Customer Reviews

Feng Shui Step by Step : Arranging Your Home for Health and Happiness--with Personalized Astrological Charts

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I have read a lot of books on feng shui, and this was the most useful of all. The author methodically walks you through each step, in an in-depth manner. Most feng shui books tell you to "put something there, put something here" but this book tailors everything to YOU THE READER. It starts out with basic Chinese astrology charts (I was skeptical but patient). After that, you work with your own floor plan and possible colors and furniture arrangement. The chapter that was most meaningful to me was on clutter, and the relationship of clutter to problems in your life. Lo and behold, we had clutter in each financial corner of every room in our house. As soon as I read it, I dropped the book, jumped up and cleaned out each corner (you'll have to read the book to find out which corner of each room that is). Our financial worries are vastly reduced since that time 3 months ago, and I've gone to apply the principles quite seriously. Even my little children know not to let things pile up in the corners because Mommy says its "bad luck."

This is the best book yet I've read about feng shui, and I have about five other books on this subject. The author explains everything so that any idiot can understand how to make their home more feng shui. So easy to understand now with straight forward steps that other books just don't give.

This is a good introduction to both the concepts and techniques of feng shui. While it does lack some of the background and detail of the meaning of feng shui, it gets you started quickly and guides you through the analysis of your space, so you can begin to experience the effects of being more aware of your surroundings and their influence on your daily existence. Good job!

I'm neither lazy nor stupid. I have tried to read many books on Feng Shui with very little success. I am someone who has never been exposed to the Chinese culture (except in restaurants). This book provided a great start. Being a computer person, I love the methodical approach, the worksheets, and the charts. I highly recommend this book.

I don't really have a strong basis for comparison, but I believe this is a fairly good book about Feng Shui. It provides worksheets and a good deal of information specific to the reader. After reading it, I have a good idea of what I need to do to make my living space more, well, livable. It was interesting to see too that several things suggested in the book were already present in my home.

My only concerns with the book are in that it may be too simplified. One of the methods for diagnosing your space is to use a "stick figure" with the head in the doorway and the body extended across the living space. The book doesn't really make it clear if you are supposed to use a basic outline of your space or if it should include the walls present in your home. The examples help a little bit, but a lot of the diagnosing methods are up to the interpretation of the reader.

Other than that, I believe it is a good introduction to Feng Shui. It certainly piqued my curiousity and I will strive to learn more on the subject.

This book is awesome!! I have no idea what the disgruntled reader below would recommend - either pshyciatric treatment or flying someone in from China to do your house, I guess. I feel the author's command of Chinese really helped interpret Feng Shui in terms that Americans can both understand and immediately apply!! Rock On!!

I can't begin to tell you how many books I own or have borrowed regarding Feng Shui... I kept getting confused with each book. However - Raphael's step by step approach made it really simple and basic. I have donated all the other books but refuse to let my friends borrow the Step by Step one -they can buy it for themselves!

Excellent book for a beginner. Very clear instructions on how to set up a room or a whole house. I recommend this book as a starter course. If you don't want to buy more than one, make it this one.

Feng Shui Step by Step is a book of some 200 or more pages...most of which are informative and useful. The book is a good size so you don't get that small print overpacked info feeling when reading. The author invests ample explanation clear and understandable about the basics. It doesn't have a lot of boring introduction but gets straight to it without skipping essentials. The introduction actually has a handy "Personal Data" sheet in which you can write down all your relavent information for organize and clear reference. While it gives the read a taste of what is to come with the "personal data" sheet..what good does it do there so early in the book?. It Better off as a tearout if itis going to situated right at the start or it could be within or after all the necessary information.

The first 85 pages including the intro proves the reader with a sturdy foundation. There are drawings for visual reference througout the book. "The Five Elements" chapter goes through each element in detail via the subheading: Your Season of Birth, Mental and Physical States, Occupations, Shapes and Colors, Weather, Flower, Directions in Space, and Parts of the Home. In this chapter also you learn about the cycles. There are "Excerices" after each chapter.

The next chapter "The Nine Stars" is where the reader is introduced to finding their Kua number or Birth Star. The author maintains consistancy with what has been introduced in prior pages. Each Birth Star is dealt with in detail via subheadings. His subheading approach is very helpful as it provides a clean and organized view for the reader. Also in this chapter you learn about your doorway directions and how to harmonize. The following chapter after these is for harmonizing the situation for two people.

The next parts of the book "Diagnostic Methods" involves staking out your space. The author has been up to now basically following Compass School. He is better off staying with this as it is by far the most useful, clear, and accurate method in the book. Using this method we learn about applying colors to balance areas. The other two methods are "The Eight Point Method" and "The Stick Figure Method". As a very basic beginners excercise the stick figure approach is cute and interesting since it correlates with health/the body with areas your space. I can see how that works..but thats as far as it goes.

The Eight Point is none other that a watered down Black Hat Ba-gua. Whats even worse is that the author suggests "reassigning" the eight points to take up more space if it doesn't fit your floorplan as it should. This is fraught for problems, unprofessional, and regresses. Not to mention that this "Eight Point Method" has NO HEALTH section...how great is that!?. Black Hat often puts Health as center of the trigram ..however that works. The stick figure methods also uses the eight points..not recommeded.

The remainder of the book addresses spacial and placement issues decently via several chapters. Its not heavy on the cures approach but deals with it sparingly or generally..e.g "Lighting and Mirrors". It also deals with case scenarios (which are given according throughout the book as well) with more than one person living in a space. Each persons' "Personal Data" and their doorway are taken into account. The end of the book deals with a case scenario in "Making a New Home and Alterations"..which is good for those especially in the position to do so. Also miscellaneous adjunct information is offered. In the back Appendices...are charts and visuals that basically repeat the info given earlier but in a more comprehensive; full circle way.

This is is good to have around in terms of its sturdy information and consistancy throughout the book. It doesn't seem to loose itself much..expect for the "Methods" section. Its good on how to understand and apply the elements and directions to your space. The author is more focused on the color interior design, however, he does offer other decorating guidelines in the opening chapters.

Advanced folks would already know much of what this books has to say..so its a good one for advanced beginners to the novice. It will keep them very busy for starters!.

I borrowed this book from a friend long ago and appreciate the writer incorporating astrology with feng shui practices. I am pleased to finally have my own copy. It's invaluable information