Book Recommendation
I hope you’ve had a chance to read the book review for Delivering Happiness posted here recently. We had the following winners of that book’s related giveaway:
- Natalia with her comment on My Favorite Android Apps – Part 4: Finance and Delivering Happiness Book Giveaway
- Nicole with her post on The Hypocrisy of Kleenex Hand Towels
I ask that Nicole email me with her address so that I may mail you copies of the the book. I will send Natalia her copy.
For this month, I’m giving away copies of the book The Definitive Book of Body Language. It’s not a new book, but one I read a few months back and enjoyed. It has certainly helped me better understand my family, friends, and coworker’s deeper opinion and mood.
What I enjoyed most about this book were the plethora of examples and citations. The authors provide plenty of detail on very many body positions with their related meanings. There’s even a final chapter where the authors put your comprehension of the signs to test by providing various scenarios and pictures that you’re required to interpret. I especially liked the attention to detail where the authors describe cultural differences in body language.
What I wasn’t keen on were the few references to Neuro Linguistic Programming, as described in Wikipedia, this is:
A controversial approach to psychotherapy and organizational change based on "a model of interpersonal communication chiefly concerned with the relationship between successful patterns of behaviour and the subjective experiences (esp. patterns of thought) underlying them" and "a system of alternative therapy based on this which seeks to educate people in self-awareness and effective communication, and to change their patterns of mental and emotional behaviour".
This is the stuff that the likes of Tony Robbins purportedly use to influence those around them. Thankfully, the authors refer to this, but don’t delve much into it. Ignoring this, I highly recommend this book to any person interested in learning how to better read and communicate with his fellow man.
As to the book giveaway, I’ve revised and simplified the rules:
- Make a comment on this specific posting anytime between now and the end of June 2010
- The first five distinct comment authors will each win a separate copy of the book
I’ll announce the winners in next months book recommendation at the beginning of July.
What Do You Think?
Feel free to drop your comments below about this or any other book, with the added benefit of being entered to win a copy of this month’s recommended book, The Definitive Book of Body Language.
This sounds like an interesting book Arash. It is something I teach everyday to my highschool students! Will post this for other collegues too.
Natalia,
As always I thank you for reading and commenting. I look forward to hearing from your referred friends as well.
Thanks again for following.
While I have not read this particular book, the ability to read body language is a must for those attempting to control the outcome of any given situation.
Jerry,
Thank you for reading and commenting. I'm curious what experience you've had with reading body language.
Though I certainly find it useful to read body language, I see the benefit in getting a deeper understanding of the true reaction of those around me. I'm not sure I would use it to control their behavior. I apologize if this post somehow connotes that.
Thanks again for reading and commenting.
As a consult, the ability to read the clients allows one to manipulate the situation by understanding how the current approach is being perceived by the client.
Seeing a client become apprehensive or standoffish often means the client has become lost in the discussion, but does not want to appear lost in front of others.
Being able to read this allows the opportunity to change approach to something which the client would be more comfortable with.
One example of when this was useful for me was when I was attempting to explain why a client needed to upgrade their database.
My forte is the technical side of business, so when I was speaking to the client, I was leaning heavily on the technical reasons for the upgrade. The client, however, had sent one of their business people to the meeting. Who quickly became lost in the technical terminology.
By seeing the client become standoffish during the explanation, I was able change the dialog to find out where the representatives forte lay, and then deliver the reason they needed to upgrade from a business perspective, which was then well received.
I have a feeling that if I had continued down the technical path, the representative would have returned their superiors with a negative report, as they would not have fully understood what I told them and, as most people are apt to do, not wanting to tell their superior they did not understand.
Jerry,
Excellent input. Thank you for the response.
Please be sure to email me with your address so that I may send you a copy of this book. My email address is posted on the blog.
Thank you again for returning and continuing the conversation.