"Simple Chinese Medicine: A Beginner's Guide To Natural Healing & Well-Being" by Dr. Aihan Kuhn is a very good introductory text on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) which also provides some very good information regarding healthy living. After reading Dr. Kuhn's biography, one recognizes her credentials for writing such a book, and after reading the book, one recognizes her ability to explain the concepts of TCM in an understandable way.
The book contains seven chapters. The first chapter is a very good overview of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Kuhn explains what TCM is, some of the differences between TCM and Western Medicine, some history of TCM, and then a bit on the theory, sources, diagnostic methods, and treatments found in the medicine she practices.
Chapter two, Food Healing in Chinese Medicine, and chapter three, Healthy Balanced Diet and Weight Reduction, the Chinese Way, are good chapters on the importance of food for healing and for health. Kuhn provides guidelines for food healing, food balance, and eating the right foods, as well as a recommended Chinese Diet for living healthy and maintaining proper weight.
Chapter four is titled Chinese Exercises for Healing, Disease Prevention, and Good Health. This chapter focuses on Qigong and Taiji Practice and their importance to over all health and healing.
Chapter five is only four pages long and contains some basic principles of Daoist Healing. It was enough to give you a taste of Daoist philosophy and maybe encourage you to learn more.
Chapter six is probably the chapter that most Westerners will have problems with. The chapter focuses on Cancer Prevention and Healing. I strongly believe that the principles taught in TCM can help a person live healthier and most likely prevent some cancers. It's not hard to believe, we have proof that healthy living, such as not smoking, can help prevent cancer. So why wouldn't healthy living and exercise practice also help the immune system fight cancers that are attacking the body? I would not suggest abandoning Western medicine if you have cancer, and neither would Dr. Kuhn. I do think a combination of Eastern and Western medicines can have benefits that maybe only one or the other may not provide. In this chapter Dr, Kuhn demonstrates through photographs different Qigong exercises used for healing.
The final chapter, seven, is titled Chinese Medicine's Secrets of Good Health and Longevity. It focuses on living healthy through personality, balance, and harmony. The appendixes contain some common herbs and herbal tonics, various Asian healthy recipes, and some testimonials from some of Dr. Kuhn's patients.
Over all, I enjoyed this book and feel it provides some very practical advice for healthy living. It is a very good introduction to basic Traditional Chinese Medicine and a useful guidebook for incorporating some of the TCM principles into your own healthy lifestyle. I'm sure many reading this book will want to further their education by reading more advanced books on the topic, or by seeking out doctors who practice TCM to learn more. It's a very good place to start, and if you go no further, you will still learn some practical healthy guidelines to live by.
15 years ago
