The Spark in the Machine: How the Science of Acupuncture Explains the Mysteries of Western Medicine

by Daniel Keown

Confronting skeptics and arguing that Western physicians cannot afford to ignore over 5000 years of Chinese medical tradition, Dr. Daniel Keown challenges the popular belief that acupuncture cannot be part of truly scientific medicine. With a radical new approach which ties together Western medicine and the Chinese energetic system, The Spark in the Machine will take you on a journey over billions of years to the outer realms of medical science to explain what the ancient Chinese always knew, but God forgot to tell surgeons

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Science, Medicine, Fitness

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING! As a licensed acupuncturist, it was refreshing and inspiring (and a huge relief) to read a book that so clearly illustrates the alignment between Eastern and Western medical theories. This is the pinnacle book of our time as we move toward the graceful integration of these powerful practices of medicine. My copy is full of tabs for future reference. My only regret is that I waited so long to read it!

[Michael Grove · Rating 5 out of 5]

"TAI CHI can be treated as the driving force of the universe, which generates two poles (Yang, Yin), then evolving the four phases (sky, earth, men and matter), which then produce the eight sections (sky, earth, men and matter, time, space, material and spirit) - They give rise to all kinds of activities on earth"

Dr. Nie Zhi-fei

My soul-mate and I [both approaching our three-score year and ten], have been practitioners of Taiji and Qi-gong for some time now, and have well understood that Taijiquan is the practice and Taiji the goal. Part and parcel of that goal is a coming to terms with that which is called Qi and no better book has been written, from our own perspective, than The Spark in the Machine, which we now regard as 'Qi 101'. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...

This following promotional review of the book just about sums it up as it is ...

"Why can salamanders grow new legs, and young children grow new finger tips, 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 mistress than with their wife), 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 reading for anyone who has ever wanted to know how the body really works."

[Lorelei · Rating 3 out of 5]

Right up until the end he managed to stay objective. Right up until the end. *sigh* I might give it another star when the bad taste has left my mouth, but then again...

It is an important book in that he looks at connections between Western and Eastern medicine in places lay people such as myself wouldn't know to look. I know enough about anatomy and acupuncture to follow all that he is saying, and it makes a lot of sense.

If only he'd kept his thoughts about the creator (my word) out of it. *sigh*

[Beyond the Pages with Eva K · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Spark in the Machine is outstanding! Totally my kind of book, it is an exceptional blend of health science and life. The great thing about this book is its simplicity. It speaks in such a functional way, making the hard-to-understand understandable. I could lose myself for hours in this book. While it is certainly not a quick read, it is definitely a valuable one.

As a therapist with a strong interest in fascia and fascia-related disorders, I found this book to be intriguing. I would put my endorsement all over it. As a health-minded individual who is totally into wellness, healing, and wholeness, I would not hesitate to recommend this.

Those who invest in this title will surely not be disappointed.

Rating: 5/5+
Recommend: Yes
Bookshelf Worthy: Yes
Hard copy or Digital copy: Hard copy
Audience: Medical community, Health and Science programs, Alternative Health Practitioners, General community interested in understanding the human body and its function

[Melanie Ransome · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised at how engaging and fascinating this book was.
The author, a practicing doctor, brilliantly shows us that although
very different, Eastern and Western medicine are very similar. The connection
of chi and fascia and how our bodies electricity runs through this "space"
has never made more sense.

I was afraid that this book would be a bit out of my league, with limited
medical knowledge, but the author is truly wonderful at not talking in
what I like to call, "Dr. Speak."

I would recommend this book to anyone that is remotely interested in health/
medicine/acupuncture.

[Wouter Bellemans · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a physiotherapist, I was looking for a book that would give me some more insight in the world of acupuncture. Based on the reviews, I thought this book could have helped me. But it didn't.

Maybe it was because of my lack of knowledge of acupuncture, but it didn't give me a clear view of acupuncture.

After reading this book, I'm still looking for an answer to these questions.

- What's the Point of acupuncture
- Where do you place the needles and why?
- How can you explain the healing aspects of it?
- etc.

Again: maybe it is because of my lack of knowledge, maybe I didn't read between the lines, but unfortunately this book wasn't as I hoped it would be.

[Aimee B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple but insightful ties between western and eastern medicine and useful if looking for a more holistic, while body view of health that can broaden out the western view many of us have been raised within

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across this book after a review from my friend, Sarah https://www.youtube.com/c/YourTrueShe... and decided to pick it up desiring to learn more about acupuncture. It ended up being much different then I expected and traces the similarities between the formation of an embryo and acupuncture. The book shares quite a lot of history and discusses how acupuncture is suspected to have started more than 200 years before the birth of Jesus. That said, the Iceman was found to have tattoos on his lower back in the same place that an acupuncturist would place needles for arthritis in the low back. After a bone scan, it was found the Iceman did, in fact, have arthritis and thus the practice of acupuncture may be much, much older than initially thought. I also enjoyed learning about the energy channels being present in the body and how energy disturbance is at the heart of all disease. The book consists of very short chapters and I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Chinese Medicine.

[Alli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started reading this during my first year in my acupuncture program. I started it over twice. I’m glad I’ve finally finished it! I’m feeling quite accomplished. It’s a great explanation of acupuncture without diving too deeply into theory while remaining interesting and the author does a great job of likening acupuncture ideas to Western medicine. He is an acupuncturist and an MD and has a unique perspective on both medicines.

This took me a long time to read merely because I was rereading certain passages. I’ve recommended this book to my patients who want to understand the medicine without overwhelming source material.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inspiring and practical but extraordinary look at medicine where East meets West. Deeply fascinating and immensely useful, I hope it travels to all corners of the globe for better pain management and the eradication of chronic illness.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating theory that makes a lot of sense and could shine light on how acupuncture works. Some of it is a little far fetched, but over all I found the book well written and illuminating.

[Laura Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do I even begin......this is quite possibly the most interesting book I have ever read. This is the first time in a long time I have felt like something was way over my head but upon further inspection and a bit or re-reading I found that yes, everything in the book really does make complete sense! To truly appreciate this book, you have to have some knowledge/interest of the human body and science and you should probably have a bit of interest in Chinese Medicine/Acupuncture as well. I feel like I belong to a club after reading this because it would be absolute Greek to some people!

I am an Acupuncturist and people are always asking me if it works or of it's real and while I believe in it one hundred percent, sometimes it is really hard to explain this stuff to people especially here in New Brunswick Canada where we have not been exposed to traditional and alternative medicines for as long as other parts of the world. Most people I know rely on what their doctor says very heavily and are more than willing to take another pill to avoid having to put too much effort into moving more and eating better. On top of this, most people I know don't really understand how the body and all it's organs work. I didn't understand the body for a long time either even though I have a science degree in biology and I will never claim to be an expert!

This book attempts to explain Chinese Medicine from a scientific point of view. The author, who is a medical doctor and an acupuncturist, takes it all the way back to embryology to explain how Chinese Medicine works and let me tell you, he does an amazing job of it. It is written in plain English so it doesn't read like a textbook. Mind you, there are still lots of big words in there! I admit that I did have to reread many paragraphs in the novel in order to really understand what was being explained but I really enjoyed the challenge.

In my acupuncture practice I really try to go at it from a medical/scientific point of view more so that a spiritual one mainly because I want to be seen as a medical professional. Where I live, I feel like people sometimes easily write me off as a quack so I have to watch what I say sometimes! This book has given me a great way to explain treatments to people because it gives that missing piece of the puzzle. I am a scientist at heart and this book has helped me see the connections between what I'm doing during my treatments and the effect that treatment has on the body. I plan to re-read this book many times until I understand every bit of it! I have already ordered another book by this author and plan to take courses he now offers online. If you are interested, you can check out his website at:

https://drdankeown.com/

I highly recommend this book to those with a curious mind!

[Abdullah Iqbal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always though of acupuncture as being a kind of pseudo science but a friend of mine recommended I read more about it and so I thought why not. I come from a neuroscience background so I was analysing all his claims and many seem legitimate. I still need to do more studying but it has opened my eyes to other realms of medicine and they importance of the areas that we commonly think of as pseudoscience.

[Pam Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Touches on different aspects of western medicine and acupuncture. This book is brilliant and so fascinating, I couldn't put it down. Explains in detail about different aspects of surgery and how key hole surgery is best as there is minimum healing time rather than a full blown operation. which is better for the patient and better for the healing process, also regeneration and cancer which spread uncontrollable and about cells which have lost their connection with the body and have become the enemy, collagen which gives bones strength by forming connective tissue with organs and is an abundant protein and explains indepth the whole concept of the body in relation to acupuncture .

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely fascinating book for anyone who is interested in acupuncture and Eastern medicine. The book is written by a practising doctor and brings together principles of both Eastern and western medicine. The ideas in the book may be complex, but the author has made them extremely accessible through the elegant, simple language he uses throughout.

[Nicky Abell-Francis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book is you into Chinese medicine and how western medicine should see the connection of qi and fascia. How the electricity of our bodies is all interconnected via this amazing substance. Really excellent book that brings the two disciplines together. Need a little science background but interesting read.

[Constanza Greene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Que libro más bueno!!, Segunda vez que me lo leo y la verdad es un libro genial, recomendado para cualquier persona que quiera entender más objetivamente, o mejor dicho desde el punto de vista occidental, lo que es la medicina china y que es lo que hace la acupuntura en el cuerpo humano. Una obra maestra!

[Ashanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book!!! It put a clearer picture in my head and helped me see things better. The descriptions helped me see things better and will help me when I am practicing acupressure. So much good information I would recommend this book to anyone interested in energy work,acupressure, Acupuncture, and the human body. I couldn’t put it down.

[Eric Grey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting information, but the writing style was so painful, I had trouble making it through. Far too many cliches and repeated turns of phrase. Felt like a really good basic idea that needed a few more years to marinate and mature.

[Sabkymom · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for TCM practitioners!

[Stacy Brand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, what a delightfully intriguing read! The Spark in the Machine by Dr. Daniel Keown is a fascinating exploration of how the ancient wisdom of acupuncture can provide insight into the inner workings of Western medicine. Keown does an excellent job of explaining complex scientific concepts in a way that is accessible to both medical professionals and lay readers.

With an engaging writing style and plenty of humor to lighten the mood, Keown takes readers on a journey through the body, exploring the intricacies of the nervous, circulatory, and other systems. His ability to connect the dots between seemingly disparate fields of study is truly impressive.

However, I must say that at times the book can feel a bit dense and overly technical. While Keown does his best to make the material accessible, some readers may struggle with the amount of scientific jargon and terminology used throughout the text. But for those willing to push through, The Spark in the Machine is a truly rewarding and thought-provoking read.

[Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this great book. I've been practising Western style acupuncture for 25 years and this is the first book which has combined fully the western ideas with the Chinese philosophy. As result of this I have now gone on to study more traditional Chinese medicine. With hope of combining this philosophy into cases that I treat now but find hard to explain to patients. He is correct that doctors do not talk about fascia, but physiotherapists and manual therapists do talk about Fascia the whole time and myofascial treatments exist including triggerpoint treatment. I would recommend this book to anyone who wishes to understand more how try Chinese traditional medicine in a western medical context.

[Jeffrey Spitz Cohan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a frustrating read at times. Unless you've taken a college-level anatomy course, you'll probably have a hard time comprehending some sections of the book. That was my experience, anyway.

If you stay with it, though, you will end up with a basic understanding of acupuncture and the roles of Qi and fascia.

I doubt that this is the best book about Chinese medicine for the layperson, but at 280 pages with lots of illustrations, it doesn't require much of an investment.

This much is certain: If you want to take responsibility for your own health,. it behooves you to educate yourself about Chinese medicine. Western medicine not only lacks all the answers, it is flat-out wrong about some things.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the concept of the book, especially the tie between embryology and why Easter medicine is so powerful. This was new learning for me which could be taught in early biology classes in school. All the specific examples of healing related to channels in the body was fascinating. I don’t think the book needed such specifics on the “points” along the channels nor some of the detailed scientific descriptions and names (which I usually like). The book could have been a bit more high level discussing Qi, embryology, acupressure and Accupuncture w/o the distracting detail. Also, the diagrams could have been more clear. Overall, a good read.

[Bec · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling and thorough overview of acupuncture and the effectiveness when coupled with western medicine, and yet the foundations are largely ignored. There are theories Eastern medicine have created through thorough observation, and we are only just discovering them from the Western view.

The explanation of fascia and our neural crest cell network was illuminating and worth the read, alone.

The holistic approach documented by Keown is a solid foundation. We should really look back and rediscover this deep knowledge people have fostered over 1000's of years.

[Monique]

DNF. This book isn't for people who want to learn how Traditional Chinese Medicine integrates with Western medicine. It's written by someone and for people who want to think that TCM is better and ignore the data of Western medicine. There's even untrue potshots at Western medicine peppered throughout it. A big disappointment. The Web That Has No Weaver is much better read and what I would recommend.

[Shane Latchman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book but a bit hard to follow esp the second half - hard to reconcile the Chinese philosophy with the physical human body especially as there aren’t always pictures to show which Qi points are being referred to. Whilst I learnt some bits I still struggled to get an overall sense what the author was trying to say without any background in Chinese philosophy.

[Annette MacDougall · Rating 5 out of 5]

The informations aligns well with a course I just finished on the Geometry of Healing and Meridians. The connections awareness with East/West seems to be progressing. As a massage therapist, I totally appreciate the importance of Fascia throughout the body.

[Justine Bacon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will absolutely read this again, both visually and audio. This is one of the most intelligent and interesting books I've read in quite some time. If you are interested in medicine, holistic wellness, ancient practices and stretching your mind, read this.

[Josette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This started with a curiosity regarding qigong, tai chi and acupuncture - with a moderate professional understanding of embryology (children’s nurse), I found this book riveting reading - signposts to other sources are generous and informative, I enjoyed this book very much.