Book Review: Reading People: How to Understand People and Predict Their Behavior--Anytime, Anyplace

Amazon.com Review n nIt's true that politicians blink much more frequently when they're lying, but what other behavior clues do people inadvertently give off? If you want to know if you're being boondoggled, how to tell if your date is interested in a serious relationship, or if you should take that new job, Jo-Ellan Demitrius will help you figure it all out. She gives away the tricks of her trade--jury consulting--in this eye-opening handbook for predicting the behavior and revealing the thoughts of others. She's consulted for more than 600 jury trials, including the O.J. Simpson, Rodney King, and John DuPont cases, as well as for Fortune 100 companies. If her name rings a bell, it may be because she's been on Oprah, Larry King Live, and 60 Minutes, among other television shows. Much more than a collection of tips on reading body language, her book is supremely organized, detailed, and thorough, with lists of physical characteristics, vocal patterns, office props, and conversational behaviors that reveal much more than you'd think. She instructs on how to analyze hundreds of details of everyday living, from the style of the picture frame on your boss's desk to the odd way that an acquaintance swears up a storm, in order to uncover personality traits and predict future behavior. Demitrius isn't a hocus-pocus intuition hawker; she's more of a scientist. "...over the past fifteen years," she writes, "I have tested this method on more than ten thousand 'research subjects.' After predicting the behavior of thousands of jurors, witnesses, lawyers, and judges, I have been able to see whether my predictions came true....I did not always peg them correctly, especially in the earlier years. But by testing my perceptions over and over, I have verified which clues are generally reliable and which are not." Her advice will prove valuable not just to lawyers but to businesspeople, parents, and anyone curious about their relationships. While the book is mostly aimed at deconstructing the behavior and characteristics of others, it's also useful for job candidates and anyone concerned with projecting the appropriate image. -- Erica Jorgensen --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. nnProduct Information How can you “hear between the lines” to detect a lie? When is intuition the best guide to making important decisions? What are the tell-tale signs of romantic attraction? Jo-Ellan Dimitrius–America’s leading behavioral expert–shows us how to spot the critical clues to a person’s integrity, work habits, and sexual interests, and to interpret these signs with accuracy and precision. In this phenomenal guide–now revised and updated–Dimitrius shows us how to read a person like a book. By decoding the hidden messages in appearance, tone of voice, facial expression, and personal habit, she applies the secrets of her extraordinary courtroom success to the everyday situations we all face at work, at home, and in relationships. New material includes:nn• How to read people in the age of terror: what to watch for during air travel and trips abroad, and vital information regarding student behaviors in the Columbine High School and Virginia Tech shootingsn• What to look for on the Internet: how to decipher behavioral patterns found in and altered by e-mail, text and instant messaging, and on sites like MySpacen• Facts on body language and health: how chronic illnesses such as Asperger syndrome and Parkinson’s disease influence the way people are perceived, and essential tips on how to counter these misperceptionsn• Fascinating new case studies: how body-reading techniques impacted jury selection and verdicts in major trial battles, including the Enron casennWhether your focus is friendship or marriage, career or family, romance or professional success, Reading People gives you the skills you need to make sound, swift decisions and reap the benefits of razor-sharp insight. To view this book on Amazon.com, click here.