by Bob Flaws

Recently I had to look something up in Nigel Wiseman and Feng Ye's A Practical Dictionary of Chinese Medicine and this set me thinking about how important and useful this book is. That then got me thinking about how often, when I mention this book in various classes and lectures, so many of my listeners have never heard of it. This is incredible and very sad to me. First, this book was published 10 years ago. So it's not like it's a recent release. Everyone in our profession should know about this book -- it's that important. Any teacher who fails to mention this book to their students is, IMNSHO, simply negligent. Secondly, you can basically learn all of Chinese medicine from this single book. Sometimes people ask me, "If you were on a desert island and you only had one book on Chinese medicine, what would that book be?" My answer most definitely would be A Practical Dictionary. Even though this book is a dictionary, I believe you should read this book cover to cover. It contains everything you essentially need to know about Chinese medicine presented in a very clear, standard, and authoritative way. Then, after having read the whole book, use it frequently to look things up you have forgotten. Dip into it again and again, and I know you will be rewarded with important facts and clarification of understanding. You know you can believe me on this because I am not the author of this book, nor is Blue Poppy Press the publisher. If you do not currently own this book, it needs to be your very next purchase in the realm of Chinese medicine. Ooh, am I getting hot under the collar about this! "Do not pass go." For the sake of yourself and your patients, immediately buy this book.

From the Shameless Commerce Division: BTW, Blue Poppy now sells this book along with Jiao Shu-de's three volumes.