Customer Reviews

Sex, Lies, and Handwriting: A Top Expert Reveals the Secrets Hidden in Your Handwriting

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a cleverly constructed, highly entertaining book that teaches us what our handwriting style reveals about ourselves and others, including many notables from Jack the Ripper to Elvis Presley to whoever wrote the JonBenet Ramsey ransom note. It is an easy read that has made it around our office quickly and led to some fun-filled discissions about each other's handwritten notes. In a way it reminds us of the popular science we know about body language, although handwriting seems to tell us so much more. Dresbold is an "expert" on this subject who, characteristic of the best of those who are tops in their field, can present it in a way that is understandable and enjoyable for a wide audience. Highly recommended.

This is an excellent introductory book on handwriting. Why is it so great? It's because the author analyzes handwriting of dozens of historical bandits, miscreants, and murderers, to try to find out if they're guilty or not. This book tells the sordid details of some of the worst scoundrels of the last 150 years, and everyone wants to know the juicy details.

And are they guilty? Yes, they all are. That's why you should beware--after you read this book, you're not going to have any skills of analyzing normal people's handwriting, but you will know how to analyze a killer's handwriting. For a couple days after reading this book, I would grab people's handwriting, suspiciously eye them and their handwriting, and then after a few minutes of staring them down, say, 'okay, you're safe.' I'd recommend another, more boring book on handwriting analysis right after you finish this book, to balance you out. Beware, and don't just read this one book.

This book is really only 1/3rd handwriting analysis, and 2/3rds whodunit mystery book. That's why it's a great introductory book on handwriting analysis is that it's a fun, quick read that educates you at the same time it entertains you. If you're looking for boring textbook, pick another book.

I've wanted to learn about graphology for a long time, but the other books just seemed so boring, and I never made it past the first chapter. Thanks to Ms. Dresbold for writing a handwriting analysis book that everyone can enjoy, and read quickly!

Pros:
+Awesome first book on handwriting analysis
+Makes handwriting analysis fun and exciting
+You can read straight through this book and learn while you're entertained, without having to do any boring exercises.

Cons:
-Mainly centers on the handwriting of criminals, so it might make you suspicious of everyone, including normal people.
-Talks a lot about murderers, so it might be a little dark if you're not used to watching things like CSI
-Isn't very in depth, but it will make you excited enough about handwriting analysis that you'll be excited to read another more in-depth book.

I've read 4 handwriting analysis books so far- this was the first one I picked up. Although I will say it was interesting enough to keep me reading I didn't preen much useful information from it because of the format- or lack thereof. There were introductions into topics one piece at a time and then it would jump to another or say 'you'll learn about this later/we talked about this earlier'. It never seemed like a full-on lesson. And I found it hard to trudge through the pages trying to connect this piece with that part and so on.

It was almost more of a look at what graphology can do rather than a useful tool for learning it. There were plenty of true crime cases and the handwriting profiles that went with them. However, it always seemed to me that hindsight prevailed in these profiles, even though a few times she mentions that no prior knowledge is needed or is better that you don't have any. Many times the author came off as more of a braggart, seemingly using her book as a solicitation for new clients rather than a guide to spark interest in the public about the field.

Also, in every example given, only the highlighted topic for that section was pointed out in the handwriting sample. I would have liked to see all the traits of the sample pointed out. And depending on what page you were on, the translation of a trait would mean something totally different from sample to sample even though the trait stayed the same. I'm sure it's all part of the art of translation, but for learning purposes made it very difficult to pinpoint what to look for and how to interpret it.

Overall, it was insightful into how it can be used in solving crimes and other tasks, but jumpy in lesson topics and lacking in full explanations.
If looking for an actual textbook type that's easy to read AND learn I highly reccommend
1. "Handwriting Analysis; Putting It to Work for You" by Andrea McNichol
Handwriting Analysis : Putting It to Work for You
2. "Handwriting Analysis: A Complete Self-Teaching Guide" by Scott P. Hollander (also listed in places as P. Scott Hollander)
Handwriting Analysis: A Complete Self-teaching Guide

I loved it. This book is riveting and will have you turning pages filled with so much information that makes sense. I enjoyed reading each chapter, looking over the examples she provides in the book. It all makes perfect sense. What did you think of the Jon Benet Ramsey kidnap note? Facinating. I was convinced as I read the analysis and saw each example and it matched the mom. It reminded me so much of what Dayle Hinman (an FBI criminal profiler) says when she is forming a profile of the criminal though Dayle Hinman doesn't use handwriting as a tool. The only downfall was that I wanted information and it wasn't there. This book doesn't teach you handwriting anaylsis, it merely introduces you to it. I'm intrigued. I want more. Very entertaining. Facinating. Riveting. You won't be bored.

This is a fascinating book, and well researched. Michelle Dresbold has written a great book on handwriting analysis that's interesting as well as entertaining. I especially enjoyed the examples of handwriting and the different personality characteristic that were listed. If you're the type of person who's curious about human psychology, you'll find this book intriguing.

If you're new to handwriting analysis this may be too much all at once. Otherwise for advanced or intermediate analysts, this is an interesting read. It was nice to see a HW book that listed some of the nastier traits that many "G" rated beginner HW books omit. I really enjoyed the analysis of the Ramsey ranson note (and will never look at that case the same way again). While the Jack the Ripper analysis was entretaining, I would like to have seen the Lusk letter compared to other samples of Tumblety's handwriting, and preferable ones closer to the date of the whitechapel murders. There are samples still in existance at the Manx Museum.

I will give this book three and one half stars out of a possible five, falling just short of four stars, for some extra frills that could have been edited out and for not enough information given on forgeries. This is still an excellent book that I would recommend to serious HW analysts... I will be keeping it in my personal reference library!

I loved this book! I couldn't put it down! I learned a lot reading this fabulous - written like a novel - book. If you are interested in handwriting analysis but don't want a text book - this is the book for you!

When I got it I read it in two days. Couldn't put it down. It is cute, gimmicky, and the most interesting book on the subject I've ever read. The first book I read on this subject was in 1962. Other books do not grab you like this one does. Highly recommended. I'll be waiting for her next book! Spitited and well-written.

It is really amazing that handwriting can reveal so much about a person. This book tells it all and is quite convincing. I often am very wrong about peoples personalities because so many people put on good acts and later you find out how wrong you are about them. But as this author says, the handwriting cannot lie. You can see what people are really trying to hide and know peoples secret lives better. Wish I had know more so I would know who to avoid and who to trust. A nice read, and would recommend it though many out there are skeptical. (Perhaps they have something to hide!)

The writing style is lively, never boring. The numerous cases of (un-)famous persons (murderers, terrorists, but also singers, actors, etc.) explain interesting psychological issues through handwriting samples, which could be useful if we are checking how much "normal" or sane our relatives are...

Nevertheless, I was expecting more information about general personality features. Instead, the author presents us lots of "small strange details" which often reveal psychopathic, abnormal and criminal tendencies.

In short, this book is entertaining if you want to feel like a profiler deciphering abnormalities among your friends, but not if you want to know yourself better, unless you are a criminal...

I would rather have named her book "The handwriting of criminals and other socially dangerous persons: tips to recognise them", that would have sounded more accurate.