers wet, they tend to dry in a rippled shape. However, if you dry them off mostly, blow dry them a bit, and then stick them under a pile of huge heavy books, they'll dry mostly flat. Happy drying!

Rating:
Summary: The ULTIMATE Acupuncture Book!
Review: The Manual of Acupuncture by Deadman is the ULTIMATE Acupuncture Book that is a necessity for every acupuncture student and practitioner. With 670 illustrated pages, this book is worth every penny. The newest version of this book is also tabbed by channels - so it is much easier to find information.

While I was a student, I didn't always carry this book with me because it was so big. However, I did photocopy the anatomical point charts and indications lists from the back of the book to aid my clinical point selections.

Now as a practitioner (this booked definitely helped me pass NCCAOM exams), I refer to this book often to take my acupoint knowledge to the next level and to provide more comprehensive treatment plans.

Buy this book now! If you are a TCM student, I also highly recommend the companion FLASH CARDS by Deadman. They make it easy to study acupuncture points with a location/illustration on one side of the card and actions/indications on the other.

Rating:
Summary: Great pictures, other info. questionable
Review: The pictures in this book are excellent, and can be used by anybody learning point location. As far as the description of point location, they differ from the source used for the california state board exam, which only matters if you are planning on taking it. There are also some helpful tips for locating certain points. The info. on point functions and indications is tremendous. Everything and anything is in this book. Some really obscure stuff, which is great to read and think about. But that does not mean that these points are really used for this, or that you will be able to make the point do that. All in all great for location, but use some scrutuiny when apllying functions and indications.

Rating:
Summary: Better than Chinese Texts
Review: This is the only text that I have on the subject of acupuncture. I am not a practitioner, but had hoped that this one (expensive) text would be sufficient to give me a total foundation in the discipline and would eventually allow me to use acupressure or some rudiments of the field in my own efforts to promote good health.

I was a little dissappointed that the introductory and foundational material was lacking in the book, and that there were no separate sections on diagnosis or expositions of the nature of pathogens. The book is essentially a description of each and every one of the 360 or so primary acupuncture points of Traditional Chinese Medicine. There is a good bit of material about methodology of point selection, but the real gem of this book is the intelligent and thorough descriptions of the points, their properties, and how to locate and needle them. The reason that I gave the book five stars is that it is far more complete and logical in its point descriptions than any of the Chinese texts used by my acupuncturist, a Chinese chiropractor who was a medical doctor Shanghai for eight years before coming to the US and becoming a chiropractor. Often when a discipline is translated from one language and culture to another, the highly systematized translation is more complete and sensible than the eclectic literature corpus upon which it is based. Those who devised this book have created a phenomenally comprehensive synthesis of over 3,000 years of Chinese medical tradition. They have taken on a monumental task and succeeded brilliantly. The quality of this reference is so high that I would even recommend it to practitioners from the orient who are coming to the US or other English-speaking countries to start a practice. First, it will it help them learn the English vocabulary of acupuncture jargon and help them understand our butchered pronunciations of the many Chinese words in an English acupuncturist's vocabulary. Second, they will be able to better communicate their activities to their patients. Finally, the book is as high a quality reference as anything they will have brought with them from Asia.

Rating:
Summary: The Greatest Published Work to Date
Review: Unquestionably, when you get your hands on a copy of this book, you will agree with me that this may be greatest reference compendium ever published on acupuncture in the English language, to date. The quality of printing and binding is superb, to match its outstanding content.

This book is priceless. Sell all your other acupuncture reference books if you have to (e.g., CAM, FCA, etc., unless you are still a student), and keep this impressive book on the shelf and within reach. While it is not "officially" adopted as a standard text in U.S. schools, it would be an outrage if this book does not become one in the near future.