Customer Reviews

The Secret Language of Business: How to Read Anyone in 3 Seconds or Less

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

KH writing style is clear. He gives interesting examples and even throws in humor, occasionally. What he also is good at is marketing and hype. Consider that the first 15 reviews are all 5 stars. All unbiased and unsolicited I am sure. Aren't you?

Reality: the book is barely over 200 pages. It is suppose to be about nonverbal language in business, but the chapter starting on page 155 is about parenting, and there's little else of value to follow. A book on nonverbal behavior is full of illustrations and pictures, right? Nope,
not this book. It is 100% words. A book about the power of nonverbal signals doesn't use a single nonverbal signal itself, except for the cover--big eye, wide pupil--to get you to buy. That is what is most important, right?

Not one footnote. Want to read the study yourself? Doubt the correctness of his generalizations? Too bad for you. The only reference in the entire book is to an article on his website; however, the content posted is about a different topic. Specifically, he makes this huge claim that he has "made hundreds of thousands of dollars" by just choosing to sit on the right hand side of right-handers, and then references an unrelated article. Hummmm.


Really believe all those 5 star reviews? Then buy this book.

If you want an alternative, I suggest Allen and Barbara
Pease's book, The Definitive Book of Body Language. It is full of illustrations and pictures, 400 pages, at the same price.

Best regards,
Michael

[...]

This book is very poorly written and contains only basic information on body language.

Not sure how anyone could possibly consider this to be a business book. The examples given are questionable and not backed by proof. I was very disappointed and should have paid attention to other reviews before spending time on this dud.

Save your money - in 3 seconds or less - and don't buy this book.

The first red flag for this book was in the introduction, where the author asks that the reader take it on faith whenever he claims there's a lot of research on a given subject. This request should be repulsive to any thinking person-- verifying the facts for myself is the only way I really ever know anything-- and the only way someone earns my trust is by consistently SHOWING that there are facts to support his claims.

There is tons of filler in this book. There's an intro to each chapter, which adds nothing, then at the end of the chapter, there's a conclusion, which restates exactly what the chapter said-- in exactly the same words. It implies that people are too stupid to retain what they read. There's also an end-of-chapter exercise, which is the same for every chapter, adds nothing to my understanding, and contributes to the high-school-textbook feeling of this book.

This book does not teach you to read people in 3 seconds or less-- it's just a catchy title. It contains the same basic body language information found in many other books. Worse, the writing is watery and, strangely, it contains a bunch of irrelevant, unsupported advice about parenting. An example of the watery filler that's spread liberally throughout this book: "As soon as parents get through the preteen phase, next up are the teen and young adult years. This is perhaps the most tumultuous time in a parent/child relationship and one that can go on for only a couple of years or extend out further over many years."

The most shocking thing about this book is its bibliography. It cites a bunch of the author's own books and a few other mainstream body language books (no journal articles). It's no wonder the author asked me to take the reserach on faith-- looks like he didn't bother to learn any of it.

There were a couple of interesting parts of this book. There were a few boxed facts that were interesting, and the author discussed a few of the most common cultural misunderstandings (ie, Asian people will nod as a sign that they're listening, which we misinterpret as agreement, and Latin Americans use much more physical contact in platonic relationships than Americans do, which can be very off-putting for us). These few pages of interesting information were definitely not worth the price I paid for the book-- I feel like I was robbed.

If you're fed up with the same-old "if their arms are crossed, they're likely in a defensive mindset" stuff you first heard about in Communications 101, this may be the body language book for you.

First, I was very pleased to learn that the material in this book was drawn from current academic research, rather than rehashed material from the 1970s (some of it since disproven) that's so often presented in books and seminars on body language.

At the same time, this book is refreshingly accessible. Dr. Hogan never talks down to his audience, but he seems to present the material with just the right amount of complexity to convey the full meaning of his subject, without getting bogged down in a lot of scientific jargon.

Most importantly, there is a TON of down-to-earth, immediately usable strategies revealed in this book!

As someone who makes his living in sales and marketing, I was primarily interested in learning things that would help make me more money. :-) Little did I know that in addition to a copious amount of business-related info, I would also find lots of cool nuggets on body language as it relates to the world of romance and relationships.

Lastly, Dr. Hogan makes sure that his book will be eminently practical to the reader by providing a list of "Takeaways" and thoughtful exercises at the end of each chapter.

All in all, I couldn't have been more pleased with this book and the information it delivered.

Dr. Hogan's latest book is a brilliant insight into the difference between body language and non-verbal communication. But that isn't what makes this book great, it is the step by step processes he reveals that demonstrate non-verbal communication strategies you can use immediately.

For example:

Here is a specific application of the Secret Language of Business
that you can use five minutes from now.

Intention: Optimize your location from your customers point of view
to cause a "yes" response if it is possible. (Where will you sit,
exactly? Where will you stand, precisely?)

Background: The right brain hemisphere of a right handed person
stores emotional and autobiographical memory to a significant degree.
The left hemisphere has Broca's Area, and accomplishes much of the
logic, spatial and analytical thinking.

The right hemisphere of the brain is largely activated when a person
looks to their extreme left. (cover your right eye with your hand,
look "hard left" but don't turn your head) In two minutes you will
report some form of anxiety or fear. Some people experience panic.
(assuming you are right handed!)

The left hemisphere of the brain is largely activated when a person
looks to their extreme right. (cover your left eye with your hand
and look "hard right." but don't turn your head) In two minutes you
will report some form of "calm," "comfort," "fine," "no problem, why?
(again this assumes you are right handed)

Utilization: With right handed customers, you will sit to their
right so they look right, activating more of the left brain.
Logical, non-emotional, non fear and non anxiety producing...

Research in selling situations shows calm exhibited in contrast to
discomfort and anxiety when the salesperson is seated to the left
of the customer.

I believe that this book is an important addition to every serious salesperson's library and a must for all students of persuasion, influence and seduction.

There is absolutely NOTHING in this book that can help you "Read Anyone in 3 seconds or less". If you are past the age of 12 and have an IQ of more than 20 then this book is not for you. The title of the book is decieving. All this info in the book is of such basic manner I'm suprised it sells. And even MORE suprised this guy does seminars. There is nothing new (as also posted by someone else) in regards to gaining good insight into Body Language.

The book reads like it was written for an alien species preparing to encounter humans for the first time.

Highlights:

p41: "Facial expressions can communicate nearly any emotion... They appear as follows: Happiness - Lips pull back at the corners; cheeks rise up, Fear: Mouth opens slightly, Disgust: Nose wrinkles up, Sadness: Lips draw down at the corners, Surprise: Eyelids open wide."

He finishes each chapter with "Takeaways" and "Worksheet", like a school text book. For example: Chapter 1, Takeaway 1: "The observation and discussion of body language has been around for centuries."

Chapter 3 insert: "Extraordinary body language facts: Most women have fingers almost exactly the same length."

Chapter 9 is about dating and chapter 10 is about child rearing. In fact, beyond the title, it is difficult to find business mentioned at all.

I read my fair share of self help books and lately became interested in the body language genre. I did't feel a need to write reviews. Most say it as good or better than I can. However, I felt the desire to do it now.

From the title, I was very excited to read this book. As I began, there was a line that stood out in the About The Author section for some reason. It explained Hogan's credentials this way, "He has over 20 years of experience in the academic study of body language as well as the practical, real world application of body language and nonverbal communication." For some reason, this made me think of typical resume jargon to enhance an applicant's weak skill set. At that point, I wasn't sure why this caught my attention.

Most How To books need a chapter or two to warm up giving background information, familiarizing the reader with terminology, and set the stage for what is about to read. However, I kept reading page after page for Hogan to capture and peek my interest.

By page 50, I began glossing over sentences. By page 70, I started skipping paragraphs. At page 90, I was brushing over pages & remaining chapters. At page 100, I put the book down for good. I never do this. I buy books to read and highlight them for future reference. I look to at least learn one new thing but it wasn't going to happen here.

Oddly, Hogan mentions that the book would lack formal citations but the data was researched and there was no need to bog down either author or reader with citations. Another red flag!!!!

As mentioned by other astute critics on here, this book had no pictures. Not one. If any book needs pictures it's a body language book. I would think the more the better. Looking back, this was the tell tale sign that Hogan had nothing to teach me.

Overall, there's nothing in this book that common sense hasn't already taught us. If, by chance, he did manage to touch on something topical or interesting (hands and fingers) there was little depth to it and no information as to where he learned it. Did his bookie tell him this? His father? Did he see it in Time Magazine or a journal article while waiting at his dentist's office? Who knows?

I have a sneaky suspicion that Hogan has little knowledge or expertise on the topic and did little if any research for this book. If he does, he hid it well. I find some of the reviews to be peculiar in how they were worded and positive they were. No doubt they are publicist generated. Now, the five star reviews all seemed hoaxy.
Make no mistake about it. You won't learn a thing here!!!!

Other books on the market give far more insight, explanations and illustrations as to why people move, act, or react the way they do. Read, John Navarro's, What Every Body Is Saying or The Yes Factor by Tonya Reiman. I refer to both all the time.

I would love to observe someone's body language as they sift to find one bit of useful, relevant information they didn't already know by the time they entered junior high/middle school.

The lesson I learned from now on is to look more astutely at ALL the reviews.

After reading this, I might write a book on nuclear fusion/fission. No, I don't know anything about the subject but that didn't stop Hogan from scribbling this.

Then, I'm taking 3 seconds to toss this book in the fireplace. Use your body to look elsewhere on the subject.

This book implies a business focus that it does not consistently deliver. The subtitle of the book, "How to read anyone in 3 seconds or less" is also contradicted by the fact that it is often changes is body language that convey the most meaning.

This book provides a good overview to the subject of non-verbal communications, especially conveying how much it is used, and how frequently it is not noticed consciously. The author demonstrates considerable knowledge, especially with interesting tangential facts. Unfortunately, I did not find this book very usable by itself. This was somewhat due to the presentation focusing more on details than on themes. Even there, not many details were provided. Perhaps the author has more useful information available for purchase through his website- something he mentions a few times in the book. For those looking for a single book reference, I would recommend "What Every Body is Saying" by Joe Navarro.

Dear,
I thought this book will add many skills, but in fact I found that it is informational rather than..
I will search for other book.
Regards,