The Face Reader subtitled “Discover Anyone’s Personality, Compatibility, Talents, and Challenges Through Chinese Face Reading,” by the founder of the Mien Shiang Institute will astound you with the accuracy of its analyses. I immediately recognized myself as a combination of wood and water. Particularly on point were the traits of standing up for the underdog, breaking/pushing the rules, and being a seeker of truth.
Before you dismiss the notion of being able to understand yourself or someone else by looking at your own or their face, be aware that this art (and yes, it is an art) is nearly three thousand years old and originated with Taoist monks. How’s that for a pedigree?
The book provides a five-element personality quiz - with questions such as if you were a fire, how would you be described? - with a checklist of descriptive terms like impatient, organized, and predictable. A description of the characteristics and traits of the five element personalities includes the defining emotion, the gifts and challenges of this emotion, and the qi of the five body types.
McCarthy does an excellent job of explaining with the aid of pictures the specific areas that impart which information. The Face Reader is easily readable and very entertaining. If read with an open mind, this book can help you recognize, work with and work on your particular challenges.