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I've also learned to watch out for the non-verbal cues I might be sending. I work for a large retailer. The techniques for both recognizing and utilizing body language are clearly explained and the photos that accompany the text are very helpful. I have become more aware of my body language and, conversely, when I WANT to send a non-verbal message to someone, I now know how. Working with my co-workers and with the public, I have learned from this book that people send you lots of non-verbal messages every time you interact. This book has helped me spot non-verbal cues and improved my communication not only with customers, but with my subordinates and superiors as well.
Now you will. If you like the show "lie to me" or the "mentalist" you will enjoy this book. It gives a lot of good insight on expressions that you see everyday but you never pick up on.
The best book that i have come across for those causal or novice folks, I would go for 'The Definitive book on Body Language'. If you are in the 9-5 and dealing with 'suits' all day, this book might be for you. It didn't take too long to work through this one, and at the time i really liked it. However I have since read a few other books on the subject that cover the subject better.
This book makes the same mistakes and ommisions. With all of such books, I am wary of some of what they attempt to teach because of the possibility that they actually start to encourage people to display certain types of body language rather than to objectively study their occurance in the human species (and perhaps in other primates). I have a few of these types of books and this book works well with the book What Every BODY is Saying (which I highly recommend). Some of the images seem a little bit fake but for the most part they seem like good visual examples of actual body language. But it does does mention it a little bit to more substantiate some claims. Most of these types of books suffer from having a purely English-speaking, Eurocentric, American approach and use such examples. Also, I have yet to see any body language books address medical conditions or medicine side effects that can and do profoundly affect body language in a variety of ways (neurologically, physiologically, etc).
This book is not as heavily tied into discussion of limbic system reactions and instincts, for example. I think to have access to those types of publications you have to actually be working in the field and be subscribed to academic research journals or be in what I'd call "forensic" type training programs.
I like that it mentions other cultures as a significant factor affecting body language, but I wish it had a more international approach. Overall, this book is a good introduction to body language issues, but it's not exactly "forensic-quality" material as far as I can tell.
It covers some things that the other book leaves out and has a different style to it that some readers might find more appealing and personal. Luckily this book does touch on fakery and mimicry issues at least a little bit as those also have a bearing on body language.
Bottom line: it makes a fun coffee table book and you can also learn a little bit, but you will be far from becoming an FBI body language specialist. Much like the other book, this one doesn't waste too much time on celebrity and politician speculation/gossip, although it does note "intimate" handshaking styles of Bill Clinton and George Bush for example.
Other cultures and subcultures do have differences in body language.
Nevertheless, not a bad read. Also, there is not enough information on feet, legs and torso. This book does have some useful information on body language. But, there is too much filler.
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