Book excerpt: Written by an experienced acupuncturist and educator, this advanced textbook provides strategies which support the foundational energy of a person, including their qi, blood, yin, yang and essence. The book takes an integrative approach, providing insightful recommendations relating to diagnosis and the construction of treatment plans. It shows how needling strategies are connected to rules of point selection, the point classification system, and nourishing the foundational energies of patients. Techniques such as bloodletting, gua sha and the eight extraordinary meridians are covered, and the book is supported by clear illustrations, chapter summary charts and template patient handouts. Ideal for use as a practical manual for practitioners of acupuncture, it is also useful as a student textbook.