The Power of Eye Contact: Your Secret for Success in Business, Love, and Life [Paperback]

Michael Ellsberg (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 27, 2010

“Effective business networking depends on effective eye contact.”
 —Dr. Ivan Misner, author of Masters of Networking

 

“The Power of Eye Contact is a must-read book if you want a lasting relationship—or want to deepen the one you’re in.”
—Marie Forleo, author Make Every Man Want You

 

“Both mysterious and rewarding, the text reveals the powerful secrets of using the eyes to connect with others.”
—Rom Brafman, co-author of Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior

 

The secret to success in business, love, and life is The Power of Eye Contact. Author Michael Ellsberg provides an authoritative and extensive guide to mastering a potent force that can change your life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Something magical happens when two people connect eye-to-eye. Michael Ellsberg’s wonderful book helps you create that magic every day.” (Marci Shimoff, New York Times bestselling author of Happy for No Reason )

“Effective business networking depends on effective eye contact. If you want to improve your networking skills, this book will be an important read.” (Dr. Ivan Misner, author of the New York Times bestselling Masters of Networking and Truth or Delusion? Busting Networking's Biggest Myths )

“Ellsberg takes us on a captivating journey through the world of eye contact. Both mysterious and rewarding, the text reveals the powerful secrets of using the eyes to connect with others.” (Rom Brafman, co-author of the New York Times bestseller Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior )

“The Power of Eye Contact is a must-read book if you want a lasting relationship--or want to deepen the one you’re in. Few skills hold as much potential in the realm of the heart as offering your deep presence through your gaze. Michael Ellsberg shows you the way.” (Marie Forleo, author Make Every Man Want You )

“Rumi often speaks of the soul mystery that gets exchanged through the eyes, in the glance. Michael Ellsberg provides a clear guide on how we can bring this practice, with all its beauty and power, into our own lives.” (Coleman Barks, bestselling author of The Essential Rumi, The Soul of Rumi and Rumi: The Book of Love )

“After I swam the Amazon, demand for my public speaking skyrocketed. No one has taught me more about connecting with audiences on a visceral level than Michael Ellsberg.” (Martin Strel, holder of 4 Guinness World Records in marathon swimming, co-author of The Man Who Swam the Amazon, professional public speaker )

“Michael Ellsberg incisively surveys the many centuries of literature on the qualities of eye contact, skillfully interviews contemporaries who shed light on its complex dynamics, and with a clear eye and open heart offers profoundly practical guidance to those who hunger to see deeper—into others and themselves.” (Thomas Farber, author of The Beholder )

From the Back Cover

Eye contact can land you a job. It can get you a date. It can deepen your connections with the people you love. It can make or break business relationships. It can help win a fight. It can win over an audience.

Simply put, eye contact is one of the most powerful tools in human face-to-face interaction. The Power of Eye Contact is your concise guide to harnessing the potent force of eye contact.

Master this force and you will notice three things:

• You meet more people.
• Your connections deepen with family, friends, and business prospects.
• You look, feel, and act more confident.

The Power of Eye Contact is your invaluable tool to enhance your relationships in every part of your life.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (April 27, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061782211
• ISBN-13: 978-0061782213
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.6 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #204,124 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michael Ellsberg was born in San Francisco in 1977 and lives in New York. Michael sends manifestos, recommendations, tips, and other exclusive content to his private email list, which you can join at www.ellsberg.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 41 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I LOVE this book. Eye Contact = Truth June 11, 2010

By Matthew Mcdermid

Format:Paperback

After reading this book, I learned so much and was so impressed, I hunted Mr. Ellsberg down and attended an incredible eye gazing workshop with him. Find him and read this book. The material seems so simple, but it is extremely confronting and enlightening. Just to look into someone's eyes like that opened up a new channel of communication for me. I never realized how much I used to avoid eye contact, probably out of fear. Now I use it with my family, my friends and even during business meetings. It opened up a door into the subconscious, and a door to the truth behind every pair of eyes I meet. This book is full of incredible in-sights. Read it. ~ Hitch

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A really useful book November 9, 2010

By Adam Hunt

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

i just finished reading this book. I really got a lot out of this book and wish i had found it 10 years ago. I am 40 years old and got quite a little confidence boost after using the exercises spelled out in this book. Its actually amazing what a little instruction and practice can so for someone.

Strangely enough, this book helped move me past something I have struggled with for years- keeping eye contact during an individual conversations.

Buy it, read it. Its the best book in the marketplace with this focus.

34 of 39 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars This book has no substance to it September 28, 2011

By Torkalis

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book has no actual substance to it; I thought it would cover in-depth concepts like what different types of looks means and how to identify emotional cues via eye patterns. What the book actually covered was: hold eye contact, but not too much eye contact- thats it.

Throughout the whole book, literally, EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER the author spends atleast half the chapter (and collectively probally over half the book) reiterating why eye contact is so important, rather than explaining techniques to improve eye contact or secrets of it he, his only suggestion throughout the entire book essentially is: make eye contact with other people, but not TOO much eye contact.

This author has no credentials, no degree in anything related to psychology or anything to do with eye contact- nothing. Don't believe all the 5 star reviews because they are all most likely faked, and don't waste your money on this book.

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Blah Blah Blah October 18, 2011

By iLogical

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I learned one valuable thing when I got to page 40, make eye contact long enough to see the color of the iris. Beyond this, it was just interviews and opinions from people who understand effective eye contact, I do not recommend this book at all, even if were free.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Too much info on eye gazing parties not enough on reality March 1, 2012

By Max Power TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I started reading this really wanting to know how to use eye contact. And I came with a very open mind, desperately wanting to learn something new. I have always struggled maintaining eye contact with bosses and beautiful women. I was looking for a book that would give me some advice to help me in that regard.

At page 50, after using the Cliche term everyone has heard that the eyes are the windows of the soul, the author is still talking about eye gazing parties, I mean give me a break, I want to know how to use eye contact in actual social situations to get what I want pure and simple.. for business and for sex.

Eye contact in a controlled situation (gazing parties) where everyone is forced to do it, is not reality, and is not the true power of eye contact, or a realistic expectation of how to use it.. ever. The true power of eye contact is making a million dollar deal with an introverted titan in a parking lot or scoring the babe of your dreams in a grocery store. Or face-reading when you're being lied to by a salesman. Or even to connect with your wife when you're copulating. Or how to use it while giving a speech to 400 people. And at page 50 if the author hasn't even touched on a real world example; I basically saw him as being a yuppie Casanova living in a fantasy world with no concrete experience or advice. It was written sloppily, like a magazine article in cosmo that doesn't end with no real direction. Look at the photo of the author and you'll get a good idea of what you'll find inside.

I am horrible at eye contact. I know for a fact there is a lot about it that I don't know. I know for a fact there are books out there that cover practical uses of eye contact because I own some of them, because I had to purchase more books on the subject after this one.... It would not have been hard to teach me something new about eye contact. I gave Body Language For Dummies 5stars to give you an idea, that simple book changed my life.

The Definitive Book of Body Language was much better and much more useful in almost any situation imaginable.. unless you plan on going to an eye gazing party sometime soon. Its short chapter on eye contact has more concrete, real world examples on how eye contact effects relationships, and it then you get the bonus content of how to position your arms, legs, head, hands, and feet and ties it all in together with simple and useful illustration. I liked it better than Body Language for Dummies too by the way in case you were curious. Read more ›

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A++ for innovation but C- on brevity September 9, 2011

By Ivy Tan

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

After devouring books on body language, I thought this book would help me add more to my confidence. And in some ways, it does.

In chapter 1, the author was too long-winded with his explanation about the importance of eye contact. It's too wordy for me. He writes like he's writing for National Geographic. This would have been more of a hit had he injected fun and humor in his writing style since in the first place, the people who buy these kinds of books are the very ones who need more fun in their lives. And all that talk about his fiancee, the lovely Miss Jenna/Jenny/Jen-whatever, has to stop. One anecdote about her is cute but too much is not.

Chapters 2 to 5 were helpful because he described details on how to use eye contact. He even went so far as to describe how it can work and fail you in various situations. On the other hand, his writing style is confusing because he just quotes directly from his interviews. Brevity is the mark of a true writer. As a bonafide bookworm, I wonder if he is just being lazy and I even criticize his book editor, who should have been more on top of all this. The author has breakthrough ideas yet it is presented and packaged like it was intended for a high school project.

The author also gave a few tips on how to be more comfortable with establishing eye contact. I have since used one of the tips, which was increasing eye contact with service personnel (servers, receptionists, bellboys, etc) and yes, it works. I am certainly gaining more confidence in that area and I'll continue trying. He encouraged doing eye gazing exercises with friends and/or family and that's just too weird for me. Still, it depends on the person....

Nevertheless, I am knocking off 2 stars from this review because something this innovative could have been presented with more thought and planning. Read more ›