Welcome to my website. You can view pages on some of the projects I have juggled with in the past, from the setting up of Infinity Foods natural store back in the 1970s, the writing of Nature’s Foods – a simple natural foods cookbook, to the founding of The Journal of Chinese Medicine in 1979 (see also the JCM facebook page) and the co-authoring of A Manual of Acupuncture (published in 1988). Also some info on The Matzos – a klezmer band I used to play in – along with a couple of our tunes.
I have also posted links to some of my writings, both academic and creative and a website devoted to the biographies of my mother and maternal grandfather. And something NEW!!! – an occasional blog.
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Hi Peter, I was excited when I came across the picture of you juggling on your website. I’ve been studying for my boards over the summer and juggling has been a great way for me to take a break from the books. Since acupuncture has been on my brain, I’ve been thinking about similarities of the skills required to juggle and practice acupuncture. The sense that I have of stillness while giving (and receiving) an acupuncture treatment is so similar to that which I experience while juggling. I feel like learning to juggle could have a lot of benefits to practitioners of acupuncture. I’m interested to know if you have any thoughts on this subject.
Cheers, Jon
Hi Jon. My juggling days were mostly a long time ago but I do/did feel it’s good for hand/eye/brain co-ordination, left/right balance and fun. Plus it keeps teaching you that every next step which seems impossible gives way to practice. I juggled with Mazin Al-Khafaji – my co-author – and we both gave up when we reached the seeming brick wall of trying to pass clubs (to each other). It needed way more practice than we had time to give. best wishes Peter
Good day sir. My name is Larry Ward, I am a Chiropractic Physician in Tulsa, Oklahoma/USA. I have been perfoming AcP since 2007, and took a certification course in St. Louis Mo. in which they recommended your co-authored text: “A Manual of Acupuncture”. I have poured over your text for several years now, and am thankful to have it as a reference. It is a truely amazing work- Thank you, and your co-authors for its applicable utilization.
As I am researching an applicable use for a malady, I am remembered of a question I have had for a very long time, without an answer… I pose to you now.
When listing points as you do in the reference manual, a picture of that “point” is shown to illustrate it. Is that considered unilateral utilization for the result listed as shown, or lateral to the side of responsiveness, or bilateral usage as noted for the condition…
I would appreciate your clarity..
Dr. L
Hi Larry. A common rule is needle the same side for unilateral disorders and bilateral for systemic disorders. However there are many occasions when contralateral needling is used, not least when the diseased area is too painful/inflamed etc. to needle.
I am a student @ AIMC in Berkeley. I am working on a tv show called Du20. I am working with Dennis von Elgg and David Curso and many others. Would you be interested in being interviewed about your fabulous book? Please email me.
Hi Jonathan. Let me know how this would work … can you email me direct on peter@jcm.co.uk
Hi Peter, I´m MD from Argentina, first i wanna give you -and your co-author- the thanks for your marvelous book, is a huge work, inspiratng and useful, and i wanna consult you if your editorial is gonna translate to the spanish language, im so grateful to your work that i really like to participate in translating, if you agree.
Its such an honor can write in your page.!
Hi Rodrigo. No we have never been able to interest a publisher in a Spanish edition though the book is now in Portuguese. However we are (slowly) working on developing a Spanish version of the Manual iphone app. Peter
Hi Peter,
My name’s Tara and I currently practice in Kenya. I was wondering if you are ever going to be bringing out an android app for A Manual of Acu’ for us non Apple users. I find it such an invaluable reference tool but I work in various clinics around town and lugging the book all over the place is playing havoc with my back 🙂
P.S. my five year old son is a huge fan – our standard bedtime routine consists of him selecting various exciting looking points from the text and me reading about them…..and what tantrums if, heaven forbid, I suggest a storybook instead.
Hi Tara. Great news about you son … I think quite few students find the book sends them to sleep too. The digital world is changing so fast I can’t keep up with what our developers are telling me so at the moment I’m not sure about the app, but I can say that the full digital Manual content (what is currently on the Manual DVDRom) is being revised and upgraded and from June (fingers crossed) will be available as a web-based application which means it will be accessible on any device which can go online (as long as broadband is available of course). Out of interest, the places you work – do you have broadband access? best wishes Peter
Hi Peter. Really pleased to hear you will be making the content available online. Apart from the JCM there are so few reliable Acu resources out there. There is broadband access available at one of the more swanky clinics where I practice but most of the time I have to use my phone as a portable hotspot and connect my laptop / tablet that way which works though download speeds are incredibly slow. Is the content going to be available through a subscription or a one off fee?
Hi Peter, my Name is Olaf from Germany. I am studying Chinese medicine in a school of the AGTCM, which organize this big congress in Rothenburg every year. In school every teacher uses your book, so they tell us to do it too, because it should be the best one. So i tried it out and it is unbeliebable good! Thank you for your great work. But allow me one question. More and more students in our class are using ipads. I know there is an App, but do you plan to offer it in german language soon?i and all the others hope so. Thank you in advance for your great work.
Hi Olaf. Yes we are working on a German version of the app. If you’ve seen the English version you’ll know it’s a stripped-down version of the book … it has all the basic info, including images and point location videos, but does not include the commentaries. best wishes. Peter
Amazingly, while I was still in high school I used to buy Infinity health products at Greenberg’s grocers on the lower east side of Manhattan (late 60’s). It was one of the only places to get macrobiotic products in those days, and Infinity was one of the major brands along with Lima. There were no US companies yet selling organics. I remember Infinity tahini as being excellent. I’ve kept up the macrobiotics until today. .
Well, here’s a confession. It must have been 1971 when a few of us went off for a weekend in the countryside, partly with the mission of finding a name for our upcoming retail business. We went through hundreds of possibilities but in the end Infinity Foods was the winner – even though we knew there was a business called that in the US. So I guess we plagiarised the name. Not sure if the USA Infinity still exists but here Infinity – as befits its name – seems to grow and grow.
No, the American Infinity didn’t last long at all. . .the owners discovered Scientology and that was the end of it. . around the time The Incredible String Band got into it. .
Hi Peter,
I have heard so many wonderful things about you from my acupuncturist here in Alberta, Canada. I will be moving to London in September and asked her if she could recommend a good acupuncturist to me – she of-course mentioned you immediately; I am wondering if you still practise and if you do how I would go about making an appointment to see you and if not, if you could please recommend someone to me?
Thank you very much for your time,
Louisa
Hi Louisa. I am not available but I can recommend Inga Heese or Daniel Maxwell at the London Acupuncture Clinic (http://www.londonacupuncture.co.uk/practitioners.asp)
best wishes
Peter
Dear Peter,
Many thanks for your book ‘Manual of Acupuncture’ … oh and infinity foods. Grateful for your influence. Thank you.
I am a student at ICOM and heard your lecture at the conference last autumn, just a question relevant to my dissertation, which translation of the Guanzi Neiye 49 do you reccommend? My dissertation topic is on Jing.
Ioonah
Hi Ioonah. Actually the only translation I know is the Harold Roth one. best wishes
Peter
Many thanks, It is a fabulous text, very enjoyable to read. Meditating on this quality of vital essence and how this can be translated and understood in our culture, it is a very broad subject. I first found a different translation at SOAS library. Roth is a good one. Thank you
Ioonah
Hi there Peter. I would just like to say that my boyfriend picked up a copy of your book ‘Nature’s foods’ in a charity shop and I’ve just been reading it and could not resist finding out more about you and really wanted to just let you know how truly amazing I think this book is. It’s so simple, natural, to the point, and has given me lots of fantastic ideas regarding food. It’s a shame this book is out of print in some ways… I really think more people should be able to read it! Will this be possible? I’m only 27 years old and can see that you wrote the book in the 70s, but it seems so ahead of its time I guess, in some ways. I absolutely love it! And I guess my point in this message is just to thank you for writing such a beautiful book! Mia 🙂
Dear Mia
You’ll think it strange getting a reply from me after all this time but I’ve only recently discovered that my website messages have not been getting through to me. I’m really pleased you like Nature’s Foods. In some ways it’s very dated but in others – as you say – ahead of its time. It has been reprinted recently and is available at https://www.jcm.co.uk/natures-foods.html
best wishes, Peter
HI Peter, I bought your acupuncture manual for my cell phone in february 2016. It was working fine until 2 weeks ago start with problems. I could not see the videos especially the ones concerning the stomach channels. Please help me.
Hi Enrique. Please can you contact our support team: support@amanualofacupuncture.com
best wishes
Peter
I can’t contact support team. I think if possible to allow me to download again the program. Thanks.
Please email me direct (peter@jcm.co.uk) with details of your problem and I will forward it to the support team. Can you conform that you have tried emailing support@amanualofacupuncture.com?
Hi! I email previously cause I can’t see the videos . It was perfectly well for 2 weeks. Told to contact support, this was impossible. I suggested if application could be downloaded again. Received e-mail that this could be done. #8217. Please help me.
Hi Peter,
I’m currently doing a research project on Chinese Medicine. Would you mind sharing your credentials with me? I am supposed to critically evaluate my sources, one being The Journal of Chinese Medicine.
Thanks,
Sarah
Sarah. What do you mean by credentials? Peter
Hello Peter and Blessings.
I came across an original 1973 copy of your book ,’Nature’s Food’, all hand bound.
I’ve been reading with great interest.
Kindest Regards
Tammy
Hi Tammy. Well it’s very much of its time but its heart is in the right place.
That’s one of the original ones – published by our local beatnik bookshop Unicorn Books.
best wishes
Peter