20 Best Books On How To Read People (2023 Updated)

I really enjoyed reading this book! I began to actively “read” people I encountered (friends AND strangers) and learned that what was detailed in this book about body language, and idiosyncracies were spot on! Having these confirmed in people I’ve known a long time validated the information and “reading” techniques to apply to new people I meet.

Very useful and super-easy to understand.

I’ve personally always had the ability to read people but this book taught me so much more. I’m presently writing a novel where the main character uses many of the things in this book to learn the people in a new community she has moved into.

I found this book full of valuable information. Highly recommend it just to improve your own life in your day to day living and working.

My name is Louie Blystad-Collins, and for the last 20 years or so I have been self educating and studying a wide range of sciences including Body-Language, Deception detection, Micro-expressions, Tells and non-verbal communication, Profiling, Criminal Interrogation techniques, The fight or flight limbic responses, The art of persuasion, Mass Hypnosis and suggestion techniques etc.

Over the years I have studied many experts in these different fields, and it has become clear to me that the people worth really listening to, and learning from, are not just the academics who run experiments and gather information, but the practitioners who have evolved into experts through the use of techniques in their own lives.

As joe Navarro rightly points out in this book, it is not purely a subject for documentation, but a subject that can only be mastered through observation, application to what you know, and inspiration to what you will begin to see.

Allthough maybe a corny comparison, I would say a good example of this (allthough a different field) could be Cesar Milan, The Dog Whisperer. You may be thinking, ‘what is he talking about?’,but what i mean is, you could find many many dog trainers in the yellow pages, but the only true master is someone like Cesar, who has applied his science throughout his life, and therfore it is not just a studied subject, but a lifestyle and way of observing the world.

What I am eventually getting to, is that this book is just a really inspiring and informative read for anyone who wishes to understand the subject from the inside out. Navarro uses lots of example stories, and explains his findings in very simple and understandable ways.

Even his chapter about the different regions of the brain were facinating, as I used to think I knew a lot about the brain and its functions, but through his simple descriptions, I can understand it in a much clearer way.

When most academics write about these complex subjects, they like to use a lot of jargon, and they like to refer to statistics and journals that mean nothing to the average reader. Joe Navarro is clearly a master at communication, because he explains things without patronising you in any way.

Another concept that i think Joe explains really well, and has clearly mastered, is the way in which he simplifies the methods of observation, and the tells to look for. As the subject is quite complex, and many signals can be easily mis-interpreted out of context, Joe emphesizes looking for just two simple contradictions, that is comfort and discomfort, and the context around it.

Another master at lie detection and micro expressions is Professor Paul Ekman, who also looks for simple cues, and the details around them, in order to make split second discoveries. I would highly recommend this book and any other work done by Joe Navarro to any enthusiast or professional, who wants to understand the subject,and open their eyes to this whole world of information that often passes before our very eyes, without us even realising.

As several examples in the book acknowledge, these skills can even be life changing, and will apply to any human being, as it is not only a valuable tool for professionals, but will really help any parent, boss, medical professional, teacher, team-worker, trader, peace-maker, law enforcer, carer or student, to understand the people around them (and themselves) and improve their family life and work considerably.

Louie Blystad-Collins.

We were the fun department: Human Resources. We all had cute accessories and big hair. (Hey, it was the 80’s. ) After the whole department took the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test, we gathered after work to discuss the results.

Our facilitator began by dividing us into two seemingly random groups tasked with the answer to this question: “What do you do with time?” What we did not know was that she had divided us on the cusp of the final pair of the MBTI’s psychological preferences, the Judging vs.

the Perceiving types. When we came back together to report, we were stunned by the difference, for while the J’s used words like “invest” and “schedule,” the P’s happily listed activities like “watch my soaps” or “do my nails.

” That ten minute exercise opened my eyes to the importance of Reading People well – of understanding what makes me and the important people in my life tick, because we are different in so many different ways.

As a “J,” it would be easy for me to imagine that everyone thinks of time as a vanishing natural resource that must be rationed, apportioned, maximized, guarded, and measured. In her most helpful book, Anne Bogel reminds me that I would be incorrect.

Using personality inventories to understand her own unique take on the world changed Anne Bogel’s life, so she has shared her five favorite – not in a manner that shouts “Classroom!” or “Laboratory!” but in a tone that says, “Hey, friend, here’s something that has helped me a lot.

Let me fill you in. ” She shares her own story with the goal of making her readers’ experience of self-discovery go more smoothly than her own. Defining “Personality” When we look at people through the lens of personality, we’re looking at a person’s foundational character which includes “patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that make that person unique.

We’re all inclined to think, feel, and act in particular ways. Continue reading at Living Our Days.

Too much introspection can be harmful, sure, but as Anne Bogel claims in Reading People, uncovering insights into personality – our own and other people’s – also helps us see the world from someone else’s point of view for a while.

It can explain why we have a difficult time getting along with someone, why clutter irritates us so much, why we get our energy from being by ourselves, and so on. It can also improve our relationships – particularly in the way we approach conflict – and gives us the tools we need to create an environment of peace for ourselves and those we love.

On the pages of Reading People, Bogel arms us with easy-to-absorb information, as well as handing us the keys to truly know ourselves and those we love. She gives an overview of several personality frameworks, including: the Five Love Languages Keirsey’s Temperaments the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (and the Cognitive Functions that go along with that) the Clifton StrengthsFinder, and the Enneagram Bottom Line: For anyone who can’t get enough of those personality quizzes that invade social media, this is the book you need to read! If you’ve ever asked yourself, ‘Why does my spouse (or parent or child or friend) do that?’, this is the book you need to read! Reading People by Anne Bogel is conversational, educational, and applicable to everyday life.

The frameworks she presents have the potential to be eye-opening and life-changing for those who take the time to truly understand themselves and others. There’s a lot of information here, but Bogel’s engaging style sets you at ease and feels like a chat between friends.

While I do wish there had been more time devoted to ‘ok, now I understand myself better – how does that play out in my interactions with other types?’, the author also leaves us with a list of recommended reading for further study.

Now that I know what I want to know, this list points me in the right direction to find out what to do with what I know.

I was initially fascinated by the idea of understanding my own personality as well as the personalities of those closest to me. However, I found this book to be a bit more focused on logic and a lot less focused on application.

I was hoping to attain a biblical perspective on personality as well as practical application and wisdom on how to approach the many personalities I encounter each day. While I wouldn’t say the book failed at this I would say it certainly didn’t succeed.

Or at least, not for me. Perhaps the book was way more intellectual than I expected or than I prefer, which it very well could have been. I don’t know, I just couldn’t “get into” this book like I had hoped and I felt like I had already accomplished what the book intended after reading a few chapters.

Once I felt like I nailed down my personality (plus the many personalities of those I do life with), I found the information to be very repetitive. Even though it was presented differently through the various personality evaluations, the content all seemed to be about the same.

Additionally, I was disappointed by the lack of scripture and influence of spiritual growth. I was hoping this would be the heart of the book when in actuality it was an asterisk sparingly used. While Reading People received great endorsements, I most likely would not have chosen to read this book if I had read a review similar to mine.

It is possible I am not fascinated with understanding and decoding personality like I had previously thought. With that said, if you are someone who enjoys personality quizzes and learning more about what makes you (or those you love) tick, this book may be a perfect match for you.

4. 5★s “There are clues to making sense of a stranger. But attending to them requires care and attention. We should accept the limits of our ability to decipher strangers. ” Talking To Strangers is the sixth book by British author, Malcolm Gladwell.

Is it a book about social interaction? Yes, certainly, but not so much a “how to” as a “why do we get it wrong”. Gladwell explores the reasons that we seem to be so bad at telling when strangers are lying to us.

He does this with reference to a myriad of psychological experiments, research, case studies and examples. Gladwell holds that we are successfully deceived by strangers through a combination of three main reasons: the fundamentally human tendency to default to believing we are being told the truth; that facial expression and demeanour are much less reliable than we believe; and context matters a great deal.

“We fall out of truth-default mode only when the case against our initial assumption becomes definitive. We do not behave, in other words, like sober-minded scientists, slowly gathering evidence of the truth or falsity of something before reaching a conclusion.

We do the opposite. We start by believing. And we stop believing only when our doubts and misgivings rise to the point where we can no longer explain them away. ” Gladwell cites examples of Cuban spies and the CIA, Hitler and Chamberlain, Bernie Madoff and the SEC, the Penn State Paedophile Case, a murder in Perugia, and more “If every coach is assumed to be a p3dophile, then no parent would let their child leave the house, and no sane person would ever volunteer to be a coach.

We default to truth-even when that decision carries terrible risks-because we have no choice. Society cannot function otherwise. And in those rare instances where trust ends in betrayal, those victimized by default to truth deserve our sympathy, not our censure.

” Gladwell talks about whistle blowers, bail judges, alcoholic blackout and sexual assault, the effects of torture on.

Gladwell used multiple anecdotes from transcripts and interviews to bring “truth-default theory” to life in “Talking to Strangers. ” He worked through this theory as a way to explain the position most people default to when talking with strangers.

Truth-default theory originated with Timothy R. Levine, a distinguished professor and chair of communication studies at the University of Alabama Birmingham. Gladwell explained that when talking to others, we accept they’re telling the truth.

We look at two scenarios, and we go with the more likely answer. Something has to push us over the threshold for us to not default to truth. “To assume the best about another is the trait that has created modern society,” Gladwell said.

“Those occasions when our trusting nature gets violated are tragic; but…to abandon trust as a defense against predation and deception – is worse” (342-343). Gladwell opened and closed the book with the case of Sandra Bland, pulled over for failing to use a signal on July 10, 2015 in Prairie View, Texas.

That minor traffic violation led to a troubling exchange between her and state trooper Brian Encinia that led to her arrest. I didn’t remember this story so this was a fresh telling for me. He ended with the Bland case after a journey through other stories where he further developed “default-to-truth theory” and moved on to what I’ll call companions to default-to-truth for how we make sense of the stranger.

He moved from a look at Cortez vs. Montezuma II to Fidel Castro & Cuban spies and the CIA, UK ambassadors and Adolf Hitler, finally turning his attention to stories from today’s headlines. He talked about the controversial cases of Jerry Sandusky, Larry Nassar, and Bernard Madoff, as well as Amanda Knox, and Brock Turner.

A chapter labeled “Sylvia Plath” caught my eye. She and Anne Sexton were included. I couldn’t wait to see why. I kept thinking, “I feel like singing the Sesame Street song, “One of these things is not like the other.

” Some of these stories were not like the others and didn’t appear to belong. They did connect eventually, and that’s what made the book a stimulating mental treat. I thought Gladwell triumphed as a storyteller.

I talked about this book often as I read, so riveted was I by these stories and the new insights I gained. I told people he’s like Paul Harvey in that he gave you “the rest of the story” once he developed his argument further.

So many of his cases invited further study. He’s restored my faith in journalism. I could tell he thoroughly researched the cases presented and worked to give back an unbiased re-telling. He conducted interviews and used transcripts to bring life to the stories.

(Yes, that meant I did see curse words. ) Included were copious notes in the back. And he even gave an email address in the notes section for readers who notice an error they want to dispute. I felt better informed about past and present cases, and I appreciated how Gladwell showed compassion and empathy for people the media had tried in the court of public opinion.

When I finished this book I thought: “Give this guy a Pulitzer!” Such a departure from my usual nonfiction fare. I do like to take deep dives into subjects. I love the rush of the “A-ha moment. ” I could easily see someone taking Gladwell’s ideas and applying them to literature to make sense of misunderstood characters, like Frankenstein’s monster in Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” or Heathcliff in Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights.

” The more I read, the more I saw how often I have let social media and news media influence what I believe about some of the high-profile cases covered again in the book. And I think Gladwell accomplished his goal because I reflected often on each case presented.

Not giving away the thrill of discovery, I will say they’re ones we should never forget.

Super book Talking to Strangers I love all author Malcolm Gladwells books. His unique perspective helps the reader to see things in different ways. He opens your mind to accepting new ideas! This book allows you to unlearn ways of making assumptions about people you dont know.

I picked this book up based on the reviews but didn’t initially read it because I wasn’t in the mental space for change. Grabbed it from my bookshelf to help start the year off right and it’s the first book that I can’t wait to read again.

Well written with easy, actionable changes you can implement and maintain. It has really helped change my perspective on completing routine task, getting better at doing things I don’t enjoy, and being intentional about which new habits align with my current lifestyle.

I sent a copy to my best friend and have been telling all my co-workers about it. Run out and pick this book up, you won’t regret it!!.

Great book!! I’ve listened to it on Audible three times now and loved it so much that I bought the hard copy as well just to highlight and keep for immediate reference. Some of the knowledge in this book, I have applied to my life and it has immediately changed it! He talks about setting up good systems for habits which is honestly a mind-blowing concept! It’s so simple but yet I’ve never thought about it before.

Everyone wants to immediately change their habits, myself included, but never have any systems in place to achieve this. This book shows you how to succeed at this. So highly recommended! I’ve never been a person who had a favourite book but now I am and this is it!.

I just received this book & I’ve only had a chance to read a few pages. My granddaughter, daughter-in-law & therapist friend highly recommended this book. What I heard from them & what I have read; it is clear that this book is an instrumental tool to break old habits & move forward with new ones.

Based on what I know so far, I recommend this book! Wishing you good mental health!.

Somewhat informative, light reading. Sort of a Ripley’s Believe It or Not about the”Human Condition. ” If you’ve read a lot of science, nothing new here. Even so, somewhat interesting in a “Ripley’s Believe It or Not” sort of way.

Learnt a few things. Not a “Laugh out Loud” book as some of Bryson’s first books were. This is a list of scientific and medical facts about the human body with a few of Bryson’s humorous asides thrown in for good measure.

I believe this book is about Bill Bryson’s body. It starts of interesting, informative and vigorous but the further into the book you go the more it becomes a boring old man medical view of the body.

In the parts that deal with sex there is little discussion about sexual diversity. It is glib, focussed on mechanics and not much detail there also. When it comes to emotions, the appendix will show there is more about farts than emotions.

There is also very little about the body in politics, the definition of, control over, the battles over women’s bodies, slavery etc. Foucault doesn’t crack a mention. So it is disappointing. However I would recommend this as the is some fascinating facts about our bodies.

I just gave this book to my Orthopedic surgeon as a thank you for repairing my torn tendons in my left knee. It is full of fascinating medical history and makes one appreciate the wonders of out bodies.

Highly recommended as are his Walk in the Woods, etc.

When i bought this book i had my reserves. I thought it might turn out to be the sort of book that puts common sense into words and disguises those as profound nuggets of wisdom. How wrong I was. Adler is an incredibly lucid voice in a world of faux-inspirational reads and pseudo-psychological literature.

This book really helped me understand the different ways in which a book can be read, and which one will best suit my purpose and need. He covers how to read scientific books, poems, plays, works of old literature, classics, non-fiction, history and biography (among others).

Adler also shows how there are 4 main ways to read/analyse a book, and how we are usually only taught the first two. The book is clearly structured, concisely written and brilliantly explained. I have no regrets.

This is a practical “how to” book, containing principles and rules about the art of reading well. The aim of this book is to teach the reader how to read a book with increased proficiency, for the purpose of gaining greater understanding.

There are perhaps 4 basic assumptions underlying the purpose of this book: 1. That good books have the potential to increase our understanding greatly. 2. That there are specific skills required to extract greater understanding from good books.

3. That most people don’t fully possess these skills. 4. That these skills can be learnt. The book identifies 4 “levels” of reading skill, instructs the reader how to acquire and use these skills, and demonstrates how to apply them to different types of books.

An OUTSTANDING educational easy read that will change the quality/content of the books you choose to read. Also how to get the most out of the material in a time effecient manor. If your a Born Again believer in Jesus Christ this will tremendously help with your Bible study and determining what theology books will most likely benefit you or be a waste of your time before investing the time in actually reading them.

My older sister was given a copy of this book back in about 1970 and I used to borrow it. I loved reading it and looking at the pictures. Fifty years later I spotted the book online and buying it has brought back very fond memories.

The pages are packed with drawings and characters that I found fascinating as a child, and will bring much fun to young children today as they look for their favorite character on each page. Still brilliant and very amusing after 50 years.

Richard Scarry books are great, with wonderfully detailedyet humorous and whimsicaldepictions of how the world works, especially machinery and vehicles. The only problem with this book is that its the abridged edition.

I would look carefully at any listing to verify that youre getting the unabridged version.

I love that book. I just gave 4 stars because there eas a rip on cover. And i feel it should’ve mentioned that. Condition is a bit worn than expected. But if my son loves it .. its all good 😉

This is a wonderful exploration of the biological basis for behavior. I always believed in really free will, but this book gave me pause regarding the fundamental underpinnings of molecular biology as a primary source of behavioral expression.

Certainly worth the reading for a new perspective!.

A brilliant and significant contribution to the integration of the social sciences in terms of understanding humans and human behaviour. It is staggering that a person can know so much! This is a volume of work that informs on every page.

I even enjoyed the footnotes, which have some of the juciest findings, and, in the spirit of a Monty Python figure, the fight scenes were great as was the sex details (ie. I mean the fascinating information on reproduction).

It’s almost like a real horoscope. Never before has a book made me say “Ah-ha!” so many times. With every chapter I understood more and more about the nature of my own and other people’s behaviours. A must read for everyone with even the slightest interest in the behaviour of human beings.

A beautifully written book about finding yourself whilst everyone else around you is attempting the same. I found this novel focussed heavily upon normality, hence the title, and importantly, finding a way around general normality.

I loved how real and raw this book felt, with mistakes and events reflecting the true essence of young adults. At first, I was hesitant about picking up ‘Normal People’ due to Sally Rooney’s peculiar writing style, but I found it oddly refreshing, with the story flowing like nothing else I’ve ever read.

Read this book!!!.

I read Conversations with Friends and then felt compelled to read this. Rooney is a very talented writer. Her ability to draw character is brilliant. The psychological profiles she creates are believable and reveal her as a gifted writer with a keen power of observation and a knack for plot that exposes the full consequences of a particular psychological outlook.

Damaged people can function in ways that are at once attractive and seductive and also self-destructive and cruel. There is this mixture of victim and antagonist in her characters and this is set against a plot line that explores the ambivalence and uncertainty of modern love.

Why is it that two people – apparently suited to each other in so many ways – continualły fail to maintain a relationship with each other which could sustain them? What exactly holds two people together? Normal people tries to explore what ‘normal’ is and how the definition changes over time and between different people.

The environments that make one person feel alienated can make another feel comfortable. What’s normal life for one, is another’s painful existence. I lived Normal People – for the writing and also for the power of Rooney’s ability to explore dark places and force us to look at things about ourselves most writers are too afraid to pursue.

This is a quiet story without much of a plot, but I enjoy the author’s style and novels that portray life in a realistic way. Rooney’s first novel is titled Conversations with Friends and I think each successive one could have accurately shared that title.

If you enjoy narratives that primarily consist of interesting-ish (not unrealistically interesting, but not entirely average) and intellectual people talking to one another, this book may be your cup of tea.

Gottlieb writes about her experience as both therapist and patient, and the revelations she experiences as the patient made me have some of my own revelations while reading the book, and I have a list of new topics to discuss at my next therapy appointment with my own therapist! I really connected to each of the characters presented in this book, and I appreciated the candid nature she wrote with.

It is only through honesty with ourselves that we can fully grow and become more self-aware, and putting it all in a book definitely does that. Thank you for putting your story out there to help fight the stigma surrounding mental health! It it such an important topic to talk about.

#sweepstakes.

Great insights into the world of therapy. If you are wondering how it all works, read this very interesting story. As a licensed therapist, she goes through her own therapy, sometimes second guessing along the way.

But you see that it’s not invasive, not intimidating, and real work gets done- even if the “work” sometimes is just her letting off steam. You will see that therapists do NOT tell you what to do. Rather, they lead you towards insights, so you can help yourself understand motives.

It appears to be fairly painless. This book may give you the personal confidence to actually see a therapist yourself. They are not to be feared. And understanding motives is not to be feared. Author gives good insights to those who know little about the therapy process.

Also, it’s a very good read: well written, great true story, honestly delightful.

I havent finished reading the book because I dont want it to end. Its very intriguing gaining insight on the therapists thoughts and feelings as well as the patients and how they can teach each other.

Great book! Kind of an eye opener.

Like every book telling you how to do something, you not only need to read the book, fully and carefully, you need to actually put it in to practice. The same is in effect here. You need to read the book, commit it to memory, and then put it into use, meaning actually paying attention to what you learned and paying attention to the subject at hand, and in this case what their body language is telling you, and not what they are saying with their mouth.

Of course, the down side is finding out your friend hates the clothes you are so happy with/proud of, when they say “Oh, you look so wonderful!” instead of “That has to be the ugliest outfit I have ever seen!” If you want to find out what they are really thinking, you can do that by studying this book, but it isn’t a thumb through and become and instant expert subject either.

If you are willing to put the time, effort and study to actually learn this, then yes, this is your book. If you think you can/will scan this book and become an expert, well you won’t. It is up to you how much you want to learn and how much you are willing devote to this, but this book can teach you if you are willing.

This international bestseller reveals the secrets of nonverbal communication to give you confidence and control in any face-to-face encounterfrom making a great first impression and acing a job interview to finding the right partner.

It is a scientific fact that peoples gestures give away their true intentions. Yet most of us dont know how to read body languageand dont realize how our own physical movements speak to others. Now the worlds foremost experts on the subject share their techniques for reading body language signals to achieve success in every area of life.

Drawing upon more than thirty years in the field, as well as cutting-edge research from evolutionary biology, psychology, and medical technologies that demonstrate what happens in the brain, the authors examine each component of body language and give you the basic vocabulary to read attitudes and emotions through behavior.

Discover: How palms and handshakes are used to gain control The most common gestures of liars How the legs reveal what the mind wants to do The most common male and female courtship gestures and signals The secret signals of cigarettes, glasses, and makeup The magic of smilesincluding smiling advice for women How to use nonverbal cues and signals to communicate more effectively and get the reactions you want Filled with fascinating insights, humorous observations, and simple strategies that you can apply to any situation, this intriguing book will enrich your communication with and understanding of othersas well as yourself.

About this author: Allan Pease is an Australian author and motivational speaker. Despite having no education in psychology, neuroscience, or psychiatry, he has managed to establish himself as an “expert on relationships”.

Originally a musician, he became a successful life insurance salesman, he started a career as a speaker and trainer in sales and latterly in body language. This resulted in a popular sideline of audio tapes, many of which feature his irreverent wit.

His best-selling book Body Language brought him international recognition. It has been followed by several others. He is quite well known in Australia and during the 1980s he was an occasional TV analyst for political debates where he would analyze the body language and overall performance of the contestants.

A must have resource in your self-help / psychology book collection.

First off, when reading this book, one should be aware that just because the title says it’s “the definitive book” doesn’t make it so. I could write a book called “Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle”, and it would not make me Upton Sinclare.

Pease is above all, a salesman, and the things he says regarding sales and the body language involved therin is very sound. This is probably why he spends an inordinate amount of time discussing things such as the psychology of the hand shake.

That is not to say the rest of it is rubbish. In fact, much of the rest of the book is pretty accurate as far as how to interpret what you see. Unfortunately, Pease also thinks he should for some reason explain why these gestures and postures came to be.

Here, he mixes a bunch of pop paychology (mid 70’s versions, such as expoused by Desmond Morris to better effect) and wild guesses. This leads to some pretty hilarious results. Pease is well aware of his critics, and that competing explanations are out there, which is most likely why he tried to sieze the high ground by calling his own work “definitive” He attempts to answer many of his critics in absentia, by putting forth their arguements in his own words, and then answering them.

An example used throuout the book is whenever someone suggests that they feel more comfortable in one position or another,(for example, arms folded) he dismisses it with the arguement “of course you feel more comfortable with your arms folded when you are defensive.

” and then throuout the book, extends this logic to every argument he imagines. Pease wants to describe every behavior as attributable to some facet of human evolution, again with ludichris results. For example, he cites security guards rocking up on their toes to “try to look taller” when in fact, as he evidently did not notice, they most often bend their knees slightly when rocking, which actually makes them shorter.

More likely? their feet hurt. Also, straight from the beginning, Pease has difficulty distinguishing body language from sign language. The difference, of course, is that body language is a universal, unconcious language, where as sign language, is well, a language.

He then uses supposed American ignorance of other countries local use of sign langusge to belittle Americans. This in itself is a popular cause among the elitist movements in this countries, and Pease seems to enjoy putting Americans down at every chance, whether deserved or not.

( I am not saying that many Americans are not jerks, but believe me, the rest of the world has just as many, or more. ) As an example, Pease likes to point out that many hand signs Americans use are taken quite differently in different parts of the world.

If there is a misunderstanding, well, then, its the uncultured, untravelled American that is at fault. Throuout the first half of the book, he argues the point that every nuance of body language has resulted from years of evolution, and tries to tie it in with specific reasons, however tenuous and convoluted.

However, this becomes downright risible as he tries to explain how the size of a briefcase equates to the status of the carrier. However, he fails, in my opinion, to prove that mankind evolved with their briefcases, and if they did, what survival benefits they imparted upon their bearers.

I could go on and on, but I have wasted too much time already on this subject. Suffice to say, its not a bad guide, but it’s not definitive, either.

The content deals with the way our brain comes to quick decisions and opinions. Why the immediate response might be as good or better than after careful consideration. How we function under stress. The sections on facial expressions and police killings are particularly fascinating.

I realise how much I depend on appearance to judge people. To like the book you should be interested in psychology. It is not long and it is an easy read.

I enjoyed the examples given in the book to introduce the concepts and help them stay in mind long after I finished it. Read this in a matter of days, it was so easy to pick up and follow. My goal was to understand how decision making works to be more comfortable when I make quick decisions (I always worry I haven’t analysed enough), and this book helped!.

I wanted to like this book so much more. The concept is great, the very quick ‘in a blink’ decisions we make. However, I think the idea could’ve been summed up in a chapter, the rest of the book just proceeds to give examples.

If you went straight to the back and read the Afterword, I think you would’ve got most of the book idea and content there. I found myself being a bit disappointed in how to maybe apply what I was reading and was only just suggested maybe how to use this information in the end chapter in the Afterword.

I’ve read all of Mr. Gladwell’s books and if you’re only going to read one, IMO, this is his most important, and at the risk of hyperbole, I’ll call it brilliant. He argues, and supports with substantial evidence, the idea that sheer luck plays an enormous role in how our lives turn out.

He stops short of taking the extreme deterministic position agreed upon by, oh, Einstein, Freud, and BF Skinner, to name a few of the 20th centuries most influential thinkers, but many readers will have their minds opened to consider that possibility more seriously.

The book is also the story of failure. I guess if that had been incorporated into the title it would have been less appealing. And although examples of failure due to bad luck are no doubt far more common than The Beatles or Steve Jobs, thus who experience failure, also because of (bad) luck, don’t stick out to be studies and included.

If there’s a weakness it’s that examples that con’t support his thesis are ignored. On the other hand. if his thesis is correct, and I think it is, there are no contradictory example. Outliers is, IMO, a truly great book.

I can’t thin of a book I’d recommend more highly.

A book that challenges the stereo type thinking of who is an exceptional person or group of people. The author has demonstrated that outliers are products of history and community, of opportunity and legacy.

Their success is not exceptional or mysterious. It is grounded in a web of advantages and inheritances, some deserved, some not, some earned, some just plain lucky, but all critical to making them who they are.

The book has so many examples of circumstances but the wonderful example of the Jewish emigre family to New York, the Borgenichts’ showed how Louis and Regina may have been tired and poor and overwhelmed.

For Louis being his own boss and making his own decisions, engaging his mind and imagination resulted in a relationship between effort and reward. The three things – autonomy, complexity and connection between effort and reward are, most people agree, the three qualities that work has to have if it has to be satisfying.

Meaningfulness is very important in one’s job or task for us to excel in it. Hard work is a prison sentence only if it does not have meaning. Once it does, it becomes the kind of thing that makes you grab your wife around the waist and dance a jig.

For me, a crucial lesson to those who want to tackle the upper reaches of a profession is if you work hard enough and assert yourself, and use your mind and imagination, you can shape the world to your desire.

Working hard is what successful people do. Even for subjects like mathematics, it’s not ability as attitude. Success is a function of persistence and doggedness and the willingness to work. As the Chinese say “No one who can rise before dawn three hundred city days a year fails to make his family rich”.

In summary, outliers are those who have been given opportunities and who have had the strength and presence of mind to seize them. As the author summarises, “The outlier, in the end, is not an outlier at all.

This book enlightens us about the myth of land of opportunities and hard work. These myths survive because a lot of people heard of self made millionaires. Theyre usually the ones that perpetuate the illusion of hard work, good ideas produce $ucce$$.

Without proper opportunities, like being in the right place at the right time and knowing someone who can propel you in the right direction, just by ones own merit doesnt take you very far.

Dale Carnegie’s book on how to win friends and influence people is just as relevant today as it was when it was first published in the 1930’s. Its an old book, but a golden book! Carnegie keeps his advice plain and simple, and his summary on the main points of each chapter keeps the reader engaged.

Its a timeless piece of writing and I would highly recommend this book to those who wish to improve their communication skills to a more refined level.

Part 1 – Fundamental Techniques In Handling People 1 – “If You Want to Gather Honey, Don’t Kick Over the Beehive” 2 – The Big Secret of Dealing with People 3 – “He Who Can Do This Has the Whole World with Him.

He Who Cannot, Walks a Lonely Way” Eight Suggestions On How To Get The Most Out Of This Book Part 2 – Six Ways To Make People Like You 1 – Do This and You’ll Be Welcome Anywhere 2 – A Simple Way to Make a Good Impression 3 – If You Don’t Do This, You Are Headed for Trouble 4 – An Easy Way to Become a Good Conversationalist 5 – How to Interest People 6 – How To Make People Like You Instantly In A Nutshell Part 3 – Twelve Ways To Win People To Your Way Of Thinking 1 – You Can’t Win an Argument 2 – A Sure Way of Making Enemiesand How to Avoid It 3 – If You’re Wrong, Admit It 4 – The High Road to a Man’s Reason 5 – The Secret of Socrates 6 – The Safety Valve in Handling Complaints 7 – How to Get Co-operation 8 – A Formula That Will Work Wonders for You 9 – What Everybody Wants 10 – An Appeal That Everybody Likes 11 – The Movies Do It.

Radio Does It. Why Don’t You Do It? 12 – When Nothing Else Works, Try This In A Nutshell Part 4 – Nine Ways To Change People Without Giving Offence Or Arousing Resentment 1 – If You Must Find Fault, This Is the Way to Begin 2 – How to Criticizeand Not Be Hated for It 3 – Talk About Your Own Mistakes First 4 – No One Likes to Take Orders 5 – Let the Other Man Save His Face 6 – How to Spur Men on to Success 7 – Give the Dog a Good Name 8 – Make the Fault Seem Easy to Correct 9 – Making People Glad to Do What You Want In A Nutshell Part 5 – Letters That Produced Miraculous Results Part 6 – Seven Rules For Making Your Home Life Happier 1 – How to Dig Your Marital Grave in the Quickest Possible Way 2 – Love and Let Live 3 – Do This and You’ll Be Looking Up the Time-Tables to Reno 4 – A Quick Way to Make Everybody Happy 5 – They Mean So Much to a Woman 6 – If you Want to be Happy, Don’t Neglect This One 7 – Don’t Be a “Marriage Illiterate” In A Nutshell ————– Eight Things This Book Will Help You Achieve 1.

Get out of a mental rut, think new thoughts, acquire new visions, discover new ambitions. 2. Make friends quickly and easily. 3. Increase your popularity. 4. Win people to your way of thinking. 5. Increase your influence, your prestige, your ability to get things done.

6. Handle complaints, avoid arguments, keep your human contacts smooth and pleasant. 7. Become a better speaker, a more entertaining conversationalist. 8. Arouse enthusiasm among your associates.

I still haven’t finished How to Win Friends and Influence People as I am still reading it but this book has helped me considerably not only for my career but even outside of work too. I do recommend this simple book for anyone as it may have a positive influence on you and those around you.

I thought this book was great! She writes honest and some people dont understand what that is for famous people. They think they have rich,perfect lives. But as Valerie shows us that isnt true and they have same problems as us.

Valerie’s latest book is so relatable for women everywhere. I love that she shared so many of her thoughts and feelings – many that I’ve had myself. I highly recommend this enjoyable read!

Easy read. Love Valerie’s books. Have all of them. She helps people relate to her similar situation and thoughts. Helped me make some important life style changes.

I got a lot of books at once at Target and my son has been focusing a few. They happen to be all Richard Scarry’s. This book is amazing. It literally answers all the questions the kids had. The size is decent, big enough to call their attention and fit all the figures.

Cover is super strong and colorful. The paper stock is matt and thick. Every story only has 2 pages max and tells a lot with a sense of humor. No TOC is great that the kids can flip over and over to look for the story they want to read and end up memorizing everything.

I can’t wait to show other books Richard Scarry wrote. Amazing!.

My 2. 5 year old loves this book. There’s sooo much content on every page. It seems that there has been some modernization over the years but barely. It’s missing a lot of things people do all day in the 21st century.

You’re really buying this for the parent nostalgia factor. It’s wacky in a way that makes you think. this wouldn’t be published today.

This is an excellent book for children. It has chapters with well-illustrated “stories” of what different workers do all day – Firemen, Mommies, a trip to the Hospital, how a house is built, how corn is grown.

I remember this book from my childhood, as an older (5-7) year old poring over the pictures of what all the animal characters were doing. I purchased this for my 2 1/2 year old and he has not wanted to read ANYTHING else since!!! He already is grasping concepts of the big wide world with help of this book.

And the humorous pictures are entertaining for mum and dad too :).

Mitch Albom writes mostly about death. How he deoicts life after death is amazing. Most of us, dating centuries back, have been wondering what life is after death. Death often feared, is represented as the start of a new something, a place where second chances are given for forgiveness.

In a world full of actions, we rarely get the chance to sit back and realise what those actions cost. But, here in Heaven, Albom explore the possibilties of life after death where the ultimate realisation dawns upon Eddie.

Death, not a sad picture, but here is seen as a beautiful journey where you meet five people whose lives have been affected by Eddie. With or without realisation, man has plenty blessings and some mistakes too.

There is no other way, just the acceptance of things that have happened have happened for a cause.

I actually found myself liking this book even though it was a book that was instructed by my professor. We would do an assignment where we had to find our own 5 people we would like to meet in heaven.

So the book was rather insightful and pleasant to read. I still have the book as a memory of a good read and in case I want to read it again.

[brand:book] I had to read this book in highschool for a health occupations class. I absolutely loved it though. It’s written so beautifully and left a lasting impact on me. I like the perspective that heaven is unique to each individual and there’s still a journey once you arrive.

It’s a quick and easy read. I recommend to everyone! Hyperion [brand:book]s The Five People You Meet in Heaven #book #bookworm #influenster.

Great source of information for primary school age kids to learn that people come in all shapes, sizes and capabilities. Teaches children about empathy and acceptance.

Love this book and the conversations it has led to in my classroom! My goal is to create an inclusive trusting environment and books like this help to talk about what kids notice in the world around them.

The illustrations are amazing as well and truly help to tell the story!.

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman is a story about a bank robbery? A hostage situation? Idiots? Adulting? A bad idea? Love? Human spirit and fragility?. it’s about all those things and more. Fredrik Backman never disappoints.

He is one of my favourite authors this year, his writing is heart-warming, whimsical and witty. He is able to articulate all the things we feel but can’t find words for and at the end of the day, his books are about humanity.

This book did not disappoint. Each of the characters leave an impression, even if they are all bumbling and crashing through life. Adulting at its best (or worst). Parenting at its best (or worst). “We are doing the best we can, we really are.

” As always, Backman has written a poignant, endearing and redemptive novel. A top shelf read. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5).

First official 2021 book rec: Anxious People by Frederick Bachman Seriously. This. Was. So. Good. It was the perfect 2021 read! Not to mention the plot centers between December 30th (the day I started it) and January 1st (the day I finished it).

It’s a love story (not a Romance, that’s different!) and a story about second chances and compassion and idiots. All of this is told through the lens of a hostage situation. It’s not a crime story, it’s a people story.

It is dark but hopeful, harsh but compassionate, it’s literally about the second chance that we all get with this new year! If House in the Cerulean Sea was the perfect sweet 2020 read to bring you comfort and togetherness, Anxious People is the 2021 book that tells us to keep moving and show compassion.

You. All. Need. To. Read. It.

Want a book that surprise you? Don’t read any (other) reviews. Don’t even read the descriptive bit on book. Just go for it. Swedish, very little sex, no insanity, moderate violence, no horrid narcissist main character.

Some worry as in “Can this lovely person be okay?” Set in Sweden so if you are unfamiliar, there is that nice bit of learning.

I know I always loved to read. I know books and reading them are very important to me. Bogel has helped me understand why. She looks at the personal nature of reading, how it shapes us, what we bring to the experience, why we choose the books we do, why we connect with some so powerfully.

I rejoice that I even had the rewarding experience of owning a bookstore for decades. My major complaint was that I sold many more books than I could read. Books are opportunities beckoning us, Bogel says.

(83/1580). Like her, I could go places, be someone else, experience different cultures – all from my reading chair. Like her, I believe in bibliotherapy. Give me a good book and I am happy in my world.

I had never thought about being book bossy, giving someone a book I thought they should like or I thought should make them feel better. Yikes. I’ve done that. But we are individuals. Just because the book meant so much to me does not mean it will have anything like the same effect on you.

I really appreciate her essays on how reading shapes us into the people we are today. I would not be who I am today nor think the way I do without having read the books I have. I agreed with her essay that identified reading as a solitary act and a favorite introvert-coping strategy (yes!) but was dismayed just a bit when she said reading was a social act (well, I am in a reading group).

(1362/1580) Missing from the book was anything about book reviewing. Publishers frequently rely on communities of public relation companies and volunteer book reviewers. Where I used to recommend books over a counter, now I do it through blogging book reviews.

Also, Bogel writes as a print book reader, with book shelves and stacks of books. What about the world of ebooks? My favorite quote from the book: “Your house is a disaster because a clean house is a sign of a misspent life, and you spend yours reading.

“”(662/1580) I recommend this book to readers, to book people. You know who you are. You’re the one who can’t pass up a good book about reading books. I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher.

My comments are an independent and honest review.

A cup of hot cocoa, a cozy blanket and a copy of this delightful book creates the perfect bookish trifecta! As I read this collection of 21 charming essays, I found myself smiling, laughing and reading passages out loud to my family (it helps that they know that I am not the only crazy book person in the world)! We, as readers, are unique in our individual book preferences yet this book brings together what we all share as bibliophiles! Book lovers will relate to Anne’s writing and reflection on topics such as books that find you, being book bossy, life imitating art and those reoccurring bookworm problems.

I especially enjoyed Anne’s humor in the essay on how to organize your bookshelves – this is me on paper! I highly recommend this gem of a book is that celebrates the “delights and dilemmas” we experience as bookish kindred spirits in this wonderful world of books!.