Feng Shui: Environments of Power - A Study of Chinese Architecture [Hardcover]

Evelyn Lip (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 31, 1995

Detailed study of Chinese architecture examines some of the most powerful buildings and landscape gardens of Beijing and Chengde, China.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Literally "wind and water," feng shui is a Chinese belief system dedicated to finding harmonious siting plans for buildings by taking into account the metaphysics of energy flow, geography, and a complex calculation of time cycles and the influence of the five elements of the cosmos. Architectural historian Lip has written an information-packed introduction to classical Chinese architecture replete with diagrams, photographs, and her own beautiful brush paintings. After a detailed dissection of the way Chinese structures function, she explains the core concepts of feng shui and then examines actual Ming and Qing temples and palaces in terms of their placement and structure. British feng shui consultant Master Lam Kam Chuen has produced a more practical book designed with the homeowner or apartment dweller in mind. Short text blocks are interspersed with vivid watercolor examples of siting and energy flow, with tips for improving the harmony of many common living situations. Although he cautions that without the services of a good geomancer we are dealing with a simplified knowledge of feng shui, he gives such hints as how to assure restful sleep by solidifying the tortoise placement of our beds and how to avoid a stagnant social life by not locating dwellings on cul de sacs. Journalist Lagatree provides a very quick and simple overview of feng shui. Oriented primarily to interior rearrangements rather than house sitings, the book might provide tips for realtors dealing with Chinese buyers or advice for designers who do not want to imperil clients, but it doesn't provide a thorough grounding for readers new to an intricate and foreign way of looking at the physical spaces that surround them. Because of its historical insights and in-depth analyses, Lip's book would be appropriate for academic libraries while Chuen's thorough but readable advice would be the best choice for general readership.
David McClelland, Temple Univ. Lib., Philadelphia
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 129 pages
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons (August 31, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1854904272
• ISBN-13: 978-1854904270
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #225,913 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #75 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Personal Health > Stress > Feng Shui

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good resource, October 19, 2010

By 

blue jaguar (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Feng Shui: Environments of Power - A Study of Chinese Architecture (Hardcover)

This is one of the few books in English to give a glimpse as to how Chinese style architecture (temple design) can produce beneficial effects on the environment and humans. Most books on Feng Shui are from the fad perspective and are more interior embellishments, often poorly done and hardly resembling true Feng Shui. This book is for those who want to begin to understand the energetics of shape and function and how they interact with energy. Suggest you also find out about BioGeometry TM by Dr. Ibrahim Karim of Egypt.

2 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Feng Shui: Environments of Power for Better Architecture, May 14, 2000

By 

noel palacio (Phillipines) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Feng Shui: Environments of Power - A Study of Chinese Architecture (Hardcover)

The book really does have ways on how to make a better living