Gwangju International Center

As the undisputed king of misinterpreting social cues and body language, I found The Definitive Book of Body Language extremely worthwhile. I, like most people, have heard that most communication is non-verbal and I am even aware of what certain gestures imply, but I used to lack the ability to further interpret them. For example, while I knew that a person with his arms crossed has a negative or withdrawn attitude, I would not really have looked at the said gesture in context. What if the person had his feet crossed as well? What if the person was smoking a cigarette and blowing the smoke upward? 

This book gives you the tools to closely analyze other people's body language, while becoming aware of your own so that you can improve the outcome of your social encounters. A notable lesson from this book was that body language gestures never occur in isolation. Instead, in the same way that words come together to form a sentence, gestures occur at the same time to form "clusters." Understanding these clusters is the key to controlling your own body language and interpreting others’ actions.

If this all sounds like a bunch of hocus-pocus, The Definitive Book of Body Language offers a number of techniques that you can try out immediately. In this sense, the book is really a "how-to" guide and is quite thorough, covering hand and arm gestures, evaluation signals, deceit signals along with personal spacing rituals, and many others. One of the coolest sections was the chapter on seating arrangements and effective public speaking. You would not really think of it, but where a presenter stands in relation to the audience has a profound effect on whether the audience finds him funny, serious, or even likeable.

All of the chapters are written in a humorous, but clear style, and the book is chock full of pictures, illustrations, and self-check tests. The book is written so you can use the content for reference.  

There is also a detailed section of the gestures that men and women make to show their interest in a potential partner. Many people could benefit from this section, if for no other reason than to avoid embarrassing themselves in public. And to quote the authors, "Some people may feel that learning body language skills is manipulative or insincere, but learning to be proficient at reading them is no different to wearing certain types of clothes, using certain language, or telling stories that put you in the best light."

Reading this book has the potential to have an immediate, positive effect on your dealings with others. Who knew that such things as standing at a 45% angle while talking to someone and keeping your arms uncrossed at all times could stop you from completely blundering a first impression? If you are interested in learning more, The Definitive Book of Body Language is the book for you.