About the Authors

John McDonald is one of Australia's foremost acupuncture educators and writers. Over the last twenty-five years of teaching and practice he has held academic positions in six colleges. He has been dean of Traditional Chinese Medicine at the New South Wales College of Natural Therapies and head of the acupuncture department at the Brisbane College of Traditional Acupuncture and Natural Therapies. Currently John is curriculum consultant and senior lecturer in the acupuncture department at the Australian College of Natural Medicine, Brisbane, the first private college in Australia to be government-accredited to offer a Bachelor of Health Science in Acupuncture. John wrote four of the new subjects for the degree application as well as contributing substantially to the degree documentation process. He received his Diploma in Acupuncture in 1973 and his Bachelor of Acupuncture from The International College of Oriental Medicine in The Netherlands in 1978. He is also a Registered Psychiatric Nurse in Queensland. In addition, John has written many fine articles on acupuncture for various magazines and acupuncture journals and has lectured extensively throughout Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, South America and North America. John also maintains a successful acupuncture practice on the Gold Coast.

Dr. Joel Penner is a graduate of The University of California at Berkeley. He spent several years in the entertainment industry prior to returning to school to study Oriental Medicine. Dr. Penner received his initial training at Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Medicine in Santa Monica, California and received his Doctorate from SAMRA University in Los Angeles. He is licensed as an Acupuncturist by the State of California.

Dr. Penner has been active in the Oriental Medicine Community on many levels. In addition to operating a successful practice in Los Angeles, he served on the board of directors and was Treasurer of The California Association of Oriental Medicine. He is also past president of The Center for Oriental Medical Research and Education.

Dr. Penner is also a noted author, lecturer and teacher. He is a Professor of Oriental Medicine and has served on the faculties of Yo San University of Oriental Medicine, SAMRA University and Emperor's College where he also served as chairman of the Department of Herbology.