Customer Reviews

Feng Shui: Harmony by Design

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I was born in Southern California yet raised quite uniquely in the deep south, where the idea of crystals,burning incense and such things as blessing your living space are virtually unheard of. The gentle society I grew up in never taught people that "less is more" (referring to clutter). If anything, the Victorian age of clutter in your home was cherished above all. This book brought to me a philosophy that changing the furniture arrangement in your home, along with harmonious colors and adding plants, crystals and paintings on a specific wall in your home could change the energy in your life. It was an idea I was ready for and read the entire book in over two weeks where I thought it would take only one day. Many of the concepts have to be thought about and change is NOT easy. Even the book admits you cannot do all this in one day. Sometimes even the energy in the house will resist and changes should be made slowly. You are taught how to chart your rooms and even your house lot for harmony as well as given suggestions for solving any "problem" areas.

I ordered three other books along with this one and this is the best by far!! This practice of "less means more" really stuck home with me. Also, the placement of furniture is of paramount importance in Feng Shui. Nancy takes the beginner and advanced reader alike and walks them through the process of understanding and applying the principles and philosophy of this ancient Eastern practice in a way Western culture benefits from the knowledge. It made a firm believer out of me and I plan to purchase two more copies of this same book and give to my children as gifts! That's how impressed I was!

This book, and Kingston's "Clear Your Clutter" complement each other very well. The two books give a good understanding of the principles of Feng Shui and how your living space relates to your body and mental state.

There are two "schools" of thought in Feng Shui: the compass school is mainly oriented around complicated calculations that may involve things like your birthdate (much like doing a horoscope chart) while the "Black Hat" method is a more holistic approach based on Buddhism. I personally don't find much of interest in the compass school but the reader could check out Lillian Too's many books for examples of this style.

SantoPietro's book develops the "Black Hat" style starting from the fundamentals and progressing to some rather complicated "trancendental" cures. I suspect many readers will have difficulty believing that crystals hung in certain spots in their house may change their lives. However, if you start to explore aspects of Qi (chi, sort of like life force energy) then I bet you change your mind and look into fixing and/or augmenting Qi flow in your living space.

SantoPietro does not get into any of the related Qigong (Chikung) aspects of Feng Shui but there are many books available if you are interested in reading about this ancient healing art. I'd also recommend "Mindfulness in Plain English" or "Zen Training" for clearing the clutter in your head...

I particularly enjoyed reading her case studies and, again, I suspect that if even the "non-believer" starts with some of the simpler parts of Feng Shui he/she will probably see the immediate results and then progress to a deeper understanding of Qi later on.

Enjoy.

This book was AWESOME! It's perfect for people just getting started or people who just want to change their own home and life. It walks you step by step through your house and each room in it, and then some! It gives lots of basic "cures" in easy to understand language. It also has a great section on color usage and the chakras of the body, and touches the surface regarding healing crystals and aromatherapy. You can tell when some writers just have the gift within themselves to touch millions of lives... this book is like that! I can't wait for Nancy's second book coming this winter.

I decided I'd look into Feng Shui after attending a designers' review on the subject. I got this book, and now refer to it any time I decide to redecorate a room. We've now moved to another state and our house is a completely different layout, so I'm in the process of using this book to design it with Feng Shui harmony.

Harmony by Design by Nancy Santo Pietro is one of the very best books on Feng Shui. It is clear, concise, and beautifully written. I give it to friends when they express an interest in learning about Feng Shui.

This is the best, functional feng shui books out there.
One can easily, methodically study and become proficient at what seems, at first, like an overwhelming concept.

The basic bagua map and explanation are invaluable.

The problem solving section allows one to understand putting the remedies and concepts to practical application.
The cleansing rituals in the book are also helpful and meaningful for anyone who understands doing something with intention.

This is the end-all feng shui book!

This book has been most helpful in helping me to create a relaxing space in my home. Not only for me but my family. It gives advice on many things that can help one to stay calm and help others to feel welcome in our homes. Right down to the layout of your home! I love it!

This book is wonderful!! When I first started reading about Feng Shui, I found most books very confusing. When I discovered this book, I finally "got it!" This book walks you, step-by-step through the process of making your floorplan and making simple adjustments to your home. It was a huge help when we purchased a new home, and eventually I got so into Feng Shui, I trained as a consultant--with the author, Nancy SantoPietro! This book kicked it all off. I still rely on it as my Feng Shui Bible. I recommend it to anyone--newcomers to the field and professionals alike.

Fantastic book and full of understandable information. Made a real difference in atmosphere and feeling of our newly remodeled home. Placement of objects and colors truly do matter!