Ayurveda is an Asian medical system which has its beginnings in India during approximately the sixth century bce and thrives even to the present-day.
Medical ideas underpin a great deal of Eastern thought especially Tantrism, alchemy, yoga and the science of love. The book is not intended as a series of health tips or as a textbook for the clinical practice of medicine, which in the Ayurveda tradition requires at least seven years intensive training. The book is aimed at students and lovers of South Asian culture, perhaps also anthropologists and others with a need for a straightforward introduction to the core principles of another scientific tradition.
The author was for several years an advanced student in the department of Oriental studies of Oxford University where his teacher was the late Professor B K Matilal, one of the foremost experts on Asian rational thought and logic.

Praise for first edition:
'The author's main purpose, introducing ancient Indian medical theory in a . . . trustworthy manner . . . while at the same time being intellectually challenging, is quite well served by this book.' Rahul Peter Das in Traditional South Asian Medicine Vol 6 2001

Ayurveda is an Asian medical system which has its beginnings in India during approximately the sixth-century BCE and thrives even to the present-day. Medical ideas underpin a great deal of Eastern thought especially Tantrism, alchemy, yoga and the science of love. The book is not intended as a series of health tips or as a textbook for the clinical practice of medicine, which in the Ayurveda tradition requires at least seven years intensive training. The book is aimed at students and lovers of South Asian culture, perhaps also anthropologists and others with a need for a straightforward introduction to the core principles of another scientific tradition.
The author was for several years an advanced student in the department of Oriental studies of Oxford University where his teacher was the late Professor B K Matilal, one of the foremost experts on Asian rational thought and logic.

Praise for first edition:
'The author's main purpose, introducing ancient Indian medical theory in a . . . trustworthy manner . . . while at the same time being intellectually challenging, is quite well served by this book.' Rahul Peter Das in Traditional South Asian Medicine Vol 6 2001