Rating
This book was originally published in Australia in 1995. It is very readable and makes an excellent introduction to feng shui. The basics are very well covered. An architect once told me that it seemed to him that a lot of feng shui was just good common sense. George Birdsall is also an architect, and his book shines with common sense. The illustrations are simple and clear in every instance.
When feng shui moved from China to the West, it remained in the same (Northern) hemisphere, but when it moved to Australia, it changed to the Southern Hemisphere. Birdsall addresses the dilemma that was thereby created because the fire element should not be pointing at the cold South Pole. His appraisal of the situation is very intelligent indeed.
An excellent feature of this book are the appendices. There are long sections on Electromagnetic Energies, Natural Earth Energies, and Dowsing. These sections are carefully done with numerous illustrations. There are some excellent instructions on using a pendulum to double-check your feng shui decisions.
Destiny Books (Inner Traditions), Rochester, VT, (800) 246-8648, www.gotoit.com, 1995, 0-89281-616-3, 206 pages, drawings, paperback, $12.95