Lines of Destiny: How to Read Faces and Hands the Chinese Way

By Kwok Man Ho

Book Overview

Lines of Destiny This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0877733651
• ISBN13: 9780877733652
• Release Date: October 1986
• Publisher: Shambhala
• Length: 190 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.

Customer Reviews

An interesting introduction to Chinese divination

I've always been interested in things Chinese, and this book is a storehouse of fun and information. The first section is devoted to physiognomy, or reading faces; the second section is all about palmistry. As the book notes, the Chinese take a holistic approach to divination, in which all aspects of the face, body shape, posture and features, as well as the lines on one's palm, are seen to reflect the inner person and give an indication of character, personality and destiny. The first two chapters give a background in the beliefs and history of physiognomy, an ancient Chinese science (or is it an art?) going back at least 2000 years. As the authors state, Chinese physiognomy is not a game, but a highly complex belief system based on fundamental beliefs in Chinese, religion and culture, strongly influenced by Confucianism and Buddhism. The rest of the book is a fairly straightforward "how to", giving basic instructions on how to read different features such as eyebrows, eyes, noses, mouths, ears, facial expressions, and hands. The illustrations for each type of feature seem to include not just Chinese but Western features as well; the reader may find himself peering into the mirror to try to read his or her own face, or to see how he or she may appear to other people. You may or may not take it seriously, according to your own belief system, but it sheds an interesting light on a facet of Chinese philosphy and culture that is probably unknown to most Western readers. It's an enjoyable learning experience.