Body Language

About the author

1.Everybody’s second language

Importance of body language. How it reinforces and contradicts spoken language and betrays feelings we might prefer to cover up. Origins of ‘mind reading’ ability and its deficits. Cross-cultural uniformities and differences. The many applications of reading body language.

2.How do I look?

Importance of early impressions and self-presentation. How various modes of dress and the kind of car we drive come across to other people. The impact of different hairstyles, facial hair, tattoos, piercings, wearing glasses and make-up. How to impress at a job interview.

3.Let’s face it

How we use our eyes and facial muscles to convey our feelings and intentions. What we can read in the facial expressions of others. The various types of smiles and what they mean. Two sides to the face. Flushing and blushing. The importance of gaze.

4.Do you like me?

How to tell whether other people are on-side or interested in us. Are they warm or cold, attracted or repulsed? Reading the signals of courtship and intimacy. Recognising when someone is bored with us. How to make someone warm towards us.

5.Lie to me

How can we tell if someone is sincere or being deceitful? Some famous liars and how they might have been spotted. How to come across as trustworthy. New technologies for lie detection.

6.My space or yours?

When do we feel ‘crowded’? Etiquette concerning the use of space. Jostling for territory. The sun lounger syndrome. Body orientation and seating arrangements. How space can be manipulated to make us seem powerful or to put others at their ease.

7.Make your presence felt

How the power game is played out in the ordinary world and among politicians. The signals of dominance and submission. Handshakes and their meaning. Bodily stance. Strategies for getting what we want.

8.Sex magnets

The evolutionary basis of beauty and sex appeal. Signals of masculinity/femininity. Innate releasers and imprinting of sex targets. How to tell if someone is unattached and attracted to us. Body language at parties. Techniques of flirting. Proteans and pseudo-flirting. The meaning of kisses. Tone of voice. Tips for impressing women and seducing men.

9.Stress fractures

What is stress and what are the signs? How do we know when someone is under pressure and about to crack emotionally? How do we detect rising stress in ourselves? What can we do to relax and take control when we detect that our own stress levels are rising out of control? Stressed relationships.

10.Faking sincerity

Body language on the stage. How actors convey feelings through the use of posture and gesture. Do they need to experience these feelings themselves or can they be generated in an audience through technique alone? Can charisma be acquired? How to make a good speech.

Appendix 1: The image makers

Appendix 2: How to be a good boss/How to deal with a bad boss

Further Reading

Index