This is a full and richly presented text that introduces Oriental medical concepts to readers unfamiliar with these ideas. The material presented is derived from modern Chinese practice of acupuncture and herbology, supported by clinical sketches and references to authoritative Chinese sources. By emphasizing the holistic aspects of Chinese medicine, this book has connected acupuncture and herbology to American and European social trends in favor of alternate forms of medical practice. By introducing the ideas of Chinese medicine with familiar terms, and in relation to Western traditions, it has opened the minds of a generation.

In this new, updated edition, the discussion of organs and their related pathologies now include the hun, po, yi, shen, and zhi, their virtues and psychological propensities. Much of this is new to European languages. The are also more than 100 pages reviewing biomedical research into acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. These include randomized controlled trials and adverse events related to Chinese herbs. The author also discusses historical approaches towards intention and intuition in diagnosis and expands upon the patient-physician relationship in Chinese medicine.

The footnotes have been updated to include the lasest information about East Asian medicine in academic disciplines as biomedicine, pharmacology, anthropology, history, sociology and sinology. As a result, Web That Has No Weaver becoming a standard textbook in conventional medical schools and undergraduate programs, as well as required reading for U.S. licensure examinations.