Feng Shui in 10 Simple Lessons by Jane Butler-Biggs

by Jane Butler-Biggs

This ancient and increasingly popular art can be daunting for the person who wants to learn the basics of feng shui and bring them into the home. With the help of ten enjoyable hour-long lessons, this workbook demystifies the honored science of feng shui, showing the reader how to harness its powers and bring stress-free harmony easily and quickly to every area of the home.

The author offers simple ways to turn over each room of the house to its proper uses. Guidelines for creating the most effective storage and living spaces for relaxing, working, socializing, and dining are presented in jargonless text and illustrative photos. Emphasized throughout is how to develop and maintain an ambience completely cleansed of clutter. The importance of employing feng shui principles in the garden, the workspace, the new house, and the retirement home make this book unique and invaluable.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help

Paperback

First published September 1, 1999

Reviews

[Margot · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was really outdated. All the example images looked like they were taken in the '80s. There was also a lot of content about Feng Shui concepts and not a lot of accessible, usable advice. Even though these were supposed to be "simple lessons," they were much more conceptual (and much less practical) than a lot of other Feng Shui books I've read. In the end, I stopped reading this one for other, more interesting books, and then never got back to it.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Has good points in it. Not everything in it is particularly useful. Good diagrams and review boxes.

[Vic · Rating 2 out of 5]

Colorful with good pictures. Content is only OK.... nothing spectacular. Just the thing to waste time.
Some insights, some interesting concepts, but overall not a book I would recommend.

[Jolene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice, simple, helpful

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

KSKS

[Kony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad intro to Feng Shui. Crisp page design, cheery visuals, and easy-on-eyes font. Writing quality is alright - brochure caliber.

As for substance: I don't buy the author's repeated suggestions that changing color schemes, furniture sets, tree placement, etc. will directly transform your life prospects. So I took all advice with a grain of salt.

While reading, I concluded that all these ideas are useful for focusing our minds on functionality, relationships, and life priorities - they help us turn our living spaces into flexible metaphors of our lifestyles. Healthy attitudes toward life may go hand-in-hand with health-friendly home arrangements. But there's a chicken-and-egg, self-fulfilling prophecy dynamic to the endeavor.

That said, the endeavor is useful and fun. I do believe color and spatial arrangements affect psychology and productivity in commonsense ways, so I'm glad this book stimulated my creative thoughts about such stuff. It inspired me to clear clutter, enliven my walls, and make my room more welcoming.

Also, with its title claiming to present "10 Simple Lessons," this book could more concisely lay out the basics. A skilled editor would slice out lots of verbal clutter, e.g. examples and details that won't apply to every reader and don't clarify the core ideas.

So I subtract one star for hints of superstitious silliness, and another for mediocre style. Three stars = not the most bang for buck, but not a complete waste of time.

[X · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full disclosure, I don't really believe in feng should (except for some of the psychological stuff like certain colors evoke certain feelings) and I read this because I was curious and not with any intention to implement it. I found this book a bit confusing and I didn't really absorb any of it. I think there was a lot to cover and it led to nothing being thorough. I guess it was okay as a basic introduction to the kind of things to think about but I woulnt use it as a reference.

[Laura Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Corny, very 90's visuals, but weirdly relaxing.
I've been reading this when I was stressed for about a month and it makes me feel more connected to my environment. It even inspired me to declutter my home.
Even if I don't buy into most of the Feng Shui philosophy I have found small bits helpful.

[Akilah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, solid introduction to the principles of Feng Shui. Easy to understand and a good reference guide.