Body Language For Dummies, 3rd Edition

Body Language For Dummies, 3rd Edition

by Elizabeth Kuhnke
Released June 2015
Publisher(s): For Dummies
ISBN: 9781119067399

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Book description

The complete guide to mastering the art of effective body language

Body Language For Dummies is your ideal guide to understanding other people, and helping them understand you. Body language is a critical component of good communication, and often conveys a bigger message than the words you say. This book teaches you how to interpret what people really mean by observing their posture, gestures, eye movements, and more, and holds up a mirror to give you a clear idea of how you're being interpreted yourself. This updated third edition includes new coverage of virtual meetings, multicultural outsourcing environments, devices, and boardroom behaviours for women, as well as insight into Harvard professor Amy Cuddy's research into how body language affects testosterone and cortisol, as published in the Harvard Business Review..

Body language is a fascinating topic that reveals how the human mind works. Image and presentation are crucial to successful communication, both in business and in your personal life. This book is your guide to decoding body language, and adjusting your own habits to improve your interactions with others.

  • Become a better communicator without saying a word
  • Make a better first (and second, and third...) impression
  • Learn what other people's signals really mean
  • Transform your personal and professional relationships

Realising what kind of impression you give is a valuable thing, and learning how to make a more positive impact is an incredibly useful skill. Whether you want to improve your prospects in job seeking, dating, or climbing the corporate ladder, Body Language For Dummies helps you translate the unspoken and get your message across.

Table of contents

    1. Cover
    2. Introduction
      1. About This Book
      2. Foolish Assumptions
      3. Icons Used in This Book
      4. Beyond the Book
      5. Where to Go from Here
    3. Part I: Getting Started with Body Language
      1. Chapter 1: Defining Body Language
        1. Discovering How Body Language Conveys Messages
        2. Examining Key Types of Gesture
        3. Getting the Most Out of Body Language
        4. Appreciating Cultural Differences
      2. Chapter 2: Looking Closer at Non-Verbal Gestures
        1. Observing the History of Body Language
        2. Understanding the Nuts and Bolts of Body Language
        3. Offering a Final Word on Non-Verbal Gestures
    4. Part II: Starting at the Top
      1. Chapter 3: Heading to the Heart of the Matter
        1. Demonstrating Power and Authority
        2. Showing Agreement and Encouragement: The Nod
        3. Displaying Attention and Interest
        4. Indicating Submissiveness or Worry
        5. Showing Boredom
        6. Indicating You’re Deep in Thought
      2. Chapter 4: Watching Facial Expressions
        1. Communicating Feelings When Words Are Inappropriate
        2. Recognising Facial Expressions that Reinforce the Spoken Message
        3. Masking Emotions
        4. Expressing a Range of Emotions
      3. Chapter 5: The Eyes Have It
        1. The Power of the Held Gaze
        2. The Wandering Eye: Breaking Eye Contact
        3. Other Ways Your Eyes Tell a Tale
      4. Chapter 6: Mastering Lip Reading
        1. Revealing Thoughts, Intentions and Emotions
        2. Differentiating Smiles
        3. Remembering that Laughter’s the Best Medicine
    5. Part III: The Trunk: Limbs and Roots
      1. Chapter 7: Taking It From the Torso
        1. Gaining Insights into the Impact of Posture
        2. Identifying the Three Main Postures
        3. Changing Attitudes by Changing Posture
        4. Using Posture to Aid Communication
        5. Shrugging Signals
      2. Chapter 8: Arming Yourself
        1. Building Defensive Barriers
        2. Conveying Friendliness and Honesty
        3. Touching to Convey Messages
      3. Chapter 9: Letting Your Hands Do the Talking
        1. Up or Down: Reading Palms
        2. Hands Up!
        3. Letting the Fingers Do the Talking
        4. Analysing Handshakes
        5. Displacing Your Energy
      4. Chapter 10: Standing Your Ground
        1. Showing Commitment and Attitude through Your Stance
        2. Reflecting Your Feelings in the Way You Position Your Feet
        3. Walking Styles
      5. Chapter 11: Playing with Props
        1. Using Accessories to Reflect Mental States
        2. Through the Looking Glasses
        3. Making It Up as You Go Along
        4. Dressing the Part
    6. Part IV: Putting the Body into Social and Business Context
      1. Chapter 12: Being Aware of Territorial Rights and Regulations
        1. Understanding the Effect of Space
        2. Knowing Your Space
        3. Using Space
        4. Considering Seating Arrangements
        5. Orientating Yourself
      2. Chapter 13: Rating, Dating and Mating: Courting with Your Body
        1. Attracting Someone’s Attention
        2. Showing That You’re Available
        3. Progressing Through the Romance
      3. Chapter 14: Interviewing, Influencing and Playing Politics
        1. Making a Great First Impression: The Interview
        2. Creating a Positive Environment
        3. Pointing Your Body in the Right Direction
        4. Negotiating Styles
      4. Chapter 15: Crossing the Cultural Divide
        1. Recognising the Different Strokes for Different Folks
        2. Observing the Conventions of Higher- and Lower-Status Behaviour
        3. Getting Specific: Common Gestures, Multiple Interpretations
        4. Avoiding Problems and not Causing Offence
      5. Chapter 16: Reading the Signs
        1. Taking an Interest in Other People
        2. Drawing Conclusions from What You Observe
        3. Honing Your Powers of Observation
    7. Part V: The Part of Tens
      1. Chapter 17: Ten Ways to Spot Deception
        1. Catching Fleeting Facial Expressions
        2. Suppressing Facial Expressions
        3. Eyeing Someone Up
        4. Covering the Face
        5. Touching the Nose
        6. Faking a Smile
        7. Minimising Hand Gestures
        8. Maximising Body Touches
        9. Shifting Positions and Fidgeting Feet
        10. Changing Speech Patterns
      2. Chapter 18: Ten Ways to Reveal Your Attractiveness
        1. Engaging With Your Eyes
        2. Showing Liveliness in Your Face
        3. Offering Encouragement
        4. Using Open Gestures
        5. Showing Interest Through Your Posture
        6. Positioning Yourself
        7. Touching to Connect
        8. Being on Time
        9. Synchronising Your Gestures
        10. Enhancing Your Way of Speaking
      3. Chapter 19: Ten Ways to Find Out About Someone Without Asking
        1. Observing Eye Movements
        2. Looking at Facial Expressions
        3. Watching for Head Movements
        4. Noticing Hand and Arm Gestures
        5. Observing Posture
        6. Considering Proximity and Orientation
        7. Paying Attention to Touching
        8. Responding to Appearance
        9. Checking Timing and Synchronisation
        10. Scrutinising Non-Verbal Aspects of Speech
      4. Chapter 20: Ten Ways to Improve Your Silent Communication
        1. Taking an Interest
        2. Knowing What You Want to Express
        3. Modelling Excellence
        4. Mirroring Others
        5. Practising Gestures
        6. Developing Timing and Synchronisation
        7. Dressing the Part
        8. Acting the Way You Want to Be Perceived
        9. Demonstrating Awareness
        10. Asking for Feedback
    8. About the Author
    9. Cheat Sheet
    10. Advertisement Page
    11. Connect with Dummies
    12. End User License Agreement

Product information

  • Title: Body Language For Dummies, 3rd Edition
  • Author(s): Elizabeth Kuhnke
  • Release date: June 2015
  • Publisher(s): For Dummies
  • ISBN: 9781119067399