Product Description

Youre no idiot, of course. You know that feng shui is an ancient Chinese practice thats received a lot of attention lately. But when it comes to understanding what exactly feng shui is --or even how to pronounce it--you feel like youre scaling the Great Wall of China. Dont fall off just yet! The Complete Idiots Guide to Feng Shui teaches you everything you need to know to embrace this ancient and complex art and science. In this Complete Idiots Guide, youll find-

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #862829 in Books
• Published on: 1999
• Binding: Paperback
• 404 pages

From the Authors
Dear Feng Shui Enthusiast: The recent years have seen a surge of books on feng shui. Why is this? Why are we only now embracing this ancient Chinese art and science? It is because it's the newest and coolest thing to do? Is it because we're coming to realize the benefit of alternative methods of therapy? Are we looking for a leg up on our competitors? Or are we willing to try just about anything to create a harmonious haven? Regardless of the reason, we're delighted you're investigating a tradition revered throughout Asia.

Coaxed by our clients and friends, supported by fellow masters and scholars, we have put together a user-friendly guide explaining feng shui. Peeling away layers of superstition and myth permeating the modern practice, we've exposed the classic teachings based on humanity's inseparable link with nature. You see, long before the theory of quantum physics was postulated, the ancient Chinese believed everyone and everything is but one big dance of interconnected energy. They called this energy qi. Simply put, feng shui is the study of how qi affects our health, wealth, and relationships. Knowing how to harness positive qi and remedy negative qi is the essence of feng shui.

Here, you'll learn the origins of feng shui and its fundamental principles. We'll share with you two classical methods of analyzing and determining the auspiciousness of your home and its surroundings, as well as how to choose a home. Also, we'll explore a method of Chinese astrology called The Four Pillars of Destiny. Based on the qi you inhaled at birth, you'll learn how to determine the colors, environment, and career best suited to you. And you'll find out which years, months, and days are lucky for you, and which are not. The chapters on The Four Pillars were assembled by Master Joseph Yu, a renowned authority.

From the Back Cover
Youre no idiot, of course. You know that feng shui is an ancient Chinese practice thats received a lot of attention lately. But when it comes to understanding what exactly feng shui is --or even how to pronounce it--you feel like youre scaling the Great Wall of China. Dont fall off just yet! The Complete Idiots Guide to Feng Shui teaches you everything you need to know to embrace this ancient and complex art and science. In this Complete Idiots Guide, youll find-

About the Author
Elizabeth Moran is a graduate of the American Feng Shui Institute and is the author of the CIG to the I-Ching.
Val Biktashev founded the American Healing Arts Institute in 1997.
Joseph Yu has been practicing feng shui and Chinese astrology for over 30 years, and is recognised as one of the top five classical feng shui masters in the world.

Customer Reviews

Highly Recommended!
This is the book I have been waiting for! A practical, all-encompassing handbook on feng shui that takes you through the subject logically and clearly and with a hint of humour! If I could take only one feng shui book on a desert island for a year, it would be this one!

Moran and Biktashev have done a masterly job for Alpha books and no doubt much credit must be given to the input, guidance, and support of Master Joseph Yu, Master Larry Sang, and Dr. stephen L. Field.

This book takes you painlessly through the universal basics of feng shui: ch'i, yin and yang, the five elements, the eight trigrams, Form School and takes you step by step through the potential complexities of Chinese astrology and Compass School calculations. I would recommend this guide for the complete novice to an accomplished practitioner as there is something for everyone.

As Chairman of the Feng Shui Society (GB) where we are working as a committee to define educational standards for future schools, I was particularly impressed with the section in Chapter 18 - 'When to Call in a Pro.' For the consumer, the advice they give is very sound: "Hiring a feng shui practitioner who has no understanding of the three fundamental principles of feng shui is like trusting a surgeon who has not studied anatomy or a voice teacher who is unfamiliar with music."

Read the book and the three principles will be revealed! Not only in the book an excellent guide to feng shui, but it also directly challenges a lot of widely help misconceptions about feng shui. In addition to the opening chapters, there is a feng shui IQ test. I think you will be surprised at some of the answers. The nicest thing about the book is it's eminently digestible form. It breaks down complex calculations into simple routines in the same way that the series has introduced computer concepts to a much wider audience. The book is resolutely traditional in its approach and covers Form feng shui, Flying Star feng shui, Chinese astrology, and the Four Pillars.

A MUST-BUY!
Hooray! Now here is a book that shows what Feng Shui really is! If you always thought "There must be more to Feng Shui than hanging crystal balls in the corner!" here are your answers. Don't get confused by the title, this book is for the serious student. It also can turn any idiot into an expert. Elizabeth Moran not only compiled the Feng Shui knowledge from the masters Joseph Yu and Val Biktashev, she also added a lot of scientific material to explain the origin of the concepts behind Feng Shui.
Like any "Complete Idiot's Guide" this one is well structured, you can take the long tour and read about all the backgrounds before you get to the practical applications, or you can immediately flip to the Feng Shui stuff and start practising in your own house. Wonder where your wealth corner is? In Traditional Feng Shui there are even two and there is also your personal wealth direction!
It was very brave of Elizabeth Moran to completely rewrite the book. (Make sure you get the "Second Edition!") The first edition was already better than average, but it still contained some confusing concepts. Now the Second Edition is THE book that a master can recommend to his clients if they want to know more about why he told them to move the bed.
It covers the two most common Feng Shui schools practiced throughout Asia - Eight House School and Flying Stars, it explains the backgrounds, advantages and disadvantages of both and how to combine them in reading the same house. For easy reference every possible star chart is in this book - they come in circles so the beginner can easily apply them, though it may be a little confusing at first for the advanced student.
Giving you even more at no extra cost, this book also includes an easy to read and easy to apply introduction into Chinese Astrology. All the tables are there to construct anybody's horoscope chart - and you don't have to learn a single Chinese character.
The Chinese believe that Heaven, Earth and Man must come together to create luck, that is doing the right thing in the right place at the right time. This book provides you with all the knowledge to find out when and where you can do it.
About the reviewer: Robert Schmitz is a professional Feng Shui consultant in Berlin, Germany. I am asked quite often which books I could recommend. Now I found one!

One of the best feng shui titles!
Many are confused about feng shui. With more than 300 mass market books to choose from, it is almost impossible to distinguish between those titles written by true masters and scholars and titles written by those looking for an easy buck. Unfortunately, the latter and most prominent group of books are based on superstition and myth. Fortunately, the March 2000 issue of the London-based monthly magazine, Feng Shui For Modern Living, has compiled a list of the 'top ten feng shui titles.' They are as follows:

1. Chinese Whispers by Rosalyn Dexter 2. Feng Shui by Ernest Eitel 3. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Feng Shui by Elizabeth Moran and Val Biktashev 4. Feng Shui by Stephen Skinner 5. The Living Earth Manual of Feng Shui by Stephen Skinner 6. The Complete Illustrated Guide to Feng Shui by Lillian Too 7. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Feng Shui by Lillian Too 8. Feng Shui Handbook: A Practical Guide by Derek Walters 9. Feng Shui: Perfect Placing For Your Happiness and Prosperity by Derek Walters 10. Feng Shui by Eva Wong.

If you want to learn about feng shui, begin your study here. Skinner's books deal mostly with terrestrial or Form School feng shui and are truly worthwhile. Derek Walters is a renowned astrologer. His boks are accurate and thorough. Although I believe Lillian Too is too commercial and superficial, her books are good for those not wanting to spend the time to understand more sophisticated methods of feng shui. By far my most favorite book is The Complete Idiot's Guide to Feng Shui by Moran and Biktashev. This book has it all: feng shui's origins; feng shui's scientific value; two classical methods of determining your home's auspiciousness; Chinese zodiac astrology; and the Four Pillars of Destiny (written by world-respected Master Jospeh Yu), a method of determining your luck. What's great about this book is that it is a no-nonsense, humorous guide to understanding exactly what feng shui is and isn't and how this 6,000 year old Chinese art and science can help you increase your health, wealth, and relationships. You won't be disappointed!