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

Rating:
Summary: Very deep and requires a lot of work to do...
Review: Unlike most people observation books, the author insists on consistent patterns rather than isolated mannerisms. "Concentrate, observe, and try to keep your own feelings under control" would be my take on her message. She lists out hundreds of patterns to look for and it pretty much covers the range of people I have ever met in the US. It requires a lot of rereading for most of these patterns to sink in. It also requires a lot of work to "tune in" on my day to day interactions with people. As a clever guide to particular gestures, this book is a bust. As a way of learning to think of people as a complex and rich mix of backgrounds and behaviours, this book is the best I have ever read. I am not sure that I am up to the challenge but it already has me listening and observing more while talking less.

Rating:
Summary: The people who marketed this book should be shot
Review: All of the negative reviews can be attributed to the poor job of the people who wrote the cover. The cover says "How to understand people and predict their behavior--anytime, anyplace." That statement is so extremely misleading about the book. It makes it seem like the same kind of book that would appeal to the demographic that would buy "Becoming a Psychic for Dummies."

This book isn't a quick cause and effect book. You won't be able to use this book like a reference manual, and instantly define or divine things about people. What you will be able to do is learn how to begin the process of learning to read people better. And, this really shouldn't be a surprise, because the author says this in the first few pages.

I'd like to address some of the complaints about the book:
1) The author is conceited. A: This book is written by an attorney. You should be prepared for the author to be conceited.
2) This book is too simple. A: It seems simple if you're just looking for a reference book of behaviors and what they mean. If you think this book is simple, you just don't get it. Read a little deeper.
3) This book is jumbled up and thrown together. A: If you check out a bunch of other reviews on other books, you will find that this is a common complaint by people who don't really read the book that they are reviewing.

You'll notice that pretty much all of the really negative reviews are from men, many from men who are professional salespeople. The author's style is very much from a woman's perspective, and is very professional. I know a lot of "salesmen" types that are very intimidated by professional women, and I have to wonder if this is the reason for a lot of the negative reviews.

Also, I bought this book in an airport bookstore, too. I'm not sure why that's important, but it seems like about half of the people who read this book buy it in the airport.

Rating:
Summary: Very very dissapointing.
Review: Everything in this book is shallow and poorly thought out. I could probably redraw you the 2 page flowsheet this author whipped up in the car on the way to her publisher's office, that would serve as an outline for her fantastic ideas. The writing complexity is aimed at a 9th grade reading level. And the elements are simply poorly thought out and not well developed.
I only read 25% before throwing the book into my "to sell" pile.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent, quite underrated
Review: Initially, I almost did not buy this book based upon the negative reviews it had garnered from other readers. However, based upon the author's outstanding reputation in the legal field, I decided to give it a try. I'm really glad I did. Ms. Dimitrius has written an excellent book on this topic, one that will guide you to insights to yourself as well as other people. It was very thought-provoking, and has a nuanced and balanced approach to the discipline.

Rating:
Summary: tell me something I don't know
Review: Of the four books I read recently about reading people, this one was probably the least valuable. Most of the information given was pretty obvious, and her advice basically boils down to 1) Be aware of the other person's behavior and 2) trust your instincts. Most of the book contains such "in-depth" insights as "Honest people are generally relaxed and open. Dishonest people aren't." DUH! Her list of behavioral indicators for various traits is rather long, and she makes the basic mistake of pigeonholing certain characteristics as indicators of specific traits. She also doesn't deal with such topics as neurological problems or cultural differences. Some of her advice is a bit iffy, too; for instance, she says early on, "Learn to reveal something of yourself. To get others to open up, you must first open up to them." Not good advice if you're dealing with a conman or sociopath. If you really must, read the key points at the end of each chapter.