Promising peace and prosperity, feng-shui promotes living in harmony with the landscape. Its practice is intended to enhance the attractiveness of homes, workplaces, restaurants, and other buildings and to improve inhabitants" well-being. According to legend, feng-shui began with China"s first ruler, who sought to incorporate the laws of nature and the influence of cosmic forces into daily life. The practice served to sanctify practitioners" lives, attuning them to the moods and rhythms of nature and providing them with security and a sense of tradition. Ernest J.Eitel, a missionary who worked in China, learned firsthand about the oral tradition of feng-shui and its philosophical roots, which span a range of thought from Taoism and Buddhism to ancient rural magic. In 1873, Eitel published this, the first book on feng-shui, introducing Westerners to the principled but highly flexible code that can be applied to houses, apartments, offices, and commercial spaces. The...