Fans of Eva Wong will not be disappointed by the latest release from the Hong Kong-born master. Published by Shambhala Publications, Inc this book contains over 393 pages of pure Feng Shui wisdom.

A Master Course in Feng Shui is one of the most detailed writings of Feng Shui to be found on the bookshelves today. Designed to teach an individual how to apply Feng Shui when choosing a home, building a house, selecting an office space, or finding a retail space, it is a 'how-to' manual for those interested in a 'do-it-yourself' approach to Feng Shui. The system that Wong primarily teaches is the 'Hsuan K'ung' (Xuan Kong) system.

Written primarily for home-owners, renters, and small-business proprietors who want to improve the Feng Shui of their homes and workplace, this will also prove to be an indispensable guide for real estate agents, interior designers, architects and Feng Shui practitioners who may like to apply authentic Feng Shui principles.

Eva Wong is a disciple of Grand Master Ma Jen-Chou. Many new Feng Shui enthusiasts may not have heard of Grand Master Ma. Earlier this year, I went to Hong Kong and under the recommendation of my teacher Grand Master Yap Cheng Hai, I was able to meet up with Master Lum Kok Hong. I went to Hong Kong for the purpose of refining my research material for my own book. It was during one of the meetings that Master Lam told me about the legendary stories of Grand Master Ma Jen Chou. Both Grand Masters Ma and Lam are the first few elite teachers who brought the 'Hsuan Kong' system of Feng Shui to the public.

I want to point out to the readers of Eva Wong's book that the information contained in this book is worth its weight in gold. If you are interested in learning the real type of Feng Shui, this is it. There are currently numerous versions of 'Flying Stars' books in the market. I must say that Eva Wong has provided us with one of the most enlightening and authentic versions of what 'Flying Stars' feng shui is all about.

The book is divided into three sections.

Part One goes through the essentials of Classical Feng Shui analysis. This section contains important information any feng shui practitioner should know before attempting to practice Feng Shui. Even traditional practitioners will find this section useful in refining their foundations. Eva Wong goes on to present topics on how to evaluate the internal and external environment in detail. Many practitioners today have compromised on the study of forms and jumped straight into discussion of complex formulas not knowing that learning to read the environment is often just as important as learning how to read the internal distribution of Chi.

I particularly find the section on river and road patterns very informative. Practitioners today are overly concerned with how to 'decorate' their homes, often forgetting the influence of chi brought about by the arrangement of roads and how it is crucial to the quality of Feng Shui of a property.

The subject of Taking Directions can be regarded as the simplest, yet most difficult part of Feng Shui practice. Feng Shui masters differ from one another when it comes to measuring directions of houses. In her book, Eva Wong has again provided us with some very useful insights into the subject and demonstrated with various diagrams how a house direction should be taken. This information is often regarded as one of the most crucial and judgmental parts of Feng Shui audits.

A complete lesson is given on plotting a geomantic chart (also known as a flying star chart)and how to superimpose it on the floor plan of a house. Some readers may know how to superimpose a flying star chart onto an ordinary house plan; here Eva Wong demonstrates how a flying star chart is correctly superimposed onto more complex house and shop floor plans. This is something you may not find easily in any other books on the subject. For those who are confused as to the conflicting theory of the 8-Pie method or 9-Grid method of dividing a house, here is where you will find the best answer. Eva Wong has demonstrated the true art of 'chi distribution' in Hsuan Kong Feng Shui. This lesson is a must for any Feng Shui practitioner.

Part Two guides the reader through the installation of traditional counter measures and enhancers as well as many issues pertaining to renovations.

The purpose of Feng Shui is to determine the quality of chi that affects the residents. It is important for practitioners to understand how the negative situation can be rectified. This is where you need to study Part Two of Eva Wong's Master Course in Feng Shui diligently.

To date, I have not read any English Feng Shui books that prescribe these methods in a clear and understandable way. I believe these are the little differences that make the difference in the ability of one feng shui practitioner over another. The author is very generous in sharing her trade secrets on various techniques to negate negative chi caused by bad external formations and more importantly, internal chi distribution of the flying stars. For example, she demonstrates how certain artifacts and their elements can be strategically installed to enhance or reduce star combinations. I am sure many readers will find this extremely informative as conventional Feng Shui books have yet to broach this detail of Feng Shui effectively.

What really caught my imagination was Part Three with its details of many specific projects presented in a structured, modular fashion. This section will teach you exactly how you can implement Feng Shui principles when you decide to build the 'perfect' Feng Shui house of your dreams. Starting from choosing your plot of land, examining road and river patterns, even down to learning how to read survey maps. This section is amazing and insightful. I am sure even experienced Feng Shui practitioners will find this section enlightening. Learning to read survey maps and to help decide on an orientation of a house based on its geographical location is something you would not easily find even in the old Feng Shui classics. The author shares with you something that is invaluable and, I am sure, will add a new dimension to any Feng Shui reading.

Sharing her experience and her knowledge

There are subtle differences between the application of Eva Wong's rules in this book when compared to her last work, Feng-Shui: The Ancient Wisdom of Harmonious Living for Modern Times. In that book, she retains the very traditional flavor of Hsuan-k'ung (or Xuan Kong) Feng Shui as practiced in the Early 20th Century. In her latest work however, I noticed that she added many new dimensions based on her discussions with fellow Hsuan-k'ung practitioners. I believe she has written this with both new and experienced Feng Shui practitioners in mind: a task that I find she has done masterfully.

Eva Wong's strong lineage and extensive Feng Shui experience ensure that this book is a compendium of considerable and usable knowledge.

A picture paints a thousand words

The author has deftly addressed the issue of having to explain in detail the many formations, shapes, layouts and recommendations. Each chapter is filled with clearly drawn diagrams and illustrative photos.

For example, when Eva Wong writes about the general shape and plan of a home, she includes over 15 different photographs to illustrate her point. The addition of real photographs is something that many authors lack in their books. With them, readers can immediately relate the information to their own situation in their own practice.

Homework included!

At the end of every chapter, you will find exercises to which you can apply and practice your new-found knowledge. Complete with answers, this particular feature of A Master Course in Feng-Shui serves as a companion teacher to support the knowledge already gleaned from the book. I believe there are very few, if any at all, feng shui books in the market today that offer this unique way of presentation. You REALLY can learn true Feng Shui from this book!

To those who are new to Feng Shui:

This, and the author's earlier book on the subject, are perfect starting points. Many books on the market today are written for the purpose of promoting 'easy feng shui'. Not so Eva Wong's. She has written for the noble purpose of teaching you the true form and methodology of Classical Feng Shui and to set you on the right path for further studies.

To the experienced:

The knowledge that you will gain from studying this book is invaluable. I am sure it will add new scopes to your practice in classical Feng Shui. If you are an avid fan of the Shen and Kung lineage of Hsuan Kong Feng Shui, Eva's work is a definite eye-opener for you.

Conclusion

This is the closest thing to a professional training manual you will find in a bookshop written by a true classical Feng Shui Master. I recommend this book whole-heartedly to anyone interested in Feng Shui. A truly powerful text, it is an essential step-by-step guide for anyone who wants to improve their lives with authentic Feng Shui. As always, Eva Wong has managed to give us the best in traditional Feng Shui in a clear and concise manner. With the addition of diagrams, illustrations, examples, and exercises, the readers will have no problem capturing and retaining each nugget of information.

Eva Wong's A Master Course in Feng Shui can be obtained directly from www.shambhala.com/fengshui/books/bookDetails/1-57062-584-0.cfm/xid,4308393/yid,88492192/userId,CC84373B-AC03-4AAE-9A6A028DDC9D3BEF/

Visit Eva Wong's website at www.shambhala.com/fengshui/