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FORMULAS & STRATEGIES, 2ND EDITION Volker Scheid, Dan Bensky, Andrew Ellis, Randall Barolet Eastland Press, hardback, 1019 pages, $120
Formulas & Strategies is a well known text to most practitioners of Chinese herbal medicine. It is one of the first books that I ever acquired and is probably the book that I refer to most often in my clinical practice. The first edition was a landmark book and is still possibly the only formulas book that explores the tradition in depth, offering historical origins of formulas, original and current posology, explanations, and most importantly commentary, critical analysis and comparative data. It is the book that most people use to study Chinese herbal formulas in English.
The arrival of the second edition is therefore a landmark event. It is a significant progression from the first, greatly expanding the number of formulas, going into greater detail concerning their history and application, comparing, contrasting and analysing selected formulas and further exploring influences from other Asian countries.
The introduction and 'how to use this book' sections, as with the first edition, are essential reading. These first pages guide the reader towards an understanding of the essence of Chinese medicine and Chinese medicinal concepts but then progress further on a journey to places such as Korea, Japan and Taiwan, all of which have made their own impact on Chinese medicine. Building on the information contained in the first edition, the authors discuss how each of these countries has helped promote, influence and develop Chinese medicine, historically and currently
For practitioners who are interested in herb powders and granules, there is an excellent section on how they are produced and how they should be prescribed. The authors attempt to demystify the art of concentrated granule and powder prescribing and educate the reader in their correct use. The discussion covers dry herb equivalents, concentration ratios, processing, Good Manufacturing Practice and Quality Assurance. The authors explain in detail how to prescribe and dose concentrates effectively and in accordance with best practice in order to maximise their effectiveness in clinical use.
The discussion of formulas begins - as in the first edition and in keeping with the tradition - with formulas that release the exterior. There is excellent discussion of the aetiological and...