Anyone who wants to go serious in Feng Shui should have my job
– you get books sent to you for reviews! The bad part is that you will
have other responsibilities cropping up at the oddest hours and that basically
leaves you with very little time to sit down, read the books and then write
the reviews. So my sincerest apologies to the authors and publishers who sent
me your books – I will certainly review them before year-end.
 |
| Title |
: |
Feng
Shui In 5 Minutes |
| Author |
: |
Selena
Summers |
| ISBN |
: |
0738702919 |
| Publisher |
: |
Llewellyn
Publications; 1st edition (December 2002) |
| Type |
: |
Soft
cover paperback |
| Price |
: |
US$12.95 |
|
| TABLE
OF CONTENT |
| 1.
Welcome to the Mysterious Art of Feng Shui |
2.
The Nine Celestial Cures |
| 3.
Ancient Secrets of the Ba-Gua |
4.
Harmonious Homes & Workplace Locations |
| 5.
Happy Home and & Workplace Designs |
6.
Good Feng Shui, Room by Room |
| 7.
Good Feng Shui, Room by Room (Continued) |
8.
Transform Your Apartment’s Energy |
| 9.
Workplace & Office Success |
10.
The Four Protective House Spirits |
| 11.
Landscape Enchantment |
12.
Water Wisdom |
| 13.
The Colour of Good Feng Shui |
14.
Magic Feng Shui Rituals |
| 15.
Strange and Spooky |
16.
Yin Moonlight and Yang Daylight |
| Appendix
: Discover Your Birth-Year Element |
Index |
The publisher, Llewellyn Publications kindly sent me a copy
of Ms. Summer’s book, Feng Shui in 5 Minutes for review, which is a best
seller in the land down under. Ms. Summers has had a column on Feng Shui for
the Australian edition of ‘Woman’s Day’ since 1992 and has
appeared on radios and television programmes in Australia. Her book, Feng Shui
in 5 Minutes is also available in a Spanish version, Feng Shui: Practico Y Al
Instante.
The book is printed on recycled paper and contains 240 pages.
It’s written in a Q & A format which is quite easy to understand and
very conversational.
Sample
Q&A:
- Ahem – I want to get richer. Can Feng Shui help? (Chapter One,
page 3)
Yes! The ancient Chinese wise men were as interested as we are in getting
richer. Feng Shui tells you about secret “money magnet” sites
that invites wealth, and what house designs send money running out he backdoor
faster than it can come in.
You’ll discover hundreds of little-known tips to rush prosperity to
your doorstep.
- What part of the kitchen stove predicts family wealth? (Chapter 6, page
84)
The number of burners on your stovetop reveals all. The more burners,
the wealthier you will become! Feng Shui says there’s an intimate connection
between your stove, food and wealth – this even reflects in the Chinese
words for food and wealth.
- Where should I place my dragon statue? (Chapter Thirteen, page 156)
When you stand at your front door looking out, position your dragon on
the left-hand side- the side the Dragon House Spirit guards. Many people with
open fireplaces like to place these fire-breathing creatures by the hearth.
Others prefer their dragons near the entrance of their home.
 According
to Ms. Summers, she practices the Dragon Door Feng Shui which she learnt from
a Professor Vincent Wu from Hong Kong. The good part about this is that it’s
very easy to learn and implement. The doubtful part is that I nor any of the
other Feng Shui practitioners I asked have heard this method mentioned before
in classical Feng Shui.
As mentioned earlier, Ms. Summers employed a Q&A (Question
and Answer) format for this book. Her style is very informal and conversational,
hence making it very easy for beginners to grasp her Feng Shui ideas and recommendations.
The questions in the book were quite funny and witty as well – take this
question for example, “Groan. My sore back makes me feel older than Confucius.”
 The
chapters are well-organised and focus on specific issues and areas, such as
the workplace, living room, kitchen, hallway, bedrooms and so on. This is also
one of the few books I’ve come across to provide tips for those living
in apartments. Comprehensive illustrations are included for better understanding,
and some tips came from Ms. Summers’s real-life experiences from her years
in the industry.
There are many methods and applications in this book which I
have not heard of before, such as the Nine Celestial Cures. There seems to be
a lot of Chinese culture and beliefs incorporated in her system, and one of
her illustrations uncannily resembles a Black Hat style Ba-Gua.
 The
final part of the book, the appendix guides you to your element based on your
year of birth. Here, Ms. Summers reveals some basic characteristics of the elements,
for example, “Those born under Metal are usually goal oriented and independent,
with a flip side of rigidity.” In this aspect, I would think of this as
Chinese astrology and not Feng Shui. Nevertheless it is quite enlightening for
those who do not know their birth-year element.
Conclusion : Ms. Summers’s Feng Shui in 5 Minutes is quite
a pleasant read, with her using very creative ideas on improving one’s
home. However it is not a system that classically trained Feng Shui practitioners
would use, as her methods do not include important points such as directions,
location and the 5-Elements. Recommended for those interested in New Age Feng
Shui.
|
