Recommended Reading for Beginners

If you're new to Chinese medicine, I recommend the following books:

• The Web That Has No Weaver An excellent introduction to Chinese medicine for Westerners.
  
• Between Heaven and Earth A bit more emphasis on 五行学 Five Phase theory and constitutional types than the previous book.
  
• Fundamentals of Chinese Medicine This is a translation of the first year textbook used by students in China studying TCM. More technical than the previous two books. In addition to systematically covering the basic theory, it includes names and functions for all acupuncture points. Also includes a list of the most common Chinese herbs with their names in pinyin, Chinese characters, Latin and English names, with functions and dosage.
  
• Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica Probably a bit more money that most civilians will want to spend, but if you're interested in Chinese herbs, this is a great way to get started. Simply reading the introductory chapters will give you a good introduction to the world of Chinese herbology. The herb monographs also contain information on chemical composition of each herb. Also in this category: Chinese Medical Herbology & Pharmacology and Concise Chinese Materia Medica.

Also, the Blue Poppy blog is a great place for information on the internet. Blue Poppy is an herb company based in Colorado.