Interior Design Books

For at least 3,000 years the Chinese have been using feng-shui to locate auspicious sites for towns, buildings, cemeteries and graves. But the Chinese are not the only people who wish to dwell in auspicious places, and systems of divination similar in character to feng-shui exist in many cultures.

In this book, Derham Grover explains the principles of feng-shui in a colourful, yet straightforward manner. He shows how Western building ceremonies also have their roots in the fear and propitiation of nature and he identifies some similarities between feng-shui and Western building ceremonies.
--- from book's back cover

I have been trying to understand the concept of Feng Shui for so long, that I just about gave up! Until I heard about this one, WOW was it easy to read, easy to understand, easy to follow and easy to practice. Penny Crabtree's book taught me how to change the energy in my home and around me. Her book has changed my thinking, my surroundings and my life. I've found a mentor. I recommed this book to everyone who needs a better quality of life. I LOVE THIS BOOK

this book is a must have for anyone serious about feng shui. It isn't just another one of the basics book out there to pick from but is a comprehensive guide of all the different symbols and their meanings. Great library resource addition!

THe contents of this book makes feng shui such an easy topic to learn. As a housewife, I have much time to devote to the decorating of my house. This book has helped!

Easy to understand and with examples of situations not covered by other books!. A must read for the serious Feng Shui student.

If this is a reprint or revised edition of Stephen Skinner's original book of the same name - published in 1982 by Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd - then the reader is in for a special treat. I learned the principles of Feng Shui from a Chinese friend in the 1980s. Most of my instruction came in the form of gestures and drawings, as she spoke little English and I understood no Chinese. To augment what I considered a fascinating introduction to ancient principles little known in the U.S. at that time, I turned to the best (British) book I could find - Stephen Skinner's "The Living Earth Manual of Feng Shui."

As the practice became popular (indeed, commercialized) in America, many systems were introduced here in simplified and sometimes questionable form. When I want to review a principle or discuss Feng Shui with a novice, I tend to pass over the various newer books on my shelves and turn once again to Skinner. My daughter and son-in-law have just bought a summer home that they plan to extensively remodel. My housewarming gift? A copy of the original edition of this sometimes obscure but overall illuminating book.

I have never traveled to Finland, but after reading this book, one will feel like they have journeyed there many times! The author beautifully portrays the simple yet elegant Finnish living designs and also brings the reader though the seasons in order to experience a more up close and personal Finland. The pictures are beautiful, bright, and do help the reader to have more of a "feel" of the land and people of Finland.

"The house is like its master", states a Finnish Proverb, which greets the reader at the beginning of the book. Gaynor depicts Finland to the reader in both black and white and incredibly vivid color. Her narratives throughout the book are wonderful and one will feel that they are totally immersed into the experience of touring the countryside with the author! The richness of the people, portrayed through their simplistic lifestyle, is very much evident.

The reader is also bought into the design of the exterior of the buildings and I loved the pictures of all the different doorways! The taste of the architectural adventure and history is a treat! Sources are also listed at the back of the book if one wishes to purchase Finnish furniture or accessories.

I heartily recommend this book, whether one is contemplating a trip to this Nordic country, or whether one has a fascination for the culture and experience of Finland. This book will easily feed your fascination as you cannot help but devour chapter after chapter! The photographer, Kari Haavisto, is also to be commended for the beauty of the land as seen through her eyes. The reader will definitely walk away with a more revered perspective for the people, their land, and their lifestyle.

Love Dona Meilach's books on metalwork. She has a wide selection of artists, with many styles. Love the glossy photos, the whole thing is eye candy

I do custom carpentry in the Metro Detroit area, and updating fireplace surrounds and mantles seems to be the new hot trend here, so I wanted to get a new book for ideas. I thumbed through this book at lowes before buying it for less on amazon. I have been very pleased with this book because it has a lot of quality photos of a wide variety of fireplace styles. Some books of this nature have too many designs that, while striking, just are not practical for most homes. This book did not have that problem. In fact, I will likely need to buy a second copy because my customers spend so much time looking through the first copy over and over again, that it is getting prematurely worn. My only complaint about the book is that several of the designs do not meet current code requirements. In our area, as it is in most of the country, code requires 12" of non combustible material from the opening of the firebox to any combustible material such as a wooden mantle. Many of these photos appear to be lucky if they have 6", requiring me to alter the design, and therefor the appearance in order to meet code. This is a minor issue in comparison to the great ideas in this book, but I wanted to at least mention it. I would definately recommend buying it.

Most will want to compare this edition to the Loeb Classics version. Loeb offers facing page Greek text, which this edition does not. However, since I don't read Greek, this was not a problem. Whereas Loeb carries a modicum of footnotes explaining disputed points, the Brill edition is about 75% commentary, contained in extensive and enlightening footnote/essays on every page. The general introduction to Josephus as well as the introduction to Antiquities in particular has something to say to both novice and the reader familiar with Josephan scholarship. My own interest is in the War and the Life, which will not be printed for a few years. So I ordered Antiquities to see whether the project was worthwhile for future reference. I will have no hestiation in ordering other volumes as they become available. Louis Feldman's masterful commentary is a compendium of current scholarship on Josephus' rendition of the Old Testament. Even Books III, which concern matters of Jewish law, chiefly as concerns ritual and observance, but also social strictures, were enlivened and made relevant to Josephus' aims and historical context by Dr. Feldman's expert insights. The indices key on ancient texts,including the Torah, Rabbinical commentary (Midrash) and parallel relevant Greek and Roman historical works, plus persons, places, and modern authors. I compared the translation of the opening paragraph to the same passage in the Loeb. The differences are quite interesting and clearly show how Dr. Feldman and his colleagues picked up nuances from the original that Thackeray (the Loeb translator) had missed. I unhesitatingly recommend this edition. Of course the entire set will be prohibitively costly. University libraries will carry them no doubt. However if you are intrigued with Josephus, as I am, you will want to own some selected volumes. This is truly a work of reference to which I will return again and again.