I mostly loved this book, which talks about traditional Chinese remedies for mental health issues like brain fog, anxiety, depression and more. I appreciated the deep dive into the historical spiritual view of each issue, the herbal recommendations, the addition of acupressure and other remedies. I also really appreciated the references and mention of studies regarding the effectiveness of remedies.

The two factors that keep me from ordering this book for myself:

1. The herbs are generally only given by their Chinese names, other than occasionally when you learn that’s the name for cinnamon or oyster shell or whatever. I grow and forage the vast majority of the herbs I use for remedies and I don’t want to buy formulas. I do this for a multitude of reasons— it’s more sustainable and better for the environment than shipping things from the other side of the world, I can be sure of the purity of where they’re grown, it’s virtually free, and I believe that we are best served by what we live near. Cheng mentions many herbs that I can grow or forage like licorice root and American ginseng (grow this one, as it’s overharvested). Most of the time though, it’s a long list of only the Chinese names when it lists what’s in each blend.

2. Cheng purposely does not give dosage or mixing instructions, because she says you should buy the blends from Chinese herbalists and herbal companies. She does not even give proportions for you to buy individual herbs from them and mix your own even though many ingredients are used in multiple remedies and it could get expensive having to buy a lot of different blends. Since companies are just mixing them in the standard proportions themselves and sticking a label on them, I can’t see why the reader can’t be trusted to do the same. Cheng herself founded a company that sells these blends but I am much more a fan of herbalists who pass on their knowledge.

It’s a fascinating book and will be great for those who just want to know what to buy and what to try. Recommended.

I read a temporary digital loan of this book for review.

Like other comments, this is a interesting read and honestly it wasn't what I expected but I did appreciate how it was sectioned. The information and tips were nice as well.

I am quite impressed with how much I've learned from this book! I have always been interested in Chinese medicine for my own benefit, and this book gave me food for thought. There are many things to go back to in this book, when needed. Some of the herbs might be hard to get hold of, but otherwise I think this is brilliant. Many people could benefit from this book and the vast knowledge it provides.

I found this book both informative and easy to read. The contents cover insomnia, depression, anxiety, ADHD, brain fog and trauma. The illustrations are gorgeous. I would buy this as a present for anyone interested in Chinese energy or alternative healing.

Very interesting resource in Chinese medicine. I like that there are lots of graphics to represent the ideas and area of focus