David with Thomas Lee Wright Eisenberg

An american doctor's firsthand observations of qi (chee), 'Vital energy,' and the qi gong masters who use it to heal.

An inside account of the force behind traditional Chinese medicine

This fascinating book is for anyone who ever wanted to know how-and if-acupuncture, herbal remedies, and psychic healing actually work effectively as medical treatments. Taking a forthright look at Qi, the 'vital force' of Chinese medicine, an American doctor probes the mysteries of ancient Chinese skills with both a healthy skepticism and an open-mindedness that make for invigorating reading.

From the first extraordinary chapter about a woman cured of temporary paralysis to a final chapter on the powers of Qi Gong Masters, this book shows how techniques thousands of years old compare with the West's modern views of healing ailments, relieving pain, and curing disease. In addition, it indicates new frontiers for the interrelation of Chinese and Western medicine.

'A lucid and readable account'-Psychology Today

'Highly readable...Case histories, human interest, dialogue and local color abound.'-The New York Times Book Review

'Well balanced and informative...We can see in his accounts a combination of sympathy and skepticism.'-Houston Chronicle

Contents

Foreword
Acknowledgments
The woman of the bus
Preface
First encounter: Dr. Fang and the Yellow Emperor
Tongues, pulses, and strange diagnoses
Acupuncture: Unanswered questions
Second encounter: The Sisters Wang
In the clinic: Acupuncture and massage
In the clinic: Herbal medicine
Third encounter: The qi gong masters
Dai-Fu: 'The doctors'
Fourth encounter: Testing qi
The marriage of Chinese and Western medicine
Index… (meer)