The Web That Has No Weaver : Understanding Chinese Medicine

The Web was one of the first books on Chinese medicine published in English for the layman and despite its limitations, I feel it is still one of the best. I am a practicing acupuncturist/herbalist and I recommend this book to my patients. It isn't perfect - sometimes there's too much detail, the illustrations could be clearer, could have included more info about herbs, etc. But to Kaptchuk's credit, some sections of this book are written with a beautiful simplicity unmatched by anything I've seen written since, e.g. when he compares the way Chinese painters represented the natural elements in their landscapes to the "poetic logic" a Chinese physician employs when evaluating a patient. It is no small task to sum up traditional Chinese medicine in a single volume but Kaptchuk has done an admirable job.


Excellent book for the student of acupuncture   September 2, 1998
Brian Paige (Atlanta, GA)
60 out of 63 found this review helpful

This book is a very good treatment of the subject of acupuncture, and its associated methods of diagnosis and pattern recognition. Herbology is not discussed. Having finished the book, one will at least have an understanding of what one's acupuncturist is talking about, and may be able to take steps to better one's health. The meridians are described in basic detail, with interior and exterior branches discussed. Points and their properties are not discussed. Overall, a very good and basic description of acupuncture and its methods.


A Simple but Comprehensive Guide to Ancient Chinese Medicine   June 1, 2000
Jerrold Cohen (Seal Beach, California)
34 out of 35 found this review helpful

Ted Kaptchuk has distilled the essence of ancient Chinese medicine in this clear expose. He explains the body organs as they were understood by the ancient Chinese, the acupuncture points and meridians, the fluids and flows, both of energy and fluids, in easy-to-understand language. A+ for clarifying the concepts of this medicine. With some imagination you may even begin to understand how such an ancient art could tackle modern challenges like AIDS and cancer, which it does. This book is a classic that will be around for a long time. The nice thing about it is that it clarifies ancient Chinese medicine to a person with no background in the subject.


AMAZING, COMPLETE, THOUGHT-PROVOKING   June 8, 2003
Vanessa (Brooklyn, NY USA)
33 out of 34 found this review helpful

I found this book to be the most complete resource on Traditional Chinese Medicine. It goes through the introduction and goes to quite deep details of the basics, the diagnoses, and more. I found this book to be the best so far at explaining pulse diagnosis on a level understandable to a beginner.
This book can be read on many, many levels. It is meant to be read several times over the course of one's studies of TCM, each time getting a bit more than the last time.
Some advice to beginners like myself: If while reading this book you get stuck and feel uninterested and repelled by some part of the chapter, just skip it and move on. Don't get discouraged no matter what. You may just not be ready for that part yet. Skip it and move on to the next part. You can always come back and read it.
I found that the language of this book is very easy and flowing, there is no difficult jargon at all. It is very smooth and easy to follow.
An amazing book, I would recommend it to everyone interested in TCM!!


Lived Up To It's Reputation   April 17, 2006
Philip Tan-Gatue (Manila, Metro Manila Philippines)
11 out of 11 found this review helpful

No matter where I went, no matter who I talked to (about Chinese Medicine, of course), somewhere in the course of the conversation, the name of this book would pop up. I finally decided to purchase and read it.

I was not disappointed.

It isn't perfect - nothing is - but it is certainly one of the best introductions to Chinese Medicine around, especially for the westerner. The first few chapters in particular are a godsend for those unfamiliar with the Chinese way of thought. It explains the differences between western and easter scientific understanding without necessarily saying one is better than the other. I will be using many of his statements in my lectures to western medical students and doctors.

Bravo.