Booktalk: Body Maps with Lan Li, PhD

We’re excited to share that author Lan Li, PhD will be joining us soon for a special book talk on her work, Body Maps.

This visually rich and thought-provoking book explores the history of anatomical images and body mapping across Chinese medicine and biomedicine, raising important questions about how the body has been understood, represented, and interpreted over time.

In Body Maps, Lan challenges the idea that Chinese medicine lacks anatomy, instead revealing a long tradition of anatomical thinking expressed through images, texts, and clinical practice. The book traces how concepts like the meridians (jingluo 經絡) have been compared to the nervous system, and how these comparisons have been shaped by translation, culture, and evolving scientific frameworks.

Drawing on sources that span centuries, her work opens up a broader conversation about the body—not as a fixed structure, but as something dynamic, relational, and deeply embedded in cultural and philosophical context. It’s a compelling read for anyone interested in Chinese medicine, history of science, or the conceptual foundations of clinical practice.

Copies will be available for purchase and signing, and one complimentary copy will be raffled off.

You can also read the full text online, or purchase a discounted print copy here:

https://bodymaps-book.com/More details, including RSVP information, will be shared soon—stay tuned!

1 Professional Development (PD) hour will be recorded for current students who attend.

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Host or Publisher Yo San University