The Spark in the Machine

I started reading this book and thought “wow!” – I couldn’t put it down! Daniel Keown is both a Western medical doctor and an acupuncturist. Using his engaging writing style he makes sense of how the latest scientific understanding of systems theory unites with the holism of our oldest medical tradition. Everyone from the general public to Western and Eastern medical practitioners, in fact anyone who is curious about the remarkable way the human body functions and develops, should read this book. – Angela Hicks, Joint Principal of the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine, Reading, UK, and author of The Principles of Chinese MedicineIt is surprising how little research has been done over the years to examine the relationship of acupuncture to Western medicine. Now at last we have Dr Keown’s thoughtful and stimulating book to help fill this gap. Dr Keown talks from personal experience of working on both sides of this medical divide. His book is an invaluable contribution to helping practitioners of both disciplines understand how far they speak a common medical language, though they may express themselves in somewhat different terms. – Nora Franglen, Founder of the School of Five Element Acupuncture (SOFEA) and author of The Handbook of Five Element Practice, Keepers of the Soul, Patterns of Practice and The Simple Guide to Five Element AcupunctureUnusually for a doctor, Daniel Keown has a deep knowledge of the theories and practice of acupuncture and Chinese medicine. His obvious love and profound understanding of anatomy and physiology means that he is almost uniquely qualified to explain how acupuncture ‘works’ according to the paradigm of modern science. This is an important book and essential reading for anyone interested in bridging the gap in understanding between Chinese medicine and conventional medical science. – Peter Mole, Dean of the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine, Reading, UK and author of Acupuncture for Body, Mind and SpiritThe eloquent and poetic language of the classics of Chinese medicine has always seemed incommensurable with modern Western scientific medicine. No longer. Dr Keown provides clear and compelling evidence that both systems are describing the same processes in the human body. Some kind of synthesis is now in prospect, and the implications are enormous. – John Hamwee, acupuncturist and author of Acupuncture for New PractitionersThis book is an important milestone in our understanding of how acupuncture might operate in the body, and the often remarkable correspondences between traditional Chinese and modern medical thinking… Dr Keown uses the holistic framework of Chinese Medicine to pull modern concepts together to give an inkling of what a true integrated medicine of the future might look like… the author, makes visually appealing comparisons… The writing style is creative and often humorous… Overall this book is a great read, and will certainly be enjoyed by acupuncturists interested in the connections between biomedicine and traditional Chinese medicine. – Journal of Chinese Medicine

Dr Daniel Keown has worked as a registered doctor since graduating with a medical degree from Manchester University in 1998. In 008, he completed a degree in Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture from Kingston University, and he has studied alongside the renowned Dr Wang Ju-Yi at the Institute of Channel Diagnosis in Beijing. He lives and practises in Tunbridge Wells, UK.