Little Chinese Medicine, Great Effects (1): Zhang Butao Prescribes Medicine

Author: Zhang Butao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: Last year, the Far Eastern Publishing Company contacted me, hoping to discuss various issues in traditional medicine through audio interviews to promote Chinese medicine in an accessible and easy-to-understand manner. For many years, I have been committed to the principles of Chinese medicine being "simple, convenient, affordable, and effective," aiming to help the general public move from ignorance and unfamiliarity to recognition, understanding, and eventually embracing Chinese medicine. I am well aware that changing deeply rooted and firmly held beliefs is often a thankless task, especially when relying solely on my own limited efforts. The journey has been particularly challenging, and knowing that some actions may be foolish yet necessary has been part of the process. However, driven by the courage and determination of "if you don’t do it today, you’ll regret it tomorrow," I readily accepted the opportunity. As a result, Far Eastern Publishing assigned Yi Zhao to visit, coming in once or twice a week for interviews of varying lengths. Yi Zhao is a highly accomplished graduate of National Taiwan University, who has worked as a journalist and has a deep passion for traditional medicine. Although the subject matter of Chinese medicine may be somewhat complex, his strengths outweigh his weaknesses, making him well-suited to ask questions about and understand Chinese medicine from the perspective of the general public. This small book was thus created, as it is not an academic classic but rather intended to promote and popularize Chinese medicine. I sincerely appreciate Far Eastern Publishing’s dedication to this effort and deeply thank my colleagues who supported the project. On the occasion of this book’s publication, I briefly outline its origins, which serves as this preface.