Vastu in 10 Simple Lessons

Rating:
Summary: Not impressed...
Review: I bought this book with a lot of hope and expectation. I have read many other vaastu books and this was another one in the series. Unfortunately this book does not live up to expectations. For one thing, this book makes vaastu very flexible and allows user to do as he/she pleases. This book seems geared towards pleasing the audience and giving them an illusion that they are practicing vaastu whereas they actually are not. The lavish pages, print and pictures are meant to impress the user. Another inaccuracy, which I consider an insult to Hindu religion (Hinduism is where Vaastu came from), was that it shows a Nazi symbol and tells the reader that it is a Hindu symbol. This book is not recommended. Better spend that money on more authentic vaastu books.

Rating:
Summary: A starter book
Review: Indian philosophy believes in living in harmony with all elements of nature. There is also a belief that a natural flow of energy exists which should not be blocked and that all elements- living or non-living- should be aligned in a way to facilitate this flow of energy.

Vaastu shastra is an old Indian text that contains the principles of building construction and placements of objects within it, in accordance with the principles above. But in view of the religious nature of the Indian people, this text explains these principles more in terms of Gods rather than energy. It uses eight directions instead of just the cardinal four. This ancient text contains instructions on things like the shape of the plot, timing of construction, placement of various rooms around the house, home decoration and even the direction in which the inhabitants sleep.

"Vastu in 10 simple lessons" has been written as a starter book. Ancient Indian text allows some flexibility and suggests some alternatives, but only to a certain degree. The author, on the other hand, allows wide latitude- maybe rightly so. After all, the rules of vaastu are not binding but are suggestions. The more principles the readers incorporate, the better- vaastu shastra claims- will be their life. The author explains various principles in context of their traditional significance and relevance to modern day life. Some people confuse Vaastu shastra with feng shui. In spite of the goal being the same, the principles in these two tomes are entirely different and may be at conflict with one another. The practitioners can practice one or the other but not both. This books would be a decent starting point for anyone interested in the science of vaastu.