Write Stuff

Book Overview

Like fingerprints, each person's handwriting is unique and may be used as a means of identification. Expert document examiners have long been used by courts to determine the authenticity of signatures... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0879756128
• ISBN13: 9780879756123
• Release Date: November 1992
• Publisher: Prometheus Books
• Length: 515 Pages
• Weight: 2.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.4" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Book Review

Graphology is the study of handwriting. It is the practice of finding people's psychological, social, occupational, and medical characteristics from the way they make their letters, lines, and paragraphs on a page. The Write Stuff: Evaluations of Graphology--The Study of Handwriting is a compilation of articles and research papers on graphology put together by Barry and Dale Beyerstein. This work of non-fiction describes in detail the history of graphology and studies that show how graphology is not very accurate in predicting people's character based on their handwriting. The first section of the book describes the history of graphology and is written by Joe Nickell, a Questioned Document Examiner (QDE). He goes into detail explaining the similarities and differences between a graphologist and a QDE. A graphologist tries to find out a person's personality from his/her handwriting, while a QDE comments on the origin and validity of documents. For example, a QDE showed that some letters received by a newspaper company from different people were actually written by an individual who had changed her handwriting. People confuse graphologists and QDE's because both fields analyze handwriting. Barry Beyerstein and Dale Beyerstein mention that most graphologists are introduced to this field through non-credit night courses, community colleges, etc. Some have taken a home study course, while many have admitted they have read one book before going into this business. Should we trust the analysis of these people who have had very limited education in their field? The editors polled university colleagues who specialize in "psychological measurement" and the "psychology of individual differences" on their belief in graphology. The results showed that in North American psychology departments, almost no believers of graphology exist. However, some believers can be found in places like France and Israel. The Beyersteins wanted to include new studies conducted on graphology instead of discussing studies that have already been carried out. However, they could not conduct many new studies since graphologists were not very interested in participating in a study to test their claim. The Beyersteins describe one incident in which a Toronto graphologist agreed to be tested. The skeptics created a protocol with the assistance of James Randi. The graphologist initiated the procedure, but later backed off. The graphologist was more interested in the publicity she got from agreeing to be part of the experiment, than actually participating in the study. On the other hand, some examples of studies in which graphologists agree to participate are also mentioned. But, once the results are declared against them, they assert that the test was not conducted in a fair manner. The book also describes a conference held by the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP), where two leading graphologists we

A fresh breeze in a dense swamp

Finally an academic team (brother & sister) that tackles this long-persisting parlor science with the rigor that generations of "graphologists" have never been able to muster. Clearly debunking the outrageous claims of practicing graphologists elicits from them the most strenuous and pained denials. But, when asked for proof that their art is any more accurate than astrology (or lie detectors) they reply in bellows of outrage that their professionalism should not be questioned by people not practiced in the art. Now we can see how scientists were attacked in the middle ages when they dared to question the "known fact" that the Earth is at the center of the Universe. A fair-minded and thorough attack on this dubious practice that scuttles it with a finality that will make any further claims seem quaint--or self-serving.

Not husband and wife

Actually, Tom--Barry and Dale are brothers, not husband and wife.

A fresh breeze

Finally an academic team (husband & wife) that tackles this long-persisting parlor science with the rigor that generations of "graphologists" have never been able to muster. Clearly debunking the outrageous claims of practicing graphologists elicits from them the most strenuous and pained denials. But, when asked for proof that their art is any more accurate than astrology (or lie detectors) they reply in bellows of outrage that their professionalism should be questioned by people not practiced in the art. Now we can see how scientists were attacked in the middle ages when they dared to question the "known fact" that the Earth is at the center of the Universe. A fair-minded and thorough attack on this dubious practice that scuttles it with a finality that will make any further claims seem quaint--or self-serving.