Customer Reviews

Emotions Revealed, Second Edition: Recognizing Faces and Feelings to Improve Communication and Emotional Life

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

btw I'm Susan Gill's son.

Dr Ekman has been getting alot of attention lately, due to the fact that he is the scientific consultant for the new show on Fox "Lie to Me". The show is even based off of his science. In fact, it's the reason I got into this type of behavioral science. So if like me you want to strengthen your ability to catch liars or see hidden emotions in the face, this book is without a doubt your best bet.

What makes this book so good is that Ekman includes pictures of every single emotion, and describes them in detail so that you should know which emotion should be felt at which time. Pictures are abundant in each chapter for each specific emotion On top of that, the book even has a test you can take to see how well you can read emotions before, and after you read the book.

Another very helpful thing is that he even gives a negation signal people can make in the face called "mouth shrugs", and the difference between a mouth shrug and sadness. This was an issue if you've seen the "Moral Waiver", because it was hard to spot in that particular episode what exactly a mouth shrug looked like. In fact, I know what a mouth shrug looks like and I STILL have a harder time seeing what they did with it, so on that note this book is very useful.

As for using it for lie detection, the extra chapter included in this edition is extremely useful. It describes the two types of errors a person can make when interpreting signals for lying, but not in so much detail that it kills you (I.E "Telling Lies"). It's almost as if it summarizes some of what "Telling Lies" says, so it's really good after you read "Telling Lies" to read that chapter if you're having any issues.

My only complaints for the book is mostly the way Ekman set up the chapters. He wrote why and when we feel the emotion BEFORE you learn to recognize it. This was a problem for me because it made me want to get to the faces and how to read them. If he had done that first, I may have been more interested in understanding WHY or WHEN certain emotions occur.

On a different note, Ekman really makes it seem that he doesn't have a lot of confidence in his lie detection system, but if you watch "Lie to Me" you can see clearly that his research can be well over 90 % accurate based on the context of the situations, and looking for changes in behavior instead of just one sign of lying only.

One last thing, if you to want to learn how to detect lies and how to read faces and body language like the people on "Lie to Me" (and like Ekman), this isn't the only book you should get. It's more of a concentration on the Face instead of the "whole picture" you'll be looking at.

This is my opinion, but you should really get Ekman's book "Telling Lies" and Alan and Barbara Pease's book "The Definitive Book of Body Language" if you want to get really serious about lie detection. Each book contains certain information that's more in depth on each subject. Like the use of Manipulators is alot more in depth in the Body language book than in any of Ekmans books (which is really needed because Ekman barely covers that topic). On top of that, reading body language can give you a better assesment of a person's behavior based on their positive and negative body language. Coupled with the "Tells" that Ekman describes, you should have a really good understanding of how the system works.

Ekman's other book, "Telling Lies" is a bit of a tougher read, but it includes valuable information on the body and lying that none of the other books have. It goes more in-depth on the two errors a Lie catcher can make, and give you a much deeper understanding on how and why people lie (make sure you buy the 2009 remake version though, it has the best information, and makes it sound more conclusive about his studies towards the end of the book).

So if you're interested in concealed emotions, buy this book immediately. If you're interested in lie detection however, buy this book, and "Telling Lies" (Paul Ekman) and "The Definitive Book of Body Language" (Allan, Barbara Pease) and to watch "Lie to Me" every week to get a better understanding of how to use his science.

*****EDITED NOTES*****

Just to let you know, I've edited my review to make it easier to read, and that I've written a review on "Telling Lies" if you'd like more information on that book.

ALSO, new to this Edit is the newest reccomended book on body language. "What Every Body Says" is my all time favorite book on body language. It's written by an ex FBI agent. While I was turned off by that fact at first, I read into it and found that the author is VERY exceptional at what he does. If you can, get that book instead of Alan and Barbara Pease's book. It's still an excellent book, but I found "What Every Body Says" to be a bit better =)

On the topic of body language and the display of emotions, Dr. Ekman is probably the most knowledgeable man alive. His writings are based on decades of real, scientific research and experimentation. In this second edition, he does a great job of explaining the root causes of emotions and then showing how emotions are displayed on the individual's face.

Dr. Ekman was among the first to identify micro-expressions, which he first identified as he studied a tape of a suicidal woman who was filmed denying her intent to commit suicide. By identifying her micro expressions, he was able to determine that, contrary to her verbal statements, she remained suicidal and in need of care and supervision.

Dr. Ekman peppers the book with many examples and anecdotes. For example, he shows how John Dean, Counselor to President Nixon, undercut his own credibility with an overly detailed memory description. The book is full of these kinds of anecdotes and examples.

Bonus: The appendix provides a visual test that the reader can use to determine their own proficiency in recognizing and reading emotions. I found the test to be interesting and instructive.

This book is a well-researched, scholarly work that will benefit any person interested in learning more about how to read and recognize the emotions of others. If you are looking for something with more entertainment value and more illustrations, you might check out The Definitive Book of Body Language by Allan and Barbara Pease.

In Emotions Revealed, Ekman discusses how a person's face can be "read" to determine what kind of emotions s/he is feeling. The author then proceeds to focus on emotions such as contempt, disgust, sadness, happiness, and anger. In each chapter he has a model who shows different expressions. He explains in great detail how to read the facial expressions as well as what they seem to mean. He also has an exercise that people can do to use facial expressions to invoke feelings. Overall, it's a fascinating read, which shows how much the face is integral to feeling emotion as well as expressing it. At times, the book is dry and can be a bit of a slog to read through, but Ekman does a fairly comprehensive job of explaining the subject. I'm already eager to see how I can apply the concepts in my everyday communication.

Dr. Ekman is the father of micro-expressions and has done decades of research to back up most of his claims. The book is a wealth of information. However, it is a very boring, slow read.

If you are looking for a book that reads fast and can be applied instantly, then check out "The Definitive Book of Body Language." This book reads very fast and has many examples that can be helpful towards learning. They also reference Ekman and his findings, so it is a nice blend between facial expressions and the rest of the body.

I'm sure the author is an expert and knows his material, but the book is very poor. Poor in that the pictures are disjointed with the subject matter; too much referenced material from others that is descriptive but not very explanatory in just the textual sense, i.e., telling me what something looks like is difficult for me to understand when I've never seen it before - and I believe that's the key to micro expressions - observing the face and how it looks in order to be able to interpret it!

The section on how to tell if someone is lying is useless in respect to actually being able to use micro expressions to do that. Define it - show me - then test me. There is an overkill in defining IT, awful and poor trying to show me, and the real test you have to buy on-line for more money! In my opinion, the entire book was like a teaser so you'd have to buy another book or his on-line "training."

Bottom Line - I would not recommend this book for someone believing that after reading this book (even multiple times) one could put any of the information in it to real use - other than to talk about it in a very high level conceptual manner. I gave it a two star rating because I'm sure the Author knows how to use the material that HE couldn't explain so that I COULD (even) begin to use it. A total waste of money and time.

I first heard of Paul Ekman after watch Lie to Me a few times. I wanted to see if this show had any scientific truth to it. This led me to Dr. Ekman and his books. This book does open your eyes to different things about people, but only just enough to make you pay more attention. You aren't going to become an expert on reading people by this book alone. This subject is a very interesting read though.

This is fascinating book, with some interesting stories about his early days in PNG investigating the universality of facial expression. If he seems uncertain in many areas as mentioned by another reviewer, this is presumably because he has high regard for the level of scientific evidence needed before answering 'why is it so'!

Worth also purchasing are the METT and SETT training cd's. I have used them both and also as a learning activity in high school science.

I think the book could be improved with some diagrams illustrating key concepts i.e. mapping similar emotional themes that he talks about.

This book is very well written. It's not a difficult read, and it's packed with content. At the end of each chapter, the author provides a brief description of how to detect emotions in others and be aware of them in yourself. I bought it for more of the former function, but can now see the utility of being more self-aware.

I've made a lot of money thanks to this book. As a businessman, a stock trader, and a writer, I enjoy games that give me the same emotional highs that my work gives me, and the only game that does that is poker. This book is what all poker books want to be, including Mike Caro's. I've always been good at reading people, understanding them, and more, but this book, and several others are helping me raise it to a whole new level of experience. I will admit coming to Eckman's work through the T.V. Show Lie To Me, a show I hope can contain itself for a few more seasons, and though you might not get the miracle eyes that you see on television, you will get a better understanding that can help you anywhere.

Your boyfriend or girlfriend is upset, or that girl at work that you like and thinks likes you gives you a smile, or your boss is disatisfied with your work, or your boss is impressed with your work which is a perfect time to ask for a raise. This book can help you begin to discern the mysteries that hide behind those subtle movements that leave you wondering, should I have said hello, those moments where a supposed friend or partner is telling you one thing, but something about him is telling you something else.

When you can understand how people are reacting to you, what they're emotional state is, from that point on it's all about learning to speak persuasively, and there are many books available on that subject as well that would be highly advisable. This book is a gateway, it's cheap, it's simple to understand, it has a world of information, and it's a start to a world of understanding. When you know that girl at the bar is looking for someone to talk to, it gives you that much more confidence--maybe just the amount you needed--to go over and introduce yourself. When you're conversations are falling flat on your dates, understanding subtle differences will give you the knowledge to change the subject, include her, anything. When a potential investor is interested, you know to push forward and push for more money, when he's questioning, you know to pull back, focus in on the parts that got him the most interested, and scale back the cost to the basics, when they're disinterested, you know to change the subject, to redirect their attention, find out what could be done to get their money (this is all persuasive speech, but to talk persuasively, you must first know what the person needs to be persuaded on, and their faces more times than not hold the secrets). And by the slightest gestures, looking up over the poker table, and watching the reaction of someone as you ask, "Did you hit?" and knowing if they did or not. Learning that when a player moves their eyes away they're thinking, calculating odds or chances, when they're staring right at the table and not checking their hands, they're strong (no need to calculate, the odds are in your favor). These things are unconscious.

What this book most of all got me thinking about, as a philosophy buff, is that people constantly say we're a society moving into a world where we have no privacy by choice. I'd say we've always been a society--a world--that has lived with every happiness and every sorrow and every lie plastered right over our faces. This book is superb. A necessity for businessmen, police, writers (who want to understand people more and thus understand the characters they create more), journalist who want to seperate truth from lie and the whole story from part of the story, and most of all, poker players who want their games to be that much better when they sit down with friends.

Also, on a sidenote, for guys, when you learn to get fairly good at reading people's body language and faces, it becomes very easy to pick up a girl, one of my favorite tricks, a cheap parlor trick at that, is after a few minutes of good conversation (again learning persausive speech is absolutely something most people should learn) where you decide she's interested and you're interested, offer her a challenge, a magic trick, she writes her number on a napkin, balls the napkin up, and puts it behind her back, and if you can't guess each time which hand it's in, three times in a row, you'll buy the next round and leave her alone, if you do, you get the number, and you still buy the next round. Knowing what to look for, you should easily be able to guess which hand the numbers in.

I'm not sure how well this book is helping me read other people's emotions but it is sure helping me read my own. I am realizing I am spending way too much time stewing over the past or projecting fear into the future and am missing the present moment. By becoming aware of my facial movements I'm finding it much easier to redirect my mental chatter onto more positive and constructive pathways.