Feng Shui: Harmony by Design [Paperback]

Nancy Santopietro (Author), Lin Yun (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Once a theme, trend, or idea has appeared in the national media, chances are it will soon infiltrate bookstores and influence at least a few metropolitan sophisticates. Feng shui, or the 4,000-year-old Eastern art of creating harmony in interior and exterior design, is no exception. Articles and books on balanced decorating emerged in the early 1990s; now almost every home magazine has boasted a feature or two on the topic. Where former psychotherapist SantoPietro adds to the literature is in her practical applications of feng shui. For one, there's a complete chapter on low-cost^-high-gain design, with such tips as avoiding blank walls and removing sharp edges. Five client stories, including before and after floor plans, are presented in detailed narratives. Charts on colors and properties of gemstones, crystals, and aromatherapy oils, among others, enhance readers' not-so-mystical acquisition of knowledge about this Chinese art. In step with the decade's movement toward home nesting. Barbara Jacobs

Product Description

Offers an easy-to-follow workbook, designed to help readers locate the ""power spots"" in their homes and adjust ch'i to maximize harmony, improve wealth, enhance a relationship, and much more.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Perigee Trade; 1st edition (December 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399522395
• ISBN-13: 978-0399522390
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #443,628 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

86 of 86 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a must have for your home or office library!, October 14, 1998

By	[e-mail] (northern ca) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Feng Shui: Harmony by Design (Paperback)

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.

80 of 80 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely a must have book on this topic!, October 12, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Feng Shui: Harmony by Design (Paperback)

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!

83 of 85 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very good guide..., November 27, 2000

By	Yuri Kuzyk "zentao" (Toronto, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Feng Shui: Harmony by Design (Paperback)

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.