You Say More Than You Think

Starred review from February 15, 2010
A former body-language specialist with the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Driver has put her life on the line more times than she can count, depending on her understanding of body language-how to read it and how to use it-to survive. Now a professional body-language trainer, Driver puts her lessons to paper with straightforward prose and easy-to-use methodology, intended to help readers break bad habits, overcome misleading assumptions, avoid blind spots, and project the kind of confidence they need for successful communication and/or negotiation. Offering a number of tips across a range of settings (business, romance, courtroom, etc.), Driver's advice will give readers immediate, effective results, such as a step-by-step guide to "Active Listening Head Moves": "Now try the head tilt with the double nod. Did the person speed up the conversation?" Sound examples (many drawn from her professional adventures), revealing exercises and self-tests, and a game sense of humor keep Driver's considerable expertise from overwhelming readers, making this an enjoyable and highly practical self-help.

January 15, 2010
To Driver, who has taught interviewing and deception-detecting courses for the U.S. federal government, knowing how to read people and project oneself successfully brings confidence and power. Using photographs, self-assessment tools, and exercises, she shows readers how to decode posture, arm/leg crossing, head nodding, and so forth toward gauging honesty, interest, and goodwill. Driver also describes how to use power gestures (e.g., hand-steepling) to convey authority and the "belly button rule" to build rapport. Driver intimately knows her subject and is able to convey it in a way that tempts readers to partake in the lessons.

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.