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  • The Spark in the Machine

  • How the Science of Acupuncture Explains the Mysteries of Western Medicine
  • Written by: Daniel Keown
  • Narrated by: Gavin Osborn
  • Length: 8 hrs and 41 mins
  • 4.9 out of 5 stars (11 ratings)

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The Spark in the Machine

Written by: Daniel Keown
Narrated by: Gavin Osborn
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Publisher's Summary

Ground-breaking book showing how the theories of western and Chinese medicine support each other. Full of good stories and surprising details.

Why can salamanders grow new legs, and young children grow new fingertips, 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 mistresses than with their wives), 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 listening for anyone who has ever wanted to know how the body really works.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio on our desktop site.

©2014 Daniel Keown (P)2019 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

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Provocative, actually

This book inspires me to learn more about acupuncture. Until now, I’d never heard an explanation of how acupuncture works that made any sense to me. Having studied anatomy and physiology, I have a frame of reference for the perspective this book speaks from. Now I want to learn more

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Fascinating

I loved it so much so I can't wait to to listen to it again.

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Changed my view of acupuncture

I’ve practiced acupuncture for 17 years and now I finally understand what it’s been trying to tell me. These teachings have opened my mind to the role and abilities of acupuncture and have transformed my small doubts of acupuncture into a firm conviction of how powerful and important acupuncture is to the world. Thank you Dr. Keown

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Enchanting and truly inspiring

I am listening to the chapters over and over again, as if re-reading the passages in a book that I want to understand fully and then memorize all in details in order to share with others the fascinating presentation of the Western medical research and ancient Chinese practice that led to the amazing discoveries of workings of Qi in the body. I feel like a kid who has been chosen by a magician to be let in on the secrets of his magic tricks. And now I want to trace all the threats that the author weaves into the story of acupuncture: learn more about anatomy, physiology, embryology, physics, Chinese culture and much much more.

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I stand in awe...

I absolutely love this book. As a first year TCM student this book helps unravel a few of the harder concepts we need to understand. Life is brilliant!

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