Hey! i couldn't resist chiming in! I have the book you speak of Nicole- It's a really good one! I had no idea until I worked for an acupuncture clinic about 6 years ago that there were so many different styles an forms of chinese medicine. The five element theory and then there's even Japanese, French and Korean styles of acupuncture - all a little different. I worked as a massage therapist and assistant and many of my fellow co workers were students at the adjoining school of chinese medicine across the street. One of them told me that school was tremendously difficult but endlessly facinating. He said when a master of chinese medicine - one such teacher trained since he was 4 years old- Jeffrey Yuen- look him up! came to guest teach at the school that they would realize exactly HOW MUCH they did not know. I think he said something like- at the end of the first year you get this "glimpse" into what chinese medicine is- the second year - you start applying those  concepts you glimsped and then you realize how much you don't know! It's a struggle. Then by the middle of the fourth year you start to grasp more of the patterns of disharmony coming together! It is a such a endless challenging  learning field- like you study it your whole life! I think in many ways it just as challenging as medical school- perhaps even more so. We should post a list of books that have helped us or empowered us to know more about our health and our condition and how to stay healthy!  Mary