Charles Buck draws on three decades of study, practice and teaching in this book to provide a relevant and engaging account of the origins of acupuncture and Chinese medicine. From its pre-Han dynasty roots to Chinese medicine as we know it today, Buck covers the key texts, the main scholars and the concepts they have contributed, emphasising those that are more relevant to clinicians wishing to understand the authentic tradition. The information presented is based on diverse sources including original translations of Chinese sources and interpretations of the work of many prominent medical sinologists. With Buck’s lucid and engaging style, Roots of Modern Practice provides an accessible and authoritative resource that will help practitioners and students deepen their understanding of this great medical tradition.
A practical and modern appreciation of China’s medical wisdom, this book will be of great value to students and practitioners of Chinese medicine and acupuncture, and anyone interested in the roots of this time-honoured medicine.
A practical and modern appreciation of China’s medical wisdom, this book will be of great value to students and practitioners of Chinese medicine and acupuncture, and anyone interested in the roots of this time-honoured medicine.
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Reviews
Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine is a masterstroke, a scholarly treatise without the parched dryness that normally characterises this type of work. Buck succeeds in creating a captivating narrative that is accessible, whilst still giving justice to the rich history of ideas that have continuously developed into the medicine practised today. This book is a must have for any practitioner of Chinese medicine wishing to understand the bedrock on which they are standing.
Charlie has managed to compile in an easy-to-read form a comprehensive and extensive journey through the history of Chinese medicine, herbs and acumoxa. It is a combination of well researched information from a range of texts in Chinese and English (a really useful bibliography is given) interspersed clearly with his own considerations developed over years of practice. Knowing how this wonderful medicine has come to its current position as the main medical modality to offer a different explanation of function and treatment from modern biomedicine is a must for all scholars of medicine be it Chinese or Western.
Here is a history written by a practitioner with decades of clinical experience, someone who is uniquely qualified to present this history in a way that is of immense benefit to the profession. It is for that reason that everyone with a passion for Chinese medicine should read this book.
Not only is this book an interesting and highly informative read, it has much to contribute in its own right to the future story of Chinese medicine practice.
Reading this carefully researched book by Charles Buck leads one back to the source, makes one understand about the continuity of the development of Chinese medicine. The book also rekindles the memory of one's first encounters with the study of Chinese medicine. It is, by turns, gripping and fascinating, and at times the read engages like a novel. Revealing the pragmatic, and at times non-pragmatic, character of Chinese medicine, each single chapter brings you back to its roots... I highly recommend this book, because after reading it, one holds still for a moment and reflects a little longer before applying a treatment.
We have waited a long time for this. We have had books on the history of Chinese medicine by sinologists who rarely understand the needs and focus of practitioners. And we have had decades of references to "traditional" Chinese medicine by practitioners who often know little about the history of our medicine, or who focus only on specific parts of it. Here at last is the best of both worlds - a work by an experienced practitioner with a passion for history. Brilliantly written, comprehensive, engrossing, practical and erudite, this book is a treasure.