| Summary: | This book provides a historically, socially, and culturally-contextualized portrayal of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as a complementary and alternative medical profession in the United States. Through interviewing TCM practitioners, observing in TCM schools and clinics, and referencing on classical Chinese medical and philosophical sources, the author explores the spiritual aspect of TCM and how "health" is understood and achieved in the TCM clinics.
"Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) originated from the traditional medical system in the Chinese civilization, with influences from the Daoist and Chinese folk traditions in bodily cultivation and longevity techniques. In the past few decades, TCM has become one of the leading alternative medical systems in the United States. This book demonstrates the fluidity of a medical ideological system with a rich history of methodological development and internal theoretical conflicts, continuing to transform in our postmodern world where people and ideas transcend geographic, ethnic, and linguistic limitations. The unique historical trajectories and cultural dynamics of the American society are precious nutrients for the localization of TCM, while the constant traffic of travelers and immigrants foster the globalizing tendency of TCM. The practitioners in this book therefore represent an incredible range of clinical applications, personal styles, theoretical rationalizations, and business models. What really unifies all these practitioners is not their practices, but the goal of these practices. The shared goal is to strive for health, not just health in terms of the lack of illness, but the ultimate health of achieving perfect balance in every aspect of the being of a person--physically, mentally, spiritually, and energetically."--Publisher's website.
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