Rating:  -
'What Every Body is Saying',
by Joe Navarro
If I could recall correctly, my initial introduction to social behavioural patterns of non-verbal communications probably began with Julius Fast's 'Body Language' during the seventies, followed by one of Desmond Morris' well-illustrated books, 'Manwatching: A Field Guide to Human Behaviours', in the late seventies.
My fascination with the subject grew, particularly from the standpoint of developing a competency in reading people, with the acquisition & reading of Allan Pease's 'Body Language: How to Read Others' Thoughts by Their Gestures', & more specifically, Gerhard Gschwandter's 'Non-Verbal Selling Power' during the eighties.
I reckon, with the wisdom of hindsight, those were roughly the pivotal books in guiding me to understanding the significance of body language in human interactions.
Throughout the ensuing years from the eighties, I didn't pursue any newer books on the subject, until very recently when I have come across Joe Navarro's book.
The author is a former FBI counter-intelligence special agent, which somehow has given the book an iota of authenticity, in contrast to an aura of mystery, about speed-reading people.
In a nut shell, speed-reading people successfully is essentially learning about the world around us, decoding & determining the meaning of non-verbal communications as manifested through facial expressions, gestures, touching, physical movements, posture, body adornment & even the tone, timbre, & volume of a person's voice - to predict human actions.
More specifically, it's collecting non-verbal intelligence to assess a person's thought, feelings & intentions, a competency that can be mastered through constant practice & proper training.
This wonderful book, with clear, concise & succinct writing on the part of the author, has been designed to serve that purpose.
It starts off in the beginning with the ten commandments for observing & decoding nonverbal communications successfully, followed by an insightful exposition of how our evolutionary triune brain structure contributes to our hardwired responses to the world.
For me, just understanding the freeze, flight & fight responses as well as an appreciation of the comfort/discomfort & pacifying routines - in reality, these are parts of our very robust survival mechanisms - has facilitated my renewed journey to becoming a better speed-reader of people. The author has discussed these emotional aspects at great length (Chapter II).
From Chapter III to VII, the author went on to discuss the non-verbals of the feet & legs; the torso, hips, chest & shoulders; the arms; the hands & fingers; & the face, respectively.
I have never seen such extensive as well as illuminating treatment along the foregoing lines by any of the other authors I have encountered earlier.
In spite of all the relevant insights & expert advice which the author has openly shared in his book, he has concluded in the end analysis that there is, however, one type of human behaviour that is difficult to read, & that is deception.
Nevertheless, the author has outlined for readers a dozen of important things to do & valuable points to keep in mind in the course of any interpersonal interactions. Reading them, I come to realise that they all boil down to developing acute observational skills.
In fact, the first commandment from the author, as outlined in the beginning segment of his book rings very true: be a competent observer of our environment.
As a case in point, with the author's assertion in the concluding chapter, paying attention to the synchrony between what is being said verbally & non-verbally, between the circumstances of the moment & what the subject is saying, between events & emotions, & even synchrony of time & space can often provide valuable clues to detecting deception.
Additionally, when we speak, we naturally utilise various part of our body - such as the eyebrows, head, hands, arms, torso, legs & feet to emphasise a point about which we feel deeply or emotionally. Observing such emphasis can also provide valuable tips on detecting deception.
To end this book review, I like to paraphrase a quote from the author's friend, as a result of the friend's personal experience in navigating the car to an unknown destination (in Coral Gables, Florida), mentioned in the epilogue:
"Once I knew what to look for & where to look, the signs were obvious & unmistakable. I had no trouble finding my way."
That reaction also more or less sums up my sentiment about developing mastery in speed-reading people.
[Reviewed by Lee Say Keng, Knowledge Adventurer & Technology Explorer, November 2008]
Rating: -
This book was really useful. It really gives you insight into what people are really 'saying' with their body language. I'm going to read it again to make sur I get all the info presented in the book!
Rating: -
Just finished the book this week, and I must say I am quite happy with my purchase! This is a great book that gives a very nice understanding of the limbic part of our brain (A part that reacts without conscious thought) and the reasons behind our body language to understand WHY the brain reacts with these certain resposes in our body language. One of the biggest troubles i'v had with body language is memerising what all the parts mean. But with this understanding of the Limbic brain I can now understand the WHY behind all the parts, and like other reviewers have said, this makes memorising SO MUCH easier as it changed the way I look at Body language.
For anyone really interested in body language, I would recommend you buy this book which will give you a great base understanding of the science behind our body language And then buy the "Definitive Book Of Body Language" Which in my view is like the "encyclopedia" of body language, These are the Must reads for Body language in my view. The combination of the two is really a knock out punch for a very good foundation in the understanding of Body Language.
Rating:  -
Without reading people's bodies, you're only hearing half of what they're saying. This book more than describes specifics, it describes themes, for example distancing and blocking. That allows the reader to interpret motions not covered explicitly in the book. The book is also very careful to explain that all body language needs to be viewed in context. Thus it is not so much motions one makes, but changes in motions, or motions that conflict with other motions or words, that indicate something to further study. Similarly the author points out that there is NO foolproof way to tell when someone is lying. Although it would appear that there are times when you can detect that someone is being honest, the absense of that does not mean one is being dishonest.
The biggest challenge is in developing the habit to actively observe others while engaged in conversation with them. I find I am usually focused on understanding what they are saying (verbally), integrating that with my knowledge/frame of reference, and figuring out what I'm going to say next.
Rating: -
This book gives the reader a fascinating insight to reading body language. Joe Navarro obviously is a credible source and writes in an easily understandable manner. I highly recommend this book to anyone, whether you use body language in your job or just for general knowledge.
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