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Summary
Editor's review
The book's expertise shows in that Xu Wenbing does not merely relay knowledge but, drawing on deep clinical experience and mastery of traditional culture, translates abstruse TCM concepts into perceptible, applicable life wisdom. For example, his etymological readings of everyday words such as 魄力 (drive), 精神 (spirit), and 胆识 (courage) reveal how TCM thought ties physiological function to psychological traits—a cross-dimensional interpretation that is genuinely refreshing.
In terms of reading value, Know Yourself's greatest significance is that it offers a tool for inward-looking understanding: it does not rush to answer what to do but first helps readers understand who I am and how my body works. For contemporary readers shaped by modern medicine's objectified view of the body, this shift in perception is a necessary corrective. The book's analysis of common health misconceptions (such as indiscriminate hydration or overuse of heat-clearing detox remedies) also demonstrates the precision and prudence of TCM's pattern-differentiation thinking.
Note that the book's framework is rooted in the traditional TCM theoretical system, and some concepts (such as qi and shen) may be in tension with modern scientific paradigms. But this is precisely the book's value—it offers a complete, self-consistent system of understanding life tested over millennia, one worth approaching with an open mind to grasp its inner logic. Reading this book is more like a journey of self-discovery in dialogue with ancient wisdom.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers curious about Chinese medicine culture and the traditional view of life
- People who want to understand their own health from a holistic perspective
- Longtime readers who enjoy Xu Wenbing's accessible, literary style
- Readers seeking a reading experience that combines wellness knowledge with cultural substance
Not a good fit for
- People expecting immediate how-to instructions or standardized treatment protocols
- Readers who wholly reject traditional medical theory and accept only the modern biomedical paradigm
Reading tips
- Read chapters in order to build a basic conceptual framework before going into detail
- Compare the book's descriptions with your own experience, but avoid mechanical self-diagnosis
- Jot down questions as you read for later further study or practice
About the publisher
Hainan Publishing House is a comprehensive publisher known for literary and intellectual works, covering foreign literature, philosophy, classics, world-famous works, classical poetry and prose miscellanies. Its catalog includes foreign literary classics such as Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina and Romain Rolland's Jean-Christophe, philosophical works such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau's The Social Contract: Expert Companion Edition, and Chinese classics and poetic studies such as Lu Xun's essays and prose collections and Wang Guowei's Renjian Cihua, as well as illustrated popular-science works like Fabre's Insects. The involvement of translators such as Zhong Shufeng, Fu Lei and Chen Xiaoqing reflects the publisher's emphasis on translation quality and expert guidance. Public information is limited, and the above is based mainly on the books in the catalog.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 序
- 01 身体
- 02 元首
- 03 颜面
- 04 脸面
- 05 颐和
- 06 七窍
- 07 眼睑
- 08 颃颡
- 09 髎
- 10 和髎
- 11 口唇
- 12 牙齿
- 13 髭、须、髯
- 14 咽喉
- 15 喉咙
- 16 颈项
- 17 肩膀
- 18 腋窝
- 19 肩胛骨
- 20 肱
- 21 肘窝
- 22 胸膛
- 23 乳房
- 24 心口窝
- 25 心窍
- 26 {骨曷}骬
- 27 膈
- 28 嗝儿
- 29 胁肋
- 30 软肋
- 31 怀
- 32 脘
- 33 脐
- 34 耻骨
- 35 胯
- 36 臀
- 37 骶骨
- 38 尾椎
- 39 下体
- 40 九窍
- 41 鼠蹊
- 42 股
- 43 膝
- 44 膑
- 45 腘
- 46 胫
- 47 腨
- 48 踝
- 49 趾
- 50 津液
- 51 唾液
- 52 痰涎
- 53 泪
FAQ
Can I understand this book without a TCM background?
How does this book differ from Xu Wenbing's other works, such as Hidden Medicine in Characters?
How should I view the book's views when they conflict with modern medicine?
Comments
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About the author
Xu Wenbing, courtesy name Wenbing and given name Xiaozhou, was born in Datong, Shanxi, in 1966. He is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine expert and educator. He graduated from the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine at Beijing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 1990, later lectured in the United States on a government-sponsored program and obtained American acupuncturist certification. In 1998 he returned to China and founded the Beijing Hope Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Hope Traditional Chinese Medicine School, and the Hope Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic. His works center largely on the Huangdi Neijing, explaining its health-preservation ideas and medical thought through accessible dialogue and thematic lectures, and also address food and everyday health. The library holds 34 of his works.
