The Definitive Book of Body Language by Barbara Pease, Allan Pease
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Book Reviews of The Definitive Book of Body Language
Book Review: comprehensive yet practical guide on body language
Summary: 5 Stars
I would recommend this book to whoever wants to start learning body language. This is my first book ever to read on body language. When I picked up this book, I was particularly curious about how to read signals in social encounter. This book not only answered my questions but also helped me to understand the significance of body language in various situations such as business negotiations, job interviews and politics.
What I particularly like about this book is to come to understand that body language is a way to understand how we are feeling regardless of what we say. This understanding made me a better communicator who can be in touch with feelings. It is this usually unnoticed correlation between physical body and emotion that this book implicitly centers upon, providing a whole range of body language in various occasions that counts the most in our lives. Throughout the book, the author provides scientific explanations for why a certain type of body language is connected with a certain emotion. It not only drives his points home but also makes it hard for me to forget what I read.
"The Definitive Book of Body Language" is also full of illustrations and pictures. You would hardly miss a type of body language that the author refers to in his book.
Overall, I am very happy with the experience of reading this book. It is an easy and enjoyable read. "The Definitive Book of Body Language" is a comprehensive, yet practical guide for those who are interested in body language.
Book Review: A total must-read
Summary: 5 Stars
Reading this book has changed my perception of people's actions overnight. One thing that struck me was that Sigmund Freud was right about how much we think about sex (though he isn't mentioned in this book) - there is a lot of consideration of a future mating partner (I use the word 'mating' because this book references a lot of primates' actions as a pre-evolutionary version of ours) as we evaluate others of the opposite sex.
As a guy, this is helping me see, literally, what others are thinking despite what they may be saying. I say this because women are naturally more perceptive to body language. So this is especially useful, say if you're in business, and you're unsure why people don't seem to like you in a conversation with a potential client, and you'd really like to close a deal. If they're crossing their arms, it means they're defensive. So get them to hold something, like a photograph, or ask them if they'd like a drink. Surprisingly their frame of mind may completely change because the defensive mindset has been removed simply by uncrossing their arms.
You learn cool stuff like that in this book. You'll read it and as you go along, you'll be saying, "Wow, I never knew that doing ____ with [part of body] meant that I was ____. But of course that's what it means - it's so obvious! I just never put two and two together." I was saying that just about at every chapter.
Buy, enjoy, and start perceiving. It's better than magic.
Book Review: Great information for social, business, and negotiation/pursuation encounters!
Summary: 5 Stars
I picked up this book for further expanding my knowledge on human body language. This book is excellent in non-verbal communication. It covers everything from facial expressions, hand movements/gestures, leg/feet placements, stances, and difference between negative and positive expressions.
It also does a great job in explaining it from a negotiating stand-point. As the book is business oriented (in how to get someone to buy you or your product). Of course, aside from business, this is great for social encounters.
You'll be able to tell someone's true feelings as to what ever you're talking about. For example, someone can be agreeing with you verbally, but their body language shows crossed arms and legs, which means that person is either thinking negatively (defensively) or is holding back on their true feelings (just being polite).
The book also makes a great point in reading body language in clusters and not just individually. Meaning each body language is like a word in a sentence and you'd put those words together to make a sentence.
I picked this up as an interesting read. Definitely for people wanting to know more on human interaction and also psychology. The book is an easy read and has many illustrations, so you don't have to use your imagination as to what it may look like when someone's disagreeing or agreeing.
Book Review: If you must get a book on the subject... start here.
Summary: 5 Stars
I have read a few books on the subject and as far as overall scope, this book is it. Very easy to read, has a few jokes here and there, and interesting little tidbits that i found spot on. Example:
when passing people in a crowded hallway, woman passing a man tend to turn her chest away to pass, while a man will turn his chest toward the female.
when you cross your arms, do you cross the right over the left or the left over the right? Did you know that 70% of people tend to do this in a certain way? (answer in the book)
So are you going to be a Body Language expert after this book... no, however it gives you a great base-line on where to start and as with most things (see Malcolm Gladwell's -'Outliers' or Geoff Colvin -'Talent is Overrated') it's going to take practice (a lot of it) to become an expert.
Here's something you can do while you wait for the book in the mail: while watching TV (when people are interacting) mute the sound... see if you can pick up on what is going on, what are the emotions, and notice the mannerisms and gestures. Then if you have a DVR rewind and unmute or if you don't then just unmute the TV and see if you were right.
Overall I would highly recommend this book. Now onto my next one.... Jef Nance - Conquering Deception :)
Book Review: fun read so far
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm only about 1/3 of the way into this thus far, but can already report that it's a fun and interesting read and there is one paragraph early on that is absoluetly brilliantly written to illustrate how much the importance of body language is reflected in spoken language (the paragraph is constant phrases referring to body language strung together while the author makes their point)
I have read an e-book on this topic that was fairly similar, but did not have nearly the total amount of info that was contained within this book. Likewise, I have read several internet sites that share some, but never close to all of the info within this book.
Overall the book has been very fun and interesting, the only thing I've seen that is in anyway lacking is how to improve my own body language. A few tips so far (remember I haven't finished yet), but not much - although some of that can be inferrred as just avoiding negative body language.
It's a good read. and I recommend it highly.
Also, if anyone has read other body language books and prefers them to this one, please send me a message. I enjoy reading material in this field and, if I agree with you, I will update this review to reflect that there is a better book. Thus far I am very happy with this one.