Customer Reviews

Gestures: The Do's and Taboos of Body Language Around the World

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This is a nice book. If you are going to travel abroad or you meet foreign people, you would like to know what these people understand from your body language. Of course, the book also gives you good material for chatting with friends from anywhere (including your own coutry).

Don't expect the book to tell you what a gesture means in every part of the world or to show you every gesture used in some part of the world. The book of course doesn't do such a hard task, though it tries: it explains you the gestures that are generalized (or most common) in a country. However, be always aware that there are exceptions and gestures you should know and are not included in the book.

Below are some questions you'll answer reading the book. In some cases the book gives you also the explanation about the gesture (what it comes from).

Where should you avoid the "OK sign"?
Where should a man enter before a woman?
Why Latin people get closer to you when talking?
How should you bow in Japan?

Many people believe that the gestures we use in the United States are universal, and translate the same way around the world. In "The Do's and Taboos of Body Lanugage", Roger Axtell shows us that this isn't always true. This book is ideal for anyone who does a great deal of traveling and often visits different cultures. It not only gives a breakdown of each major country and what you should and should not do while visiting, but a breakdown for each gesture as well. The author gives the reader a good idea of how the gesture is done through, both description, and illustration.

I've added the three Roger Axtell titles to my classroom
for use during silent reading period. My students have learned
a lot about cultural differences and what is deemed acceptable
social behavior around the world.

Very helpful, amusing,well-organized, and no unnecessary information. For our diverse society, this is good to have on hand. connie338 shipped the book right away, too. Thanks!

Speaking 5 languages I already had an appreciation for the customs of the people's languages that I speak. Working in Corrections ( in a prison ) for twenty years I have seen a change in the mix of different cultures that are entering the correctional system. What an advantage to be able to speak fluent Spanish, and armed with further knowledge of the Spanish culture your dealing with was definitely a plus. I also have many friends that are Japanese, Hindu, and Latin American, so this book for me was more than just a helping hand, it enabled me to experience a more down home taste of their every day culture. Great book. A must read for any one in state or federal government services.

This book is good to read in general terms as it attempted to explain the gestures from all around the world. Sometimes, it's amusing to read & at times, I would be loss for words as what I thought was the right things to do in certain countries is actually considered as rude or obscene. Perhaps, it's the kind of book that you can read in the plane or just as a matter of interest. The presentation is rather text book-ish with bullet points, occasional pictures to ease readers' boredom, something like a PowerPoint presentation. I guess that denotes the writer's background being a prominent guest speaker.

Axtell vividly shows how common sense is NOT enough to get you through all social or business situations around the world. Travelers ignore Axtell at their own peril.

Well, I was really blown away by this book, which seems to cover more things than I could have conceived! Well written, easy to understand, numerous drawings for us visual people so we have no doubt about what is being discussed, and a sense of humor too.

Although the book is over 200 pages in length, it was a quick read because of the easy format and interesting history behind why we do what we do when it comes to gesturing.

And for me, it brought back memories of places I have traveled to, and customs encountered. For instance, in India when the people you are talking to want you to know that they agree with you or that they are listening to you, they bob/nod their head quickly back and forth, left to right. At first you think they are indicating "no" or disagreeing with you. Had I bought the book before that trip, I wouldn't have been so confused!

Highly recommend this to anyone who travels a lot or for someone who just has an interest in customs around the world.

This book is both a humerous and eye-opening read. Gives "different strokes for different folks" an entirely new meaning, and is VITAL for a full understanding and consequent respect of different cultures. Loved it!

"Gestures" was recommended at a class on corporate politics. And a good rec it was. The book is simply presented. Short descriptions inform readers how the meaning of gestures differ from place to place. Pen-and-ink cartoons illustrate some of the more obscure gestures, like the Italian fig and the ear waggle. The same benign OK sign made by an American can be seen as a vulgarity by a Mexican. Give a thumbs up to an Aussie and you are likely to be punched in the snoot. Never scribble on a Japanese business card (which is given as a symbol of one's very self) and DON'T show bare your sole in the Middle East! The book had sections devoted to gestures made using certain body parts (ears, fingers, head) and by nation. This makes for a fair amount of repetition. But if you were visiting a particular country, this arrangement would make it very easy to zero in on the customs of a particular place.

I especially appreciated how "Gestures" avoided the psychoanalysis that other body language books go in for. Except for few dizzy references to Desmond ("The Naked Ape") Morris's claims about the supposed origins of some gestures, the book was level-headed and useful. A great reference for those traveling to far off and unfamiliar lands.