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The Spark in the Machine

How the Science of Acupuncture Explains the Mysteries of Western Medicine

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The Spark in the Machine

By: Daniel Keown
Narrated by: Gavin Osborn
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About this listen

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
Alternative & Complementary Medicine Alternative Medicine Witty Heartfelt Acupuncture Chinese Medicine

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Read and Listen

Loved reading the book 6 years ago and the audiobook seemed like I was listening to new material. So much information in this book!

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good listen

awesome Chinese medicine related book, great narrative, great stories. This should be a must read, integrates western medicine

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Informative, well read

Linking and adding language to what we already internally experience. Very good, will listen again and again over time.

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couldn't stop listening

As an acupuncture student, this book was amazingly helpful and insightful, although the way it is written makes it a great read/ listen for anyone interested in Chinese medicine, Western medicine or "alternative health".
I found myself driving longer routes just to keep listening!

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Riveting

I loved this book! As a health professional with an open, yet sometimes sceptical mind, this book was balanced, considerate and a wealth of knowledge.
It has inspired my learning and clinical practise

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Explains Everything!

The best explanation of how the body is formed and functions, in my opinion. Thank you. So very interesting indeed. Love the humour too.

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Very interesting theories

Very interesting content most of the time, but for some reason I found it difficult to listen to at times.

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