Posts Tagged books
Posted on April 12, 2009 by Yael
Sometimes it feels as though there’s a sea of books in Chinese Medicine.
So many interesting books, how can one choose what to buy?
I will try in this post to write the must have books I feel are essential for practitioners and/or students in Chinese Medicine. This list also contains some books that are still on my wish-list, due to lack of funds they are still on the list and not on my book shelf…
This is of course just what I think, there are many wonderful books out there that can help you grow in your career.
The I Ching- Richard Wilhelm
I just started reading it, but this book talks about a field in it’s own right.
Not to mention one of the most interesting books I have ever read.
Essentially, this is the book that talks about the change between Yin and Yang. And this is one of the more important ideas in Chinese philosophy. Understanding it will give us a better grasp on Chinese Medicine.
Posted on February 19, 2009 by Yael
The book by Ofer Baranovitch, Stages, Levels, Envelopes, is a challenge.
It contains 270 pages that talk about complex matters in Chinese Medicine- the 6 divisions, 4 levels, 8 extraordinary meridians and the connections between them. As the book unfolds, there are connections being made in between the topics I mentioned above, and other topics such as blood vessels and the TW, which in itself is some what of a mystery in Chinese medicine.
As I was reading the book I made notes on the points I wanted to mention in my review.
It is a list, but it’s still a review- a different kind of review. I think that the fact that this book is different from all the books I read in Chinese Medicine, I think it is fair for it to have a different kind of review.
Posted on January 5, 2009 by Yael
I recieved 2 books by Elisabeth Rochat de la Vallee in the mail.
One of them, The Essential Woman
, is about women’s health and fertility in the Chinese classics.
Happy happy, joy joy! Here is a look at how the Chinese classics look at gynecology, a very important aspect if you ask me, especially those who chose Chinese gynecology as their main path in their clinic.
Truth should be told that I was a bit offended that Elisabeth wrote just 127 pages on the subject. Is there really so little to be said about gynecology? And no, the woman on the cover, a painting dated back to the Tang dynasty, did not make me feel any better. I thought there’s a lot more to be said…
Of course- I was correct.
I say “of course” because for a moment there, I forgot we’re talking about Elisabeth, the woman with the amazing ability to read ancient texts, collect important information in Chinese philosophy and make it all usable for us to practice daily in our clinic. Elisabeth always has a lot to say that way.
One should keep in mind that we’re talking about the classical text itself, which presents a certain amount of information. Elisabeth then translates the text so that we will understand it better.
So yes, it’s 127 pages, but just like in her other books, these are pages with wonderful deep knowledge that is worth knowing.
Posted on September 24, 2008 by Yael
It was just a matter of time until I would interview Peter Deadman.
After all- it’s Peter Deadman- the big blue book, the JCM…. This is definitely one of those names you learn to say really fast as of the first year in studying Chinese Medicine. And the name continues to be with us as we grow with our career.
Peter Deadman is the founder of Infinity Foods in England.
He studied Chinese Medicine with Dr. Van Buren at the International College of Oriental Medicine and has a clinic in Brighton. Deadman founded the Journal of Chinese Medicine 29 years ago, which became the most important journal of Chinese Medicine in the west. The JCM is also a publication, the most famous book to come of this publication is A Manual of Acupuncture
, a must have textbook in most colleges throughout the world.
In addition, Peter Deadman was a member of The Matzos, a band in which he played the violin.
Posted on July 18, 2008 by Yael
I guess you know by now that I am a Chinese Medicine books fan.
I now have less time for it, but during my school years, I used to read a lot about Chinese Medicine.
I find these books to be very enjoyable, and also a wonderful way to learn on my own. This is not to say that books are better than practice- not at all- but this is only another way for me to say, that even if you are a practitioner for the past 20 years- don’t stop reading.
It is so important!
Chinese Medicine books are expensive.
But there are ways to find some goodies (and by goodies I mean Chinese Medicine books that their price won’t kill our bank accounts). Yes, I know, it’s rare. I still think that buying a new Chinese Medicine book every now and then is important, and it is for a good cause.
When ordering from on-line book stores, one should consider the fees of shipping, and make sure that if you order from the Internet it doesn’t amount to more than what you can find in a store near you.
Posted on June 26, 2008 by Yael
The years go by and I continue to look for books about Chinese Psychology.
Yes, I know, Good luck to me, but I didn’t give up yet.
When I find there’s nothing new under the Tai Yang, I go back and take comfort in Dragon Rises, Red Bird Flies by Dr. Leon Hammer.
I bought this book a long time ago.
When I got back home, I felt as though I’m holding the most important book in my hands. It’s no surprise, considering that all my teachers spoke very highly of this book. At the library, the copy of the book was worn out and crumpled from over-use by students.
I was always drawn to the psychology world, and the fact that there’s a fully accomplished, well established psychologist who converted to Chinese Medicine and focused on that 100%, these two reasons I had to buy my own copy of the book.
I was very clever to do so.
Posted on June 18, 2008 by Yael
Once you start studying Chinese Medicine, probably the first name you learn to say is “Giovanni Maciocia” (or “Peter Deadman”, depends on which class you are in).
The Chinese Medicine world, according to Maciocia, is pretty simple- when you have this, you do that.
This creates a very “dry” text, things repeat themselves many times in the books.
When you remember that Giovanni was a student of the late Dr. Van Buren, you realize that there must be something not quite right here, and you start thinking that there’s more to Giovanni’s books than meets the eye.
Giovanni Maciocia speaks fluent Chinese, which opens up a wide range of knowledge for him.
Combine that with many years of clinical experience and knowledge of the Chinese culture, and you understand that Maciocia has deep understanding that goes beyond what is presented in the books.
Posted on June 18, 2008 by Yael
Books are important, period.
They can be our best friends, they take us to travel in new lands, create a wonderful world of fantasy and allows us to use our imagination freely, without judgment.
Books are forever a symbol of culture, of knowledge and spiritual and intellectual wealth.
They are, for me, one of the best things to be created by the human race.
If it weren’t for books and the evolution of books, our knowledge of life, people, animals, medicine, history, science- almost everything would have been lost.
No doubt, books are rather useful.
They are also useful in various ways as explained in the next quote:
Posted on May 4, 2008 by Yael
Confession:
I am in love with a book.
It’s a bit difficult to explain, I mean- if I were to say “I’m in love with a character in a book” that wouldn’t be too weird (just a little bit), but an actual book, it’s not very clear how that can happen.
I fell in love with The Seven Emotions from the first moment I started reading it.
As with all the books by Father Claude Larre and Elisabeth Rochat de la Vallee, the philosophy, it’s depth and choice of words make it’s reading to a challenge. I find that each time I read a book by these authors, I gain a source of information but also a source that makes me wonder more and more, ask more questions, and leaves me with a good sort of confusion.
What is a good sort of confusion?
The sort of confusion that makes you read more and think more. That can only lead you to know more and mainly- it makes you understand.
Posted on January 9, 2008 by Yael
I was lucky enough to have a short correspondence with Dr. Leon Hammer, a psychiatrist turned CM practitioner.
Those who don’t know Dr. Hammer should really update their knowledge about the man who contributed an amazing book to our shelves, a book called “Dragon Rises, Red Bird Flies“. In the book he shows, among other things, how CM can be used to treat the Shen, and he brings us Dr. Shen’s theory- his own teacher and mentor.
Dr. Hammer was born in the USA on 1922.
During the years between 1948-1970 he dedicated himself to psychoanalysis and psychiatry, in which he studied the treatment of children, various psychological approaches (Gestalt for example) and Hypnosis.
In 1971 he started studying Chinese Medicine with Dr. Van Buren.
In 1974, Dr. Hammer met Dr. Shen, his biggest influence in CM. Until 1989, Dr. Hammer studied many aspects of CM such as Auriculotherapy, Chinese Herbs, 5 Elements and more.
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