Rating: 
Summary: Good as a reference book, but be Warned!
Review: This book was one of the first books on a segment of the Taoist arts to reach the west and to that I give Mantak Chia high praise. The book deals with the energy circulation within the body. It is written in a easy to follow style (for such a subject). After studing the internal arts for years I find this book a good reference book. Unfortunately I believe this book is actually bad for anyone who is new to the subject. DOING ANY OF THE EXERCISES WRONG CAN HAVE TERRIBLE EFFECTS ON YOU. To any person who is new to qi gong/internal arts I say this book is not for you and you should first find a GOOD teacher to study under. For people who are already familiar with the study, this is a good reference book to have in your collection.
Rating: 
Summary: The Standard Text in the Field
Review: This is the first and only Mankak Chia book that I have as yet. It's good for the little details that other people and books might confuse - like which hand to use to closing the orbit. I really wish that this book had more information, especially about the orbit as it goes through the legs and arms. I have come back and added a star to my review as I realised that Mantak is such a reliable source that it makes reading other sources on the microcosmic orbit much more lucid. My tan tien is not at my navel though.
Rating: 
Summary: This book is small
Review: This is the first and only Mankak Chia book that I have as yet. It's good for the little details that other people and books might confuse - like which hand to use to closing the orbit. I really wish that this book had more information, especially about the orbit as it goes through the legs and arms. I have come back and added a star to my review as I realised that Mantak is such a reliable source that it makes reading other sources on the microcosmic orbit much more lucid. My tan tien is not at my navel though.
Rating: 
Summary: wheel without a hub
Review: While Mantak Chia's works have boldly promoted Taoist qi gong into popular culture they've also, unfortunately, promoted fundamental mis-conceptions that inevitably lead to injury. Yin and yang can't be successfully cultivated without knowledge of resolution into the neutral space. A wheel needs a hub or, in Buddhist terms, if you're going to invigorate a wheel you'd better also know how to get off of it... This makes the distinction between promoting agitation, addiction vs. promoting stability, freedom. While Chia's modern renditions are obviously serious attempts they, sadly, are missing the deeper material that make this sort of work... actually work. Some review of classic texts is in order. Suggested remedial texts:
"Tsongkhapa's Six Yogas of Naropa" transl. by Glenn H. Mullin
"Cultivating the Energy of Life" transl. by Eva Wong
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