Customer Reviews

Swahili Chic: The Feng Shui of Africa

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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This is an incredible coffee table book. The book features histories and pictures from eastern Africa. The pictures are beatiful and feature visions of Africa that few people realize exist. In addition to pictures of beautifully restored villas, there are histories, stories and wonderful African quotes. If you love Africa, or just enjoy the exotic, this is a good book.

Here is a gift book that you can't go wrong with. There were so many prize stickers on the cover of Swahili Chic at the book shop that I had to ask for one without any. There were two BENJAMIN FRANKLIN BOOK AWARDS for Best Travel Book and Best Multi-Cultural Book. AND, it won four USA BEST BOOK AWARDS - including Best Travel Book, Best Interior Design Book, Best Photography Book and Best Website. Having competed against hundreds of other books, Swahili Chic is now at the top of my holiday present list for my favorite travel and style bookofiles.

This is an amazing book! The Swahili style is so beautiful that it is hard to believe that this is the first coffee-table book on the subject. I can't say it better than Richard Leakey, the famous paleontologist and past Director of Wildlife and Conservation of Kenya wrote in his introduction to the book, "The beautiful photographs in this book are wonderful testimony to the skill and sensitivity of the author who has produced something quite different from the run of the mill publications on East Africa." It is interesting to note that he also points out that this 2,000 year-old architectural style is a prime example of sustainable architecture that offers interesting lessons to anyone interested in Green Living.

I have many books on African decor and this is a great addition to my collection. In addition to showing different estates, I liked how the author showed photos of the Swahili people so that the reader does not lose touch of the originators of this design style. I can't wait to travel there!

What a wonderful surprise to have found that the author/photographer has included simple local dwellings that also exemplify Swahili style. They are dignified and beautiful in their own rights.

Finally, a wonderfully inspiring book that focuses on the beauty of Africa! This is one of the most beautifully written and designed book that I have seen about East Africa. It is much more than a travel book or a style book. It is a very thoughtful meditation on the spirit and soul of the Swahili people. I especially enjoyed the combination of interior design photography with awesome portraits of Swahili people and the mix of insightful editorial with traditional proverbs. Reading between the lines and in the expressions of the people, you can tell that the author established a deep connection with the Swahili people based upon mutual respect and appreciation. If you can't afford to buy the book, you should take advantage of the preview on the author's website, [...], which also contains several very interesting videos.

In these days when there is so much misunderstanding about Muslims, this is a book that deserves a prominent place on anyone's bookshelf. I found it fascinating to learn how the very distinctive style of the Swahili is a reflection of their unique expression of Islam. Remember when there was so much angst about whether or not Barack Obama was Muslim? No one ever bothered to point out that no religion, including Islam, can be discussed without examining the local context. The author, Bibi Jordan, does a very good job of explaining how Swahili culture is a blend of Islamic values from the Arabs mixed with traditional shamanism from Africa. She presents this through photographs and explanations of some of the most romantic interior design that I have ever seen. I highly recommend this book as a timely gift for anyone interested in world culture, home décor, or travel.

This book not only had many interesting ideas for decorating in African syle but also captured much of what is so appealing to Europeans and visitors about these islands. Having lived on Lamu for some time, I always have a hard time describing it to peolple who had never been there. Now i just show them this book. While other souces would be necessary to understand the intricate history and ethnology of the Arab- African mix that created the Swahili-speaking islands and their vibrant indigenous culture; this book is a wonderful view of the resulting style and how it can be adapted to western life styles. I have many African syle/decore books and this is one of the best- recommended.

Delighted to receive this great book in prime condition
and in expedient fashion.