The Spark in the Machine

How the Science of Acupuncture Explains the Mysteries of Western Medicine

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Pub Date 20 Mar 2014 | Archive Date 15 Sep 2014

Description

Why can salamanders grow new legs, and young children grow new finger tips, but adult humans can't regenerate? What is the electricity that flows through the human body? Is it the same thing that the Chinese call Qi? If so, what does Chinese medicine know, that western medicine ignores?

Dan Keown's highly accessible, witty, and original book shows how western medicine validates the theories of Chinese medicine, and how Chinese medicine explains the mysteries of the body that western medicine largely ignores. He explains the generative force of embryology, how the hearts of two people in love (or in scientific terms `quantum entanglement') truly beat as one, how a cheating heart is also an ill heart (which is why men are twice as likely to die of a sudden heart attack with their mistress than with their wife), how neural crest cells determine our lifespan, and why Proust's madeleines evoked the memories they did.

The book shows how the theories of western and Chinese medicine support each other, and how the integrated theory enlarges our understanding of how bodies work on every level. Full of good stories and surprising details, Dan Keown's book is essential reading for anyone who has ever wanted to know how the body really works.

Why can salamanders grow new legs, and young children grow new finger tips, but adult humans can't regenerate? What is the electricity that flows through the human body? Is it the same thing that the...


Advance Praise

'I started reading this book and thought “wow!” – I couldn't put it down! Daniel Keown is both a Western medical doctor and an acupuncturist. Using his engaging writing style he makes sense of how the latest scientific understanding of systems theory unites with the holism of our oldest medical tradition. Everyone from the general public to Western and Eastern medical practitioners, in fact anyone who is curious about the remarkable way the human body functions and develops, should read this book.'

— Angela Hicks, Joint Principal of the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine, Reading, UK, and author of The Principles of Chinese Medicine


'It is surprising how little research has been done over the years to examine the relationship of acupuncture to Western medicine. Now at last we have Dr Keown's thoughtful and stimulating book to help fill this gap. Dr Keown talks from personal experience of working on both sides of this medical divide. His book is an invaluable contribution to helping practitioners of both disciplines understand how far they speak a common medical language, though they may express themselves in somewhat different terms.'

— Nora Franglen, Founder of the School of Five Element Acupuncture (SOFEA) and author of The Handbook of Five Element Practice, Keepers of the Soul, Patterns of Practice and The Simple Guide to Five Element Acupuncture


'Unusually for a doctor, Daniel Keown has a deep knowledge of the theories and practice of acupuncture and Chinese medicine. His obvious love and profound understanding of anatomy and physiology means that he is almost uniquely qualified to explain how acupuncture 'works' according to the paradigm of modern science. This is an important book and essential reading for anyone interested in bridging the gap in understanding between Chinese medicine and conventional medical science.'

— Peter Mole, Dean of the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine, Reading, UK and author of Acupuncture for Body, Mind and Spirit


'The eloquent and poetic language of the classics of Chinese medicine has always seemed incommensurable with modern Western scientific medicine. No longer. Dr Keown provides clear and compelling evidence that both systems are describing the same processes in the human body. Some kind of synthesis is now in prospect, and the implications are enormous.'

— John Hamwee, acupuncturist and author of Acupuncture for New Practitioners

'I started reading this book and thought “wow!” – I couldn't put it down! Daniel Keown is both a Western medical doctor and an acupuncturist. Using his engaging writing style he makes sense of how...


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Available Editions

EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9781848191969
PRICE £12.99 (GBP)

Average rating from 13 members


Featured Reviews

The Spark in the Machine is outstanding! Totally my kind of book, it is an exceptional blend of health science and life. The great thing about this book is its simplicity. It speaks in such a functional way, making the hard-to-understand understandable. I could lose myself for hours in this book. While it is certainly not a quick read, it is definitely a valuable one.

As a therapist with a strong interest in fascia and fascia-related disorders, I found this book to be intriguing. I would put my endorsement all over it. As a health-minded individual who is totally into wellness, healing, and wholeness, I would not hesitate to recommend this.

Those who invest in this title will surely not be disappointed.

Rating: 5/5+
Recommend: Yes Bookshelf Worthy: Yes Hard copy or Digital copy: Hard copy Audience: Medical community, Health and Science programs, Alternative Health Practitioners, General community interested in understanding the human body and its function

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