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Summary: A real waste of time
Review: The front and back covers promise so much! But the amount of useful information could barely fill a couple sentences. All I noticed were a series of short lists -- suggestions of what some particular behavior, speech or appearance might mean. But they usually cover such a range possibilities, they are useless. The book is presented in a condescending tone, with pervasive dumbness. I can't believe I wasted the money!
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Summary: THIS BOOK IS A NECESSITY --- THE BEST MONEY I EVER SPENT
Review: No joke. I go through this book at least once each year, just to review different ideas that help me to understand people around me. And it helps me A LOT. If I had had this book 10 years ago, I would have been able to spot a dishonest employee much sooner and would have saved myself several thousand dollars (not to mention all the stress). This book also helps me to see positive things in people, too. Definitely a "must buy" book.
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Summary: Buy Dr. Lillian Glass Instead!
Review: After reading Lillian Glass' new book, 'I Know What Your Thinking', this book just pales in comparison. I mean, this book really teaches you nothing you don't already know and it a down right a dry read. It's that simple. If you want a good book on the subject--rather the ART--of reading people I reccommend Dr. Lillian Glass. Unlike this book which only provides examples of what goes on in the author's courtroom battles, which many won't be able to relate if they're not in this environment constantly, Dr. Glass gets to the point in everyday situations, and hits HARD! Don't buy this buy. Not good.
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Summary: Excellent Resource for Relationship Building
Review: This is an excellent book if you are looking for something in relationship building, people skills, negotiating, conflict management or anything related to people. Full of personal experiences to follow bite size introductions and easy to grasp brief conclusions, a very handy handbook. As a workshop facilitator and career manager, I find it helpful in understanding people better. Even though it is written in the American context, certain traits, behaviour and attitudes are global except they may come with local flavour.
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Summary: Excellent Resource for Writers...
Review: This book, although not marketed as a resource for writers, contains excellent information that would help any writer with building characters and showing characterization. Details about how to demonstrate or show (as opposed to merely describe) what a character's personality through mannerisms, facial expression, vocal tones, hobbies, dress, hairstyle, home decor, hygiene, office, etc., are abundant. The book will prompt any writer who is having trouble envisioning a character or "getting closer" to one. It's well worth the price -- other than Sol Stein's book 'On Writing,' which is directed toward writers, this is the BEST BOOK ON CHARACTERIZATION that I've come across. Writers can return to it again and again and always find something worthwhile.
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Summary: ARE PEOPLE REALLY WHAT THEY APPEAR TO BE?
Review: As a counsellor who has studied behavioural psychology for years, there are very few times when I cannot read the inner thoughts of people. No I am not psychic, nor can I read minds, but what I can do is rely on my education and experience to discover where people are truly coming from, what they are really telling me and what they are not. I can unleash supressed feelings and predict future behaviour. Are they frightened, guilty, angry, depressed, anxious, lying, holding something back - emotions run rampant. Are they organized socials or disorganized antisocials? What will their next course of action be? While this book certainly will not give you the credentials to psychoanalyze anyone in-depth, it will give the reader a broader insight into understanding people and where they are coming from. Sometimes predicting behaviour is often a matter of understanding a person's unique characteristics and patterns. Each of us has our own set of patterns - what time we generally arise each morning, when we leave for work, our spending and saving habits, where we shop, where we sit at the kitchen table, what we like and dislike, the way we think, and the list goes on. In "Reading People" the authors present a variety of situations and explain what to look for in predicting and analyzing people. Tone of voice, body language, character traits all come into play. You do not need to be a psychologist to understand this book; it is well-written and exceptionally well organized and researched. I highly recommend "Reading People" for lawyers, business people, and as a guide for anyone in their personal lives. It certainly is not going to make one a professional analyst, but it will give you a better understanding of people and what makes them tick.
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Summary: Overstated Thesis, Dry Book.
Review: This books say it can show you "how to understand people and predict their behavior anytime, anyplace." Can you imagine how useful a book like this could, if it were true? Unfortunately, there are no "secret tips" which can "change your life" forever. (This is a quote on the front of the book.) What this book does have are the theories of the writers which include some interesting observations based on their experiences. In science, we call this arguing by analogy. One experience, or three, doesn't make a theory true it just makes it interesting. There are some good tips here. Overall, however, the writing is so stilted and arrogant that whatever you might learn is may not be worth the read. To begin with the writers preach a seven point approach to "reading people." This first thing this approach says is that you need to "spend more time with people" to understand them. It is almost as if this was an instruction manuel for aliens. The writer then give six more points to be discussed in the book. The very next paragraph, however, talks about something different. Sorta of an introduction to why the authors wrote the book. Writing like this, found throughout the book, can make it hard to follow. It is unfortunate because the back cover of this book has all sorts of interesting and promising topics. "What message are you sending with your hairstyle?" or "What does a man's shoes say about the way he will behavior in your meeting?" If the author had a chapter based on each of these questions, the book would have been more interesting. Instead, the author takes everything baby-step by baby-step. It was slow, and a little insulting. Applying the techniques taught in "Reading People" I could have predicted this result just from some of the comments found in its introduction where the author states she "endured the world's scrunity, and often its harsh criticisim, because I helped select the jury that acquitted O.J. Simpson." Hmm. I never know that this person helped select the O.J. jury. Do you think that is why he was acquitted? To be fair, who is on the jury always plays a big role in any trial. But the author never explains who she rejected from the jury or how that made a difference. So in this statement, while she appears to be acting modest, she is actually crowing about one of her achievements. One that might be very interesting, if she detailed how she did it in this book. She does not. There are some interesting tips here. The best one, I think, is that people are usually consistent in their behavior. If they appear to be inconsistant, they may be in crisis, or you may be looking at the wrong clues. With such information, we can answer the questions I talked about above. If a person has very clean, sparking shoes, he is more likely to be a good worker, attentive to details, then one whose shoes are dirty. If a person has a mohawk hair style for example, you may be more likely to hire them at you business, if you want someone who is creative and unconvential. Do you need a book, do you need this book, to know this? I would say, probably not. If you are still interested in this topic, , there is a much better book out there by Mike Caro. It is about playing poker, but he teaches and demonstrates the same principles found here. If you know anything about poker, his book was a much more interesting read. It wasn't great either, but it was a good read.
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Summary: Pretty good but.......
Review: I bought the book because, I'm at a point in life where I am questioning a few people in my life who I have always been close to but, things are changing and I am hurt as a result so, I bought this book and read it hoping it could help. It is a decent book with insights that I tested against myself and there are things in there that I recognized in myself. There were times though when it was hard to understand. I had difficulty with the constant referal to courtroom situations. Though relevent I suppose, I found myself at time unable to relate to anything whenever the courtroom was brought into play. It was some help, not completely though.
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Summary: Clues for better understanding
Review: Not only did I like Dimitrius' book, but I am using her book as a reference for an interviewing skills class I teach at a local college. Those who read this book and take the concepts literally are going to end up seeing profiles as stereotypes. Those who read this book in the context of "what can I learn to help me understand people better?" will gain insight into human behavior. No, this is not a sophisticated typing instrument, but rather a practical approach for using observation as a tool in helping us to understand characteristic human behaviors. As I teach my students -- and as Dimitrius clearly demonstrates -- these observations are simply clues which lead to greater discovery. Physicians begin with observable symptoms, leading to relevant questions, narrower focus and to an eventual diagnosis. Similarly, behavioral clues help guide us in our search for a deeper understanding of the people with whom we live and work.
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Summary: Ever find out too late what someone's really like?
Review: I originally picked up this book at the library, hoping it might give me quick tips for my sales job. It didn't, but what it did give me was a way to better understand people. I had to buy a copy for myself to read again, and I'm getting as much out of it the second time. Yes, a lot is common sense, but this book goes beyond common sense and stereotypes to help us see what's underneath the clothes, skin color, etc. I have found it to be a helpful aid to choosing the people I want in my life. I also found it enjoyable to read because of my interest in people and psychology.
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