Books › The Dictionary of Body Language
The Dictionary of Body Language
208 pages
An eye-opening field guide that transforms everyday social interactions into a fascinating study of unspoken cues.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like putting on a pair of X-ray glasses for human interaction. It is a steady, highly structured experience that shifts your perspective from passive participant to hyper-aware observer. The prose is clinical yet entirely accessible, reading less like a dense psychological text and more like a practical field guide for navigating the social world. As you move through the catalog of physical cues—from the tilt of a head to the positioning of feet—the mood is intensely inquisitive and enlightening. It delights the avid people-watcher and the professional negotiator alike, offering a pragmatic, empowering journey that permanently alters how you perceive a crowded room, a tense meeting, or a quiet conversation.
- Mood
- inquisitive
- focused
- enlightening
- Tone
- authoritative
- analytical
- accessible
- observant
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- unspoken communication · social dynamics · hidden intentions · psychological insight · human behavior
- The writing
- Clear, concise, and highly structured, prioritizing practical utility and quick reference over literary flourish.
- The arc
- The reader transitions from passive observation to a state of empowered, hyper-aware social literacy.
- Who it's for
- People-watchers, professionals seeking an edge in negotiations, and anyone fascinated by the unspoken mechanics of human interaction.
Content notes
- references to criminal interrogations
About the book
“The ultimate body language reference. I’ll be both referring to and recommending this book on a daily basis for many years to come.” —Amy Cuddy
From the world’s #1 body language expert* comes the essential book for decoding human behavior.
Joe Navarro has spent a lifetime observing others. For 25 years, as a Special Agent for the FBI, he conducted and supervised interrogations of spies and other dangerous criminals, honing his mastery of nonverbal communication. After retiring from the bureau, he has become a sought-after public speaker and consultant, and an internationally bestselling author. Now, a decade after his groundbreaking book What Every BODY is Saying, Navarro returns with his most ambitious work yet. The Dictionary of Body Language is a pioneering “field guide” to nonverbal communication, describing and explaining the more than 400 behaviors that will allow you to gauge anyone’s true intentions.
Moving from the head down to the feet, Navarro reveals the hidden meanings behind the many conscious and subconscious things we do. Readers will learn how to tell a person’s actual feelings from subtle changes in their pupils; the lip behaviors that betray concerns or hidden information; the many different varieties of arm posturing, and what each one means; how the position of our thumbs when we stand akimbo reflects our mental state; and many other fascinating insights to help you both read others and change their perceptions of you.
Readers will turn to The Dictionary Body Language again and again—a body language bible for anyone looking to understand what their boss really means, interpret whether a potential romantic partner is interested or not, and learn how to put themselves forward in the most favorable light.
Description from Open Library.
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