Fundamentals of Chinese Acupuncture

Rating:
Summary: I found this book very useful for my studies.
Review: As a student of Acupuncture, I am always searching for books to condense and explain . I found the outline of this book very helpful in placing information about the entire meridian including collalerals all together. I also am finding it very helpful to have TCM as well as Western Science indications for the point. I look forward to using this book for years to come.

Rating:
Summary: The best acupuncture textbook in English
Review: Fundamentals of Acupuncture is unique among English-language textbooks for beginning students in that it actually is a textbook, and it actually is written in English. Sadly, it has not received the recognition or application it so richly deserves.

Fundamentals was developed from a variety of modern and pre-modern sources, and seamlessly incorporates those sources into a coherent work that honors the past and imparts present-day acupuncture simultaneously.

This book clearly presents the foundations of acupuncture theory, including all aspects of the channel system, from primary, connecting, divergent, and sinew pathways to channel communications and extraordinary vessels. It describes a variety of needle techniques as well as moxibustion. Entries for individual points include functions, indications, both classical and modern instructions for location, a translated name, the Chinese name in characters, the Chinese name in Pinyin with tone marks, regional anatomy, insertion depth, stimulation methods, and where applicable, a description of acceptable qi sensation.

What most sets Fundamentals apart from similar books is its pragmatic orientation and inclusion of translated Chinese disease-diagnoses, with a useful glossary of terms. A large portion of the book is devoted to point selection, combinations, and therapeutic principles, all with an emphasis on real-life clinical applications. This is the only beginner's book to properly translate and give the meanings of disease-diagnosis terminology, which makes the specific character of each point and the structure of acupuncture treatments much easier to understand for beginning students. By comparison, other similar works have been so terminologically vague as to be useless.

If I could only recommend one acupuncture book to beginning students, Fundamentals would be it.

Rating:
Summary: I like books like this...very easy and has every thing...
Review: I like books like this in the medical aspect of acupuncture, it has every thing I need to know. Maybe it's price is too low to be real...I think it's a need for the serious student and for the old acupuncturist to remember the points and it's clinical relations on both western and eastern medicine.

Rating:
Summary: I like books like this...very easy and has every thing...
Review: I like books like this in the medical aspect of acupuncture, it has every thing I need to know. Maybe it's price is too low to be real...I think it's a need for the serious student and for the old acupuncturist to remember the points and it's clinical relations on both western and eastern medicine.

Rating:
Summary: It's a useful supplement.
Review: Since the contents of the book are thoroughly described by the staff at Amazon, I won't delve into them. I agree that F.C.A. is better organized than most textbooks. Each section on the meridians contains diagrams illustrating the main pathway, important points along the meridian such as luo points, divergent pathways, the corresponding channel sinews, and more. After several pages of diagrams, the authors describe that meridian's points. The information includes the point's name (alphanumeric code, simplified chinese characters, pinyin, and english); its location from scientific and traditional perspectives; its functions; disorders that can be treated with that point; the methodology of treatment; cautions and prohibitions if they exist; and combinations with other points for treating a particular illness. The section ends with a chart for selecting those points that will most effectively treat particular disorders.

Additionally, there is enough space on each page for lecture notes.

Overall, I am very impressed with F.C.A. It is excellent and best of all, cheaper than other books of this calibre.

Rating:
Summary: AN ABSOLUTE ESSENTIAL!
Review: This book is gold.
The beginning pages of the book state the essential in-depth theory of Acupuncture and Moxabustion. It talks about the needles, the acupuncture techniques, etc. -- all incredibly valuable & important information.
Each section begins with a picture of the full meridian and then proceeds to discuss EACH AND EVERY POINT on that meridian. For EACH point, this is what you get:
- location of the point (using modern anatomical terminology)
- classical location (using the cun measurements and/or descriprion on how to locate the point)
- Function of the point
- indications (what this point can be used for)
- Supplementary indications (even more indications on how this point can be used to relieve conditions and disorders)
- Illustrative point combinations and applications
- Stimulation (how this point is best stimulated, the depth of insertion of the needle, and any applicable moxabustion, such as number of cones and the length of time moxabustion can be applied)

As everything is easy to locate and use, this book makes for an excellent reference on ALL the acupuncture points in a very well-organized manner.

Rating:
Summary: this is an easy and well built books in acupuncture.
Review: Very easy to read and to make consultations on it for the road, as every branch of medicine one needs a helper and in acupuncture this is a friend, a very good one.