See What?

Reviewed by Nancy

How observant are you? In one study, a man in a gorilla suit walked past a group of students while other activities were taking place and only half the students even noticed him. Would you have been one of the ones who was oblivious, or one of the ones who was interrupting everybody saying, "What the heck is that gorilla doing over there?"

Joe Navarro was a special agent and supervisor for the FBI for twenty-five years. His area of expertise is non-verbal communication, or “body language.” His book, What Every BODY Is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent’s Guide to Speed Reading People (153.69 NAV Main), is your guide to becoming savvier than those around you.

In his book Mr. Navarro explains the nuances of body language. His theory is that people lie best through the face: it's the other body parts that will give the game away, the twitch of a hand, shifting weight from one leg to another or a change in posture. Through study of this book you can become an astute observer, both of people and your surroundings. You can learn to tell when people are comfortable or why they aren’t. If they’re nervous, is it because they are lying or hiding something? He describes how people employ their facial expressions to conceal emotion but how their arms and legs might betray their real feelings. You’ll learn how to read not just people's faces, but all of their body movements, whether they are jumping for joy, touching their necks or massaging their faces to comfort themselves, or crossing their arms or holding something on their laps to distance themselves from a situation.

Being savvy about body language can assist you both professionally and personally. Learn to know when the boss is really pleased with you, and when he is thinking about giving you the ax. This book could help you to better understand what it is that your family members are or are not saying to you. Are you in business, in sales? Learn to watch for the signs that the deal may be going south, and where the sticking points in the negotiation are. Whether the other guys will tell you or not, you may be able to figure it out for yourself once you've read this book.

Don't be the last one in the group to notice the gorilla passing by. Read "What Every BODY Is Saying."