This is the culmination of Giovanni Maciocia's 30-year clinical experience in his busy clinic using both acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. As Giovanni highlights in the introduction to the book, the greatest strength of Chinese medicine does not lie in its theories but in the placing of the patient at the centre of the clinical encounter. Diagnosis is at the heart of this encounter. Giovanni has dedicated his professional life to transmitting his clinical skills and to preserving the most subtle (and difficult) aspects of the diagnostic process in Chinese medicine, such as tongue and pulse diagnosis.

The book combines a detailed analysis of clinical manifestations, comprehensive quotations from the classics with the nuggets of wisdom from Giovanni's clinical experience. Of the features of Giovanni's diagnostic work is the capacity to adapt Chinese medicine's diagnostic process to the realities of Western patients. For this reason, the list of symptoms and signs in Part 5 of the book contains many symptoms that are typical of Western patients and that are not found in Chinese books (e.g. "Craving for sweets","Hyperactivity in children", etc.). 

The book is divided into four Parts dealing with the traditional four aspects of the Chinese diagnostic process, i.e. Observation, Interrogation, Palpation and Hearing/Smelling. In addition to this, Part 5 lists the symptoms and signs independently of whether they are elicited from observation or interrogation. This allows the practitioner to quickly consult the book when confronted with a patient displaying a particular symptom: Part 5 on Symptoms and Signs will list the patterns giving rise to that particular symptom. A comprehensive index of symptoms and signs will then allow the practitioner to delve deeper into that symptoms in the Parts of Observation or Interrogation. 

The contents include:

• Diagnosis by Observation
• Diagnosis by Interrogation
• Diagnosis by Palpation
• Diagnonis by Hearing and Smelling
• Symptoms and Signs
• Identification of Patterns

Special features of the book include:

• The book is richly illustrated with many colour photographs and figures.
• The book has a very long and detailed section on pulse diagnosis that does not only give the reader the classical pulse qualities but also Giovanni's unique insights on this difficult art.
• The Chinese diagnostic process is adapted to Western patients in a way that will make it easy for readers to relate it to their clinical practice.
• Unparalleled depth of information.
• Clear outline of the decision-making process in key situations to help readers through the most challenging clinical situations.
• Logical organization so that readers can quickly find the information they need in clinical situations.