Acupuncture was an invention based on theory as well as practice that appeared during China's Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-24 AD). Acupuncture, in its use of the laws of the macrocosm to cure the ills of the microcosm, offers a tangible expression of the holistic world view. This work is suitable for students and practitioners.

Acupuncture, in its use of the laws of the macrocosm (Nature) to cure the ills of the microcosm (the human body), offers a tangible expression of the holistic world view. The practice of needling the lower part of the body to cure the upper, and treating the outer to heal the inner - cultivating the Root to nourish the Tip - is nothing less than holism made visible. While acupuncture has long been a mainstay of traditional Chinese medicine, the author's exposition of acupuncture as "visible holism" is unprecedented. "Acupuncture: Visible Holism" will therefore engage the attention of both students and practitioners, believers and sceptics alike.

Introduction
Origins of acupuncture - a unique synthesis of Chinese culture
Unique characteristics of acupuncture
The origins of acupuncture: challenging the accepted theory
Preconditions for the invention of acupuncture
The invention of acupuncture
Additional questions concerning the origins of acupuncture
Acupuncture as visible holism
Meridians - the network of the body
The system of meridians
Applications of meridian theory
Disorders of the Fourteen Meridians
Selection of acupoints
Acupoints - the terminals of the network
Discovery of the acupoints
Classification of the acupoints
Effects of the acupoints
Specific acupoints
Acupoint diagnosis
Acupuncture in practice - a holistic sculpture
The holistic interaction of practitioner, patient and needle
Needling methods
Enhancing the needling sensation
Indications and contraindications of acupuncture
Appendices
Bibliography