Joey Yap's Pure Feng Shui: Bring Abundance to Your Home, Happiness to Your Relationships, and Success to Your Career [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

Let me first say that there are few Classical/Authentic Feng Shui experts out there. Even fewer (almost non-existent) English authors. When I began researching the subject Joey Yap was at that time the ONLY English Author I could find any books from.

I would give this a 3.5 stars because Joey Yap offers great content but lacks some specifics in his work. Joey Yap is Chinese living in Malaysia and most of his students are Chinese. Although he lived in the US, speaks & reads English his writing does lack some explanation & detail that I think has more to do with an assumption on his part, that his readers already `know' some of the things he is speaking about.

His books are beautifully designed & for the most part well written. His writing is easy to read, and smooth but does lack detailed explanation in some areas. I have read several of his books and most of his published articles which does help to better understand his writing style.

With that being said let me just explain one Very important point. Joey Yap writes on Classical/Authentic Feng Shui which is a long developed & studied Science in China and bares little resemblance to the hundreds (if not thousands) of books in the market today on the subject. There are only a hand full of English written books on the subject which makes it difficult to truly study & understand.

I can say after many years of reading other Feng Shui books that there are no `two' authors that agree on the subject except if they come from a PURE Classical/Authentic background. They all seem to put their own spin, interject their own beliefs, and manipulate the art to their own needs. This does is not what Classical Feng Shui is about. It is truly a Science that deals with hundreds of years of experience, studies and trial & error.

Although I have long been an advocate, student & teacher of holistic & alternative practices I also keep a healthy skepticism with my studies. I like to have `proof' that something works but am more than willing to `try' new things. I also realize that the power of Belief is a HUGE part of the success of many tools out there. I do use the power of belief & intention with some things but also feel that if something works it should work without a lot of purposeful intension (obviously if you believe something Won't work; it probably won't also so there has to be some balance with it and as much of a neutral mind-frame as possible when seeking `proof')

My personal success with Feng Shui (up until I began studying Classical Feng Shui) was very minimal at best. It seemed the Only real success came more from positive Intension on my part & a lot of personal positive projection. Not really from the `tools & techniques' themselves . In most cases it didn't work at all.

That was until about 2 years ago when I attended a Classical Feng Shui seminar. I went in Very skeptical at best. Probably more cynical to be honest. But when the instructor shared how her experience with Feng Shui mimicked mine until she began studying Classical Feng Shui & she explained the difference, that is when I decided to do further research on the subject. When I began using some of the information I learned from Classical Feng Shui my health began to improve, my children improved their grades, our finances got better among other things.

Since then I have learned that most of the information we `English speaking/reading' individuals have access to does not even come close to being accurate and in some cases can be harmful (which I found out from personal experience).

So if you Truly want to lean about the SCIENCE of Feng Shui and not the hype that is most English written books I suggest you do your own research on Classical (Authentic) Feng Shui. Joey Yap is one of the few English writing authors on the subject but there are other online resources as well as some amazing seminars & instructors out there. Do your own research, have an open mind but don't be afraid to expect results!

There are a few tips I would like to leave you with. The first is that if a book /expert tells you a `general' direction for a Gua will work for everyone MOVE ON that is one of the things that can honestly cause some issues with health and more. Your Personal Gua is VERY important and is in accordance with the Chinese Calendar; a little research on this can be very beneficial. Second if they tell you to buy ornamentals or knickknacks (like a lucky coin, dragon, turtle, frog statues etc.) again move on, this is hype and has NOTHING to do with Authentic Feng Shui. If an item isn't living/moving/flowing it does nothing for the flow of Chi (what Feng Shui is based on). Third Feng Shui starts with land forms so where your home is located and it's surroundings has more to do with the flow of Chi than the inside of your home. Last but probably one of the Most Important things; Feng Shui is only a small part of your personal `Chinese luck'. It is very beneficial to also know your Destiny Chart (or Bazi Chart). A True Classical Feng Shui expert will start with your chart before even looking at your Feng Shui because your chart is the `life path/life luck' you were born with and Feng Shui is like the tool to help enhance it where it is need in your life! Sort of like the medicine for what ails you.

As someone who has spent nearly 5 years studying feng shui, the last 2 with Joey Yap, I can tell you that yes, he writes differently than any other Feng Shui Master in the marketplace. The reviewer that states he does not share the formula on how he does things should purchase his Chinese Metaphysics Compendium...that is full of every single formula out there! Other masters say he is crazy for writing that book but for those that do not know how to use the formulas, it is useless. For those of us who do know, the book is priceless!

Knowing how to use the formulas is the knowledge that takes a lifetime of study and practice. Anyone can teach a formula but to use it and see its results is where the true power lies. Joey's Pure Feng Shui diverges off the path of the westernized dribble that others tout as real feng shui.

It amazes me that we in the US trivialize how powerful this science actually is! Do you really think emperors cared if there was clutter in the castle? They looked for the movement of the dragon (mountain) and the meridian spot. They knew that certain mountains in certain areas produced wealth and power.

Pure Feng Shui is in no way the end point of feng shui study! It is an easy introduction to this massive area of study and contains easy to use, and at times very powerful, feng shui advice. If you really want to know how to practice feng shui effectively for major results, get to his live classes and commit 2 years (and invest your time and cash).

The emphasis on flying stars happens because it is an easy-to-use area of feng shui and US readers will likely be familiar with this system.

As a graduate of Master Academy (BaZi and Feng Shui), I know Joey personally and his knowledge has helped him build a well-respected and lucrative portfolio (shouldn't a feng shui master be rich if he or she knows how to use feng shui?). To watch him teach his students how to discern which property will produce the most wealth in a metropolitan development is to see a true master at work.

If you want some great starter books, consider his Feng Shui for Homebuyers: Interior and Exterior. If you want complete feng shui knowledge, invest your time and resources in his classes as his teachers tour through the United States and Canada on a regular basis.
Amy Theisen
Minnesota Feng Shui Master

I had high hopes for this book. It looks a lot better than the other titles by this author. I have read a few of his first books and they were acceptable albeit a little poorly done. I flipped through it in the store and looked very nice. Great colors and lovely illustrations (I realised it was from a different publisher- good job!).

But the content is a little lacking. I agree with the other comment here is that the formulas are not explained well. The techniques are not thorough enough. I have read quite a few Feng Shui books and taken some classes. The true contents in this book is rather shallow. It is however cleverly written to mask this fact. The author goes round in circles but never quite explains anything. The solutions given tend to be difficult and expensive to implement.

I had high hopes for this book. I would not recommend this book to another.