Body Language by Gordon R. Wainwright - Oct 1992

Teach Yourself Books, Oct 1992. Paperback. Experts claim we can communicate much more with our body movements and posture than we can possibly achieve using the spoken word. Gordon R. Wainwright explores the often misunderstood notion of nonverbal communication in his book, entitled Body Language. Published in 1985, the book was written as an effort to educate the reader on how to perceive, understand and use body language to aid our communication with others and enhance our daily lives. Through excellent examples and explanations, Wainwright does an first-rate job of addressing this complex topic. He frequently includes exercises, many of which are enjoyable and humorous, to help in understanding the different topics of the book By the end, I felt truly educated on a subject I had often wondered about, but really did not understand well. The informative introduction section explains well what the book is about and how it is organized. Wainwright focuses on a different aspect of body language in each of the 15 chapters that comprise the body of the book. Following the introduction, Wainwright discusses eye contact and direction of gaze, which he calls the "most potent means of nonverbal communication we possess" (6). As he does in most chapters, Wainwright introduces the chapter with background information and past studies to help the reader gain a broad perspective of the topic. He then explains the origins of why eye contact is such a fundamental aspect of nonverbal communication. His analysis is rational and easy to understand and is not verbose. Allowing the reader to learn on his or her own and not just from reading the text, Wainwright uses effective exercises throughout the book. The eye contact exercise instructs you to find a crowd, in a bar or restaurant for example, and observe people in conversation, paying close attention to how they maintain eye contact. Wainwright then includes an "Exercise review," in which he lists a number of observations you probably saw. I found these exercises insightful, and it added credibility to the book when I observed what he predicted I would see. Wainwright's next topic deals with the role of facial expressions, including an in-depth discussion of smiling. He writes, "The smile is probably the most universally used and the most positive facial expression" (27). The entertaining exercise of this section has you purposely greet everyone you meet in a day, whether you like them or not, with a warm smile and salutation. As predicted by Wainwright, I found that most people kindly returned the smile and were more pleasant than normal in conversation. He also brings out another anecdote about the smile. We typically smile because we are happy; however, this can also work in reverse. In what might be an unpleasant situation, forcing yourself to smile may actually make you happier. It is these usable tidbits that keep the reader interested and why Body Language is such an excellent book. Following the discussion of facial expressions and head movements, Wainwright goes on to focus on body movements, the role of posture, and orientation and proximity, each given their own chapter. He explains the myth of the universality of body movements. Although there are body movements that are common throughout the world, many are very specific and can be completely contrary among different cultures. Wainwright does a fine job of tying body movements to his next two topics, posture and proximity, both of which can reveal what one is truly thinking if intelligently observed. Other interesting chapters of the book include in-depth discussions of touching, physique, timing and synchronization, and sexual attraction. As I have stated throughout, I felt Wainwright did an outstanding job with this book, keeping the reader engaged in the subject matter. The only negative comment I have is that, at times, some of the chapters included some redundant material; however, the subject matter was interesting enough to keep the reader's attention. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to improve their interpersonal skills and communication with others. It would be especially effective for anyone that works in a face-to-face occupation, such as counseling, sales, or law enforcement.