The Definitive Book of Body Language: The Hidden Meaning Behind People's Gestures and Expressions

By Barbara Pease and Allan Pease

Book Overview

Available for the first time in the United States, this international bestseller reveals the secrets of nonverbal communication to give you confidence and control in any face-to-face encounter--from making a great first impression and acing a job interview to finding the right partner. It is a scientific fact that people's gestures give away their true intentions. Yet most of us don't know how to read body language- and don't realize how our own physical movements speak to others. Now the world's foremost experts on the subject share their techniques for reading body language signals to achieve success in every area of life. Drawing upon more than thirty years in the field, as well as cutting-edge research from evolutionary biology, psychology, and medical technologies that demonstrate what happens in the brain, the authors examine each component of body language and give you the basic vocabulary to read attitudes and emotions through behavior. Discover: * How palms and handshakes are used to gain control * The most common gestures of liars * How the legs reveal what the mind wants to do * The most common male and female courtship gestures and signals * The secret signals of cigarettes, glasses, and makeup * The magic of smiles-including smiling advice for women * How to use nonverbal cues and signals to communicate more effectively and get the reactions you want Filled with fascinating insights, humorous observations, and simple strategies that you can apply to any situation, this intriguing book will enrich your communication with and understanding of others-as well as yourself.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553804723
• ISBN13: 9780553804720
• Release Date: July 2006
• Publisher: Bantam
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 1.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.2" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Decent.

A little outdated but definitely helpful.

"Not just what you say. . ."

As creatures of many senses, coming from different ethnic, cultural, and social backgrounds, it is a wonder that we can communicate with others as well as we do. For most of our lives, particularly in our educational system, the focus is on the words that we use. Yet studies have shown that the actual spoken words comprise only 7% of the message received by the listener. Tone of voice accounts for 38% of the message with the remainder (55%) of the message resulting from body language. Non-verbal communication drastically alters, modifies or filters the message, often resulting in a discontinuity between what is "said" and what is "heard." THE DEFINITIVE BOOK OF BODY LANGUAGE, by Allan and Barbara Pease, provides an engaging, informative, and easy-to-read exploration of how we communicate we communicate with each other. Drawing on decades of experience, the authors show how body language originates from both biological and environmental sources. With clear and simple illustrations and photographs, individual elements are isolated and analyzed, and then are placed in a more holistic context. Topics include the basics of body language, and then move to specific elements including hand and arm movements and gestures, facial expressions, eye signals, leg and body positioning. These areas are examined separately as well is together in general or within a specific cultural context. There are chapters dealing with the body language of power, deceit, emotions, flirtation and sexual overtones - both innate and learned. One of the most helpful chapters on improving communication is in their discussion of mirroring techniques as a means to build rapport. This is an enlightening book from cover to cover. Its table of contents provide and effective index should the reader wish to explore individual topics or refer back to specific areas of study. The book is invaluable for all who seek to improve their interactions with others. I recommend it highly to those in counseling, ministry, business, and politics - in short, to anyone who must communicate with others (just about everyone).

Interesting

This book introduces body language from the point of view of business executives. The authors specialize in the use of body language for business and politics. I found the illustrations and photos that accompany the text to be very funny and appropriate. This is not a very scholarly book, so if you're looking for a very serious and academic book about the study of body language, then this isn't the volume you're looking for, but if you'd just like an introduction to body language from a practical point of view, then this is a perfect book to read. In addition, it is very easy and entertaining to read, so I can recommend this to anyone.