69 of 73 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Feng Shui for Apartment Living, April 10, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Feng Shui for Your Apartment (Feng Shui Series) (Paperback)
I returned to New York City from a two month spiritual "vision quest" in Nepal and Thailand where I became interested in learning about Feng Shui. I bought Mr. Webster's book from "my" spiritual bookstore and read the entire book that night. As a beginner I found it to be clear and easy to follow. Within two days I had learned (1)where each area (money, fame, family, marriage, etc.) were in my apt., (2) that in fact my building and apartment were compatible with my element, and (3) I cleared the energy in my studio apartment, charged and properly activated each area. Within two months I adopted my wonderful dog (quite by "accident"), met my current wonderful boyfriend, and went back to my well paying job.
I have since lent the book to friends as a great introduction to Feng Shui. In fact, I am currently reading another book by Mr. Webster entitled "Spirit Guides & Angel Guardians". I didn't know it was by the same author until after I bought it. It, too, is clear and each to follow.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Better books ...short book...but a long review, July 26, 2005
This review is from: Feng Shui for Your Apartment (Feng Shui Series) (Paperback)
There are many books that do much better. If you are looking for anything that diverts from mainly speak to home or condo owners but rather to fixed/unrenovatable apartment renters...find another book!. Since so many books on Feng Shui are directed to home owners or buyers who can renovate at will...this "Apartment Living" is a definite hook. The "catchy title" routine strikes again in this case.
The book starts off with the usual/general information about Feng Shui; a bit of historic lore and then to the elememts, cycles and so forth. However...it then goes into what is the first real chapter pertaining to the subject. "Choosing an Apartment Building". Its a bit shallow but its not really the subject of the book and thus need not be more than basic. While apartment dwellers usually are the "beggars can't be choosers" the chapter encourages Form Feng Shui which is can be very handy even to apartment dwellers before renting. Certain things can be taken into account even if you must get a place that is not the best building you would desire.
The next chapter is "Your Most Positive Directions"...which is basically about the trigram and figuring out personal Kua numbers and names...which basically relate to the eight compass directions.
But, why was this not in the beginning of the book with the Feng Shui basics section?....makes no sense after the "choosing a building" to know the ones "most positive directions".
The next chapter is "Inside the Apartment"..its a total of FOUR pages!!...in which we are told a bunch of shoulds for how an apartment should be..e.g..."Front door should not directly face windows". Its ok!..and great that the shoulds and nots are mentioned..but for an apartment dweller then what?. The author unfortuntely does this thoroughout the book. The author does save the reader here and there with a few remedies...ad nauseum Pa-kua mirrors, chimes, some bamboo flutes, and a hanging crystal or two he suggests for nearly everything and every scenario he offers of course calls for these.
The next chapter is "Positive and Negative Locations" in which we are presented with two methods:
The first using the "Magic Square" is basically finding the Kua names and thus the direction for your living space by using its sitting/facing direction. This book stresses sitting direction. Basically, it doesn't matter if you use sitting or facing as both are relative to each other. It all boils down to as follows:
*If your door is an East Group..then the West locations are the "bad" ones..and the East the "good". The same goes if you're an East group Kua.
*If your door is an West Group then the East locations are the "bad" ones..and the West the "good". Same goes if you're a West group Kua.
The author then goes on to instruct the reader to superimpose the "Magic Square" over the floorplan of their apartment. However, now that you've finally let the reader know, after the fact!, that they need a "floorplan"..now they have to go make one. This whole floorplan approach can be annoying and time consuming for some people. On the other hand it can be a great education and learning tool if its done properly and if the person is able to do it on their own..these latter issues are never really taken into account with the floorplan idea in most Feng Shui books.
We've already, by the use of sitting/facing direction, figured out where the eight compass directions fall in terms of ones living space. The superimpose is repeatious but also a visual using Kua names/directions.
The second method which the author calls "Aspriations of the Pa-Kua"..otherwise, known as the Black Hat "Ba-Kua Map". This method is static in comparison to the first method. It uses the "Magic Square" ..number "1" placement for the front or beginning of anything.
All this hoopla about not using a compass..when that is exactly what you are doing but without the compass itself...either way you are using something to guide you...why not just get a basic compass and figure it out..see it for..experience it..understand it..for yourself..not just "superimpose".
Two setbacks with this book is that 1) one method or the other could have been presented ..or in two seperate chapters. Otherwise its is very confusing, especially for beginners. 2) the methods' information is presented AFTER...the "Choosing a Building" and "Inside the Apartment". Whats the point?.
The next chapter is "Individual Rooms"..again theres the shoulds that are nice but nothing really apartment dweller can do if a toilet is structurally not in good Feng Shui. Again are the pat remedies of ba-kua mirrors and such. Nothing new..and nothing so specific to apartments that isn't said when addressing home owners in any other Feng Shui book. This book has the usual dos and don'ts. Many cultures share the same or similar dos/don'ts (e.g. no feet to door or window..too much like the dead/corpses). Most books I've read on Feng Shui seem to just repeat things that are branded as "superstitions".. but spend little time in any explaination or even theroy as to the deeper workings.
The next chapter is "Studio Apartment"...FOUR pages!...nothing that doesn't really apply to a regular room anywheres, in terms of Feng Shui.
The next chapter is "Conducting a Feng Shui Evaluation" basically two case histories of people in apartments .. nothing you can't find in a general Feng Shui information addressed to homes.
The next chapeter is "Furniture Placement". Ok..whats its doing after the evaluation chapter!??.
The last chapter is "Feng Shui Problems"..(yes this book being one of them)..much of what is said could be in the beginning of the book information and is also very repetitious. The rest of the book is basically supplemental; chinese astrology animal names/birth info...index.
It makes use of the "Aspiration of Pa-Kua" or the Black Hat "Ba-Kua Map"..mainly. The focus is more on pat cures and relative things to place in ones "family or weath location". Two small credits to the author/book 1)is the use of the words "area or locations" instead of "corner"...as all places do not end up as corners. 2) There are drawings in the book as visual reference. The author makes no real use of the personal Kua number/element in relation to the space...The five elements open the book..but thrown to the back of the book is an almost last minute rush like information on the elements. The author makes no use of colors, shapes, and deeper Feng Shui priciples in relation to the space. Makes basic use of the "good/auspicious" or "bad/ inauspicious" directions ..a light here and crystal there and then its all fine.
Overall the book is a farce..disjointed...presented backwards half the time which gives an crammed information disoriented feeling...poorly organized does not help...has nothing really original to offer..much less for "Apartments"..you can find better books.
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