Did you know that the way you stand, hold your elbows, gesture with your hands, position your feet – all reveal your thoughts and feelings? Even the way you smile can tell a person whether you are genuinely happy or pretending. Body language is very revealing to those who understand it. No matter where you are or what you’re doing, your movements reflect your true thoughts and feelings.

Dr. Peter Collett, a social psychologist, has written a book about how to understand body language – how to decipher it and interpret the signals we send unconsciously. While written by an expert, the book is very reader-friendly; it is written in accessible language and can easily be finished in one sitting.

Dr. Peter Collett http://www.drpetercollett.com/

Body Language Doesn’t Lie

This book is a fountain of information about the language of gestures and expressions; the frankest language of all, which we see daily and tend to ignore. By studying and understanding the signals we send to each other through our movements, we can better understand ourselves and our conversation partners.

To quote Mahatma Gandhi: “A man is the sum of his actions: what he has done and what he can do.” A person is usually judged by their deeds and words, but communication theory shows that 80% of our communication is non-verbal. While reading this book, you’ll learn not only to listen to what a person says but also to look at what signals his body is sending. Even if they lie to you, their body will tell you the truth with an eye movement, a turn of the head, a gesture.

You won’t become a body-language expert by reading this book, but you will become much more aware of non-verbal communication. You’ll understand how your brain interprets certain things and why it causes you to react in a certain way. For example, we subconsciously associate large eyes with babies, which require tenderness and care. Therefore, wide eyes signal the absence of aggression and awaken a gentle approach. The book talks about how both dominance and submission are demonstrated non-verbally, how sexual signals are sent, what to look for when listening to politicians’ speeches, and so on.

It’s a Bit Like Mind Reading

In general, studying the material presented in this book adds a new dimension to our conscious perception of the world. Body language can reveal secret romances, carefully concealed uncertainty about a project’s success, and many other secrets. Once you understand it better you will find yourself wondering what secrets you too, are unknowingly revealing.

Upon mastering the art of reading non-verbal signals a person can impersonate a thought reader, and in fact many illusionists possess this skill and actively apply it. But it is useful not only to the work of illusionists. The series “Lie to Me,” based on the scientific work of Paul Ekman, a specialist on facial micro expressions, talks about how “mind reading” helps experts investigate crimes and apprehend criminals.

The effects of this book are immediate. You’ll probably find yourself trying to suppress the signals sent by your body while reading it; the knowledge you acquire will force you to become much more aware of your body and its communicative behavior. While emphasizing the tremendous importance of being constantly present in every second of your life, it is especially important not to ignore the non-verbal aspects of our existence and communication methods.