Customer Reviews

The Nonverbal Advantage: Secrets and Science of Body Language at Work (Bk Business)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Author Carol Kinsey Goman has added another remarkable achievement to her already significant reputation in the business world with her "must have book" on communications, "The Nonverbal Advantage: Secrets and Science of Body Language at Work". She demystifies some of the basic elements of everyday business communication with a well-written breakdown of human interactions dealing with body language. The book not only teaches but also enlightens the reader about what they and others are unconsciously communicating with their eyes, hands and feet positions and other body gestures and movements.

The book is written for the business world but what you learn can be applied in your own personal life as well. The first thing that you realize is that it is very difficult to fake and manipulate what your body is going to communicate. The book will not be very helpful for those seeking to learn how to use body language to give different or false messages than are in your heart. The book does give you greater insights on how to read others at meetings, or in one-on-one-situations. In some cases, this book will act like a Rosetta Stone for those who are clueless as to what the body is saying about each of us.

Goman uses wonderful personal examples that are easy to identify with. The reader will be able to recognize themselves and others as she takes them through a learning experience that will enrich their work and personal lives. The book is well written and easy to read. I could see this book being used for groups and companies as part of any communications-training program.

This book will change you and alter the way you look at people. It will make you think and reflect and perhaps wake you up and change how you perceive others and yourself. It is a profound work that is scientifically grounded and not some new-age feel good effort to say what has already been said. This book manages to break some new ground while pulling together lots of known and accepted theories of nonverbal communication.

This book receives my highest personal endorsement and recommendation. This book belongs on every serious business manager's office shelf.

The American Authors Association has selected this book for one of its annual Golden Quill Awards as "The Best Business Book of the Year - 2008".

Far and away the best book I've read on the topic. In a book on nonverbal communication it helps to have examples, and the numerous illustrations really serve to underscore Carol Kinsey Goman's points--lots of photos that show exactly how body language works in the workplace. And the book is full of practical advice, little tips you can put into practice right away. One example that helped me: I have a bad habit of breaking eye contact when someone is talking to me, which conveys disinterest--bad nonverbal communication--when it's actually shyness. Goman suggested making a habit of simply noting the color of the person's eyes, which has worked very well for me. It enables me to maintain eye contact in a way that makes me much less self-conscious about it. Very psychologically astute.

This book was found by luck at a bookstore, it has been one of the greatest books I have read on Body Language and communication. I think it can help any sales people or public speaker. It cover every possible body position and body part, includes many pictures to see what they are speaking about. Overall very good...

It didn't take too long to work through this one, and at the time i really liked it. However I have since read a few other books on the subject that cover the subject better. If you are in the 9-5 and dealing with 'suits' all day, this book might be for you.

The best book that i have come across for those causal or novice folks, I would go for 'The Definitive book on Body Language'.

Well worth the time to read. Pictures were helpful, but the most useful were the exercises that were interspersed throughout the book. My guess is that most people are unconsciously competent in the reading of nonverbal expressions. This book helps you get to "back" to a conscious competent and then to use the experience to read others.

I had the benefit of reading THE NONVERBAL ADVANTAGE, by Carol Kinsey Goman, while traveling on business. I say it was a benefit because I was able to apply what I read while observing the people in the airport. It was a real eye opener and really even gave me somewhat of a sense of empowerment knowing that I knew what people were really saying with their bodies.

Several years ago, I went through a training course on Integrity Interviewing, so I knew a lot of this stuff already, but I was very surprised at how much I DIDN'T know. I'm not just talking about reading other people, but my own actions as well. There is a great deal of information here on how our body language will invite others to be more open with you.

The subtitle here is SECRETS AND SCIENCE OF BODY LANGUAGE AT WORK, and this is critical knowledge for anyone in business, but it goes much further than that. This is somewhat of a training manual on social skills, both business and personal. I can't think of anyone who wouldn't benefit greatly from reading this book.

I love the way this book delivered what it promised - education about nonverbal cues within the context of the business environment. But after finishing the book, what has surprised me is how much I now find myself closely watching the nonverbal signs of politicians on TV, friends and family - the book will undoubtedly help me to better understand others and give me the chance to consciously improve my own communication skills. Carol invites us to pay much more attention to each other!

Pros:

- Useful and interesting information presented simply and quickly for the busy lay person.

Cons:

- No proper citations that one can then follow up in greater detail. Also there are instances where she says, "In a well known experiment..." without any proper references. Adding such would enhance the credibility of her writing. For a PhD this is rather sloppy work.

- More pictures could have helped illustrate some points.

I have a few of these types of books and this book works well with the book What Every BODY is Saying (which I highly recommend). It covers some things that the other book leaves out and has a different style to it that some readers might find more appealing and personal. Some of the images seem a little bit fake but for the most part they seem like good visual examples of actual body language. Much like the other book, this one doesn't waste too much time on celebrity and politician speculation/gossip, although it does note "intimate" handshaking styles of Bill Clinton and George Bush for example.

I like that it mentions other cultures as a significant factor affecting body language, but I wish it had a more international approach. Most of these types of books suffer from having a purely English-speaking, Eurocentric, American approach and use such examples. Other cultures and subcultures do have differences in body language. Also, I have yet to see any body language books address medical conditions or medicine side effects that can and do profoundly affect body language in a variety of ways (neurologically, physiologically, etc). This book makes the same mistakes and ommisions. Luckily this book does touch on fakery and mimicry issues at least a little bit as those also have a bearing on body language. Overall, this book is a good introduction to body language issues, but it's not exactly "forensic-quality" material as far as I can tell. I think to have access to those types of publications you have to actually be working in the field and be subscribed to academic research journals or be in what I'd call "forensic" type training programs.

This book is not as heavily tied into discussion of limbic system reactions and instincts, for example. But it does does mention it a little bit to more substantiate some claims.
With all of such books, I am wary of some of what they attempt to teach because of the possibility that they actually start to encourage people to display certain types of body language rather than to objectively study their occurance in the human species (and perhaps in other primates).

Bottom line: it makes a fun coffee table book and you can also learn a little bit, but you will be far from becoming an FBI body language specialist.

This is the best communications tool on the market today. Incredibly well-researched but not dry or academic. I've already started applying Ms Goman's techniques and have experienced IMMEDIATE and beneficial results. Not just for business people - these tips can be used in any social situation to your advantage. Get this book now and you will see for yourself how easy, fun and absorbing it is.