Customer Reviews

Feng Shui For Architecture: How to Design, Build and Remodel to Create A Healthy and Serene Home

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I am very happy to write this review for Feng Shui for Architecture by Dr. Simona Mainini.

I found the book very practical in its applications and clear and concise in its style.

It has been also incredibly insightful during the process of renovating of our 4,000 sqf home here in Los Angeles and the construction of our vacation home in Scottsdale, AZ.

My architect couldn't agree more.

Although my husband was skeptical of Feng Shui because of the many 'hocus pocus' Feng Shui book we had read prior, he's now solidly convinced.

He particularly liked the approached to Feng Shui as a holistic science rather then religious self-help.

We couldn't take it anymore of bagua mirrors, hanging crystal and 'love' corners.

It is definitely the best book on the topic of Feng Shui and design I have ever read.

I plan to attend Dr. Mainini classes at UCLA this spring to learn more about this incredibly fascinating topic.

Highly recommended to those that are serious about creating the healthiest, happiest and most prosperous home for themselves and their family.

First of all, I'd like to say what a wonderful experience it has been reading Feng Shui for Architecture, How to Design, Build, and Remodel to Create a Healthy and Serene Home by Dr. Simona Mainini.

I have studied Feng Shui for many years while I was in Hong Kong with my husband and I found that Dr. Mainini captures the essence of these ancient teachings brilliantly. She also explains them superbly in layman terms for non-technical people who may be new to Feng Shui. This is indeed a great quality, not only of a writer, but of a Feng Shui Master as well. These are the reasons Dr. Mainini has been invited to speak at some of the most important and exclusive Feng Shui Conferences in both Asia and Europe and to teach at prestigious academical settings like UCLA Extension. She is not just any "generic" Feng Shui author.

I see from other reviews written that some readers expected a quick, cookie-cutter approach: just put a mirror here, put a crystal there, etc. Or advise to copy Chinese architecture, which doesn't fit American and European lifestyle. While the discipline of true Feng Shui is very powerful, it is also very subtle and has to be woven into the design masterfully so that blends in well with designers' and architects' work. In the end all can appreciate its beauty, yet none can truly point their finger at the actual "Feng Shui fix." Dr. Mainini accomplishes just that by leading the reader graciously through the understanding of the ancient scientific art of living in harmony with our environment and shows us how to use both to support us in our everyday lives through very practical applications.

The teachings can be applied to any size of house and for any style of design, as opposed to just giving random floor plans which would not fit most people's date of birth, lot, view, and lifestyle. Yet she is also not shy about advising people who are investing significant budgets towards building a new building or remodeling their homes to not hesitate in asking for help from a professional expert consultant if they must to help them ease the overall process and in the interest of getting the best final results.

I have found myself that to become really proficient in Feng Shui to the point of knowing what is really best to do in a new building takes many, many years of experience, and if you're building a new building you may not have much time for it.

For this purpose she also warns about unqualified practitioners, which I myself found one of the biggest challenges for those who are really interested in learning and applying the authentic principles of true scientific Feng Shui. She has been speaking up in this regards for a long time, perhaps creating a bit of a controversy and no doubt irritating those who like to call themselves "Master" without putting in the time and effort to truly become one. For this I really applaud her courage in holding our industry to a very high standard and encourage all people in it to do the same.

I wish all of you the enjoyment of reading this book as much as I did and hope you will also find it useful in creating a beautiful, harmonious, and successful living environment.

Namaste.

This book has been extremely inspirational to me and my colleagues. We are very impressed with the author's knowledge and experience. She brings a new pattern to design and new insights to the application of Feng Shui.

A clear direct line of logic that stays in your memory to put to use when you need it. Well done.

This book is not about architectural design. I bought this to gain knowledge about how to design my house. There is nothing to be learned about floor plan design. Also the author talks a lot about the need of getting a good feng shui consultant(herself I suppose)and is VERY stingy about giving out usefull information. Try Kartar Diamond's books if you want to know more about feng-shui, she is very candid in her writing and generous with her information. By the way, I used Eva Wong's books to help with the floor plan design of my house; it's easy to understand and she has a clear example of her own floor plan design.

The book is the longest in print so far about Feng Shui application to architecture and design. The author has been teaching for over 10 years at UCLA Extension, where this book is used as text book.

It is one of the few books that really address this disipline in a professional way, telling you right from the begining that Feng Shui is a discipline to create a holistic environment that effects your wellness and creativity, frames its contest, gives you the theory and moves on to practical applications.

I have the book in my reference library and use it all the time becasue I like to know I am doing it right. I like how it reads, like a manual, it covers the land and the landscape first, then the design of the house, then the colors and materials. It is very practical, very clear and very well explained.

I also use it for my friends when they buy a new house, as measuring stick to find a good building. It si defintely one of the most practical books on the topic I ever bought. Now that the kindle version is available, I can buy it as a gift for my friends too.

The author spends alot of time saying how much she knows about the subject. But in the end there is little delivered that you can put into practical use. And certainly almost nothing if you are an architect. If you have an existing structure there is nothing in here for you. Suggest you start with books by Eva Wong instead. And if you are looking for some real understanding of how chi flows through structures in a harmonic way one of the best books in English is Feng Shui: Environments of Power - A Study of Chinese Architecture. In that book you will at least find some diagrams of temple design and some hints about why certain joinery or architecture technique can produce beneficial results.

The title and subtitle promise a lot, and this book delivers even more. Mainini has done a fabulous job organizing and explaining, in a clear, precise manner, the principles of Feng Shui, the ancient Chinese art of placement for good energy flow as it applies to the places in which we live and work. Not only is this book great for the preparation of buildings, but it is extremely useful even if you are searching for an energetically superior apartment, house or office to rent. If you are looking for an invaluable source of feng shui information to help bring harmony to your living and working space and your life, this book is for you. I applaude Dr. Mainini for the publishing of this, her first book offering, and highly recommand it to those who want to learn more about this fascinating modality of healing.

Learn to think for yourselves rather than falling for another one of these books hook, line & sinker. Unfortunately, this book is another one of the Feng Shui books du jour with very little substance within its pages. If you're thinking of buying this book because you have a genuine interest in learning about feng shui, you will be very disappointed. This "book" is really better suited to a 500-word article in Family Circle magazine or Home & Garden. I was very, very disappointed, fortunately it was loaned to me at the doctors office so all I had to do was take it back at my next visit.

"The subject of Feng Shui is naturally interesting and intriguing, so to have a book that concisely explains the ideas and history so thoroughly is a valuable find. Dr. Mainini's book is that find.

Feng Shui for Architecture makes an excellent text and resource book as well as teaching guide because it is clear, informative and easy to read. It has such a natural manner of expression that it is as if the author is explaining the material verbally to the reader.

The book provides historical background and theory for Feng Shui and integrates other related practices. The theories are presented in a straight-forward manner, fully developed with thorough explanations, and visually clarified with pictures, diagrams and charts, then translated into specific practical instruction.

This book would be extremely helpful for homeowners, designers and architects, as well as a strong reference resource for public and private libraries."