Reading Faces: Window To The Soul? (New Directions in Social Psychology) [Paperback]

Leslie Zebrowitz (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0813327474 | ISBN-13: 978-0813327471 | Publication Date: June 6, 1997

Do we read character in faces? What information do faces actually provide? Why do we associate certain facial qualities with particular character traits? What are the social and psychological consequences of reading character in faces? Zebrowitz unmasks the face and provides the first systematic, scientific account of our tendency to judge people by their appearance. Offering an in-depth analysis of two appearance qualities that influence our impressions of others—“babyfaceness” and “attractiveness”—and an account of these impressions, Zebrowitz has written an accessible and valuable book for professionals and general readers alike.The assumption that people’s faces provide a window to their inner nature has a long and distinguished history, eloquently expressed in the works of ancient philosophers, like Aristotle, and great writers, like Shakespeare. Zebrowitz examines this assumption, focusing on four central points. She shows that facial appearance, particularly babyfaceness and attractiveness, has a strong impact on how we perceive an individual’s character traits and on social outcomes in the workplace, in the criminal justice system, and in other settings. She proposes that facial stereotypes derive from evolutionarily adaptive reactions to useful information that faces can provide. She assesses the accuracy of facial stereotypes in light of plausible links between appearance and character. Finally, Zebrowitz suggests ways to counteract the consequences of reading faces.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Leslie A. Zebrowitz is Manuel Yellen Professor of Social Relations and professor of psychology at Brandeis University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Westview Press (June 6, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813327474
• ISBN-13: 978-0813327471
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #942,787 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I would have rather skimmed though it at Borders instead, August 31, 2004

By 

Dren Luci "dren" (boston, ma, usa) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Reading Faces: Window To The Soul? (New Directions in Social Psychology) (Paperback)

Very poorly and inconsitently written book. It seems that the author just couldn't make up her mind on whether she wants it to write it as an academic paper, a "how to" book you might see on a shelf at Kinko's, or a coffee-table book.
It does offer some very insightful ideas, but they are so broken up in chapters that don't flow with each other, that can't keep up the interest of the reader.
Also, I would have changed the title to "observations on the effects of facial configurations in the everyday society"

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A inside journey to face perception, February 25, 2002

By 

Tomezini "Tomezini" (Lisbon - Portugal) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reading Faces: Window To The Soul? (New Directions in Social Psychology) (Paperback)

This was one of the books that changed the way I see people around me.
In a strictly scientific analysis, Zebrowitz explores the tendency to judge people by the way they look. Why? Can we trust it?
Almost all book is devoted to this first question - why we do it? And explains why we find some faces more atractive than others, the sex-appealing face cues, the main parts of the face that we look at and if they have some link to the way people are (their behaviour and personality).
The final chapter concludes that there is no scientific evidence that we can link the facial cues to one's personality. However the interesting thing of the book is the scientific facts and studies that you get to know before you come to the conclusion.

A massive study on all aspects of face attraction and perception.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a prerequisit to other face reading book, November 16, 2007

By 

Barbisan Thierry (Saigon, Vietnam) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Reading Faces: Window To The Soul? (New Directions in Social Psychology) (Paperback)

This book title is a little misleading and it will initially disappoint those who are looking for a book on how to read faces. However, it should be the first book that anyone interested in the subject should read.

In Reading Faces, the author spends a great deal of pages (and well researched material) to dispel the myth that there is a direct and systematic link between our facial appearance and psychological traits. But, unlike what another reviewer said, Leslie Zebrowitz does not say that there is absolutely no link between them. Through her model of appearance-traits relations in chapter 3 and 8 she explains how biology and environment can influence directly or indirectly that relation and how an individual may react to it (surfing along ones appearance => self-fulfilling prophecy; fighting it => self-defeating prophecy...).

The point is that there is no simple (simplistic, rather I should say) or systematic (if you wide a wide chin, broad jaw then it automatically means that you are strong willed, authoritarian...) appearance-traits link as some books or people pretend there is. As a matter of fact, I have yet to find a book/article/speaker on face reading that backup their system or claims with scientifically validated studies (as opposed to Leslie Zerbrowitz who thoroughly references every point she makes).

Does that mean that the other books on face reading are a waste of time or trees? No, rather they should be used with a different optic. These books could help us understand better what our face tells other and how instrumental it is in forming a first impression. According to researcher Albert Meharabian ("Non Verbal communication", Chicago, Adline-Athernon, 1972) when we first meet someone, the words we say only represent 7% of our total messages. For the rest, 38% of what is perceived is through our voice (tone, speed, intonation...) and the remaining 55% through our appearance and body language. So, do read these other books on face reading, but not before having read Leslie Zerbrowitz one (herself a baby face in a self-defeating prophecy mode from what we can read between the lines). Also, keep in mine that facial clues are significant signals that will be perceived consciously and subconsciously by other and although they do play an important role in one's life they do not represent simplistic/systematic personality traits indicators.

I don't give this book 5 star rating because of the form. The content could have been a little better organized and reader friendly. Still it remains highly readable.