What Every Body Is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide to Speed-Reading People

DEFINITELY NOT WORTH BUYING! DONT DO IT! HEAR ME OUT!

I had a hard time reading through this book after the first 50 pages because everything that the author was informing on what body language is what everyone already knows! obvious! common sense!...nothing new to the pubic i'd say. FOr example, on pge 103 "on Baring the Torso" it describes how in street fights sometimes removing an article of clothing like a shirt or hat is a sigh of a person getting ready to strike at an opponent or it might be simply to flex their muscles.....HOW OBVIOUS IS THAT!..Their is lots of examples like this one that will make you feel you just wasted money on nothing. CANT SAY I DIDNT WARN YOU!

4 out of 9 people found this review helpful.

Good read - informative and logical information

This book contains basic knowledge and concepts of interpeting body language. It also contains the logic behind why certain actions can be perceived as pacifying behaviors. Everything I read in this book made a lot of sense. And I would notice some of the pacifying behaviors in my own actions when I was uncomfortable or stressed. That enabled me to feel more comfortable with the author and the information provided. I love crime reality tv like The First 48 - so I actually used that show to help "test" my body language reading skills. I recommend this book for anyone with a genuine and/or curious interest the hows and whys behind body language interpretation.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

The best body language book I've ever read

Like many people, I'm interested in being able to read other's body language. I have at least nine books on the subject, a growing collection because none gave me tools I didn't know and that I could easily go out and use.

With Joe Navarro's book, I knew I had a winner when he answered the question: What is the most truthful part of the body. (Not the face, of course. From when we're kids, we're taught to conceal our feelings. "Don't make that face when you eat spinach!")

Not only has he coached law enforcement but he can organize and explain body language by zones in an easy-to-read way.

I've always heard of "fight or flight" but this is the first time I heard of the the first body response -- freeze. As soon as I read it and recalled times when the screech of breaks could make an entire room freeze, I knew this man knew his stuff.

If you are looking for something more than "arms crossed over the chest means they are closed off from what you are saying", this book could be for you.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

love it...put's you on the spot-light!

What Everybody Is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide to Speed-Reading People is a book that opens your eyes to the very things about body language you already know. It is easy to read even the not-so avid readers could just take a couple of days or so to complete the entire book. Yet, in the end you feel as though you have achieved and understood the nonverbal behaviour with a better view of the world around you - able to see most of what we take for granted in everyday life.

In the book, Navarro demonstrates several types of body languages in pictorial format and then correlates those postures with real-life FBI past experience making his arguments even more convincing! He conveniently highlights his life experiences as an FBI agent in separate boxes over many pages bringing the tapestry of human experience in all of its delightful complexity. Some of these experiences may seem over the top, but I would like to think they are real.

As much as this book seems popular it is worth noting that it covers complex issues some of which have no scientific evidence due to the fuzzy nature of the topic. At least, Navarro admits to this and I give him credit for his plethora of bibliography! For example, what may be a good gesture to one may not be to another depending on several factors such as culture, religion, ethnicity to mention, but a few. However, what is good about this book when you read it is that you realise that there is nothing new about body language. In fact, most of what is explained is common knowledge and experience that anyone at some point in life might have come across consciously or sub-consciously.

Broadly speaking, Navarro splits the nonverbal behaviours into two categories on the basis of human-consciousness - those controlled by the neocortex [conscious] and the limbic part of our brain [sub-conscious]. Most of Navarro's illustrations in this book are based around the limbic part of the brain, which in essence has no control of the human brain. I believe this stance is what gives Navarro the flexibility to stretch his arguments as much as he likes, because he knows there are no right or wrong answers in his approach.

So, find out for yourself if this man with a distinguished twenty-five year career with the FBI is what he claims to be - a human lie detector that can spot deceit with relative ease and even teach you to become a personal polygraph in short order. One thing for certain this book will do as it has done to me, is put you on the spot-light and be aware of your surroundings than ever before!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Easier than eckman

Body language cues, not microexpressions.

Very informative

Easy to read and understand

GREAT TOOLS!!!

This book has an abundance of information!!! As you pick up on the readings and the clues that people exude it makes people watching fun!!! As weird as that may sound however it actually seems that you have a second set of eyes to see the world with. You see things that most wouldn't. Definitely recommend.

Great Intro!

This book is slow for the first part and reviews what you already know, or should know! However, it puts evry day interactions into context and makes you more aware of your surroundings and the people around you. The 2nd half of the book is more useful in building a basis to start studying this topic and people. Definitely recommended!

Don't go through life blind

This book is very useful in learning to read body language to enhance your communication skills. The book goes through each section of the body and describes behaviors that give you clues that you can use to your advantage; whether you're a student, professor, in law enforcement, sales, or a spouse; you'll be amazed at how much better reading non-verbals of the body while communicating can help in making the most out of everything from sales calls to interviews (or simply trying to talk to your spouse). It is eye opening how many signals you'll pick up on from people that give clues that you can use to estimate how someone's feeling, wether or not you're getting your point across, or if someone isn't comfortable with what you're saying, and so much more. It has definitly opened my eyes to all the non-verbals of communication that are going on around me that I never picked up on before. It's like opening your eyes for the first time.

Interesting

Some of it is fairly obvious. Things most people already know. Author provides an interesting perspective.

very basic

It is very broad although I liked the photographs, his side stories on every page were annoying after a while.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.