Review - What Every BODY is Saying by Joe Navarro

Replete with patronising gems like, "...the brain controls all behaviours, whether conscious or subconscious," Joe Navarro's book seems to have been written for autistics and people raised by wild animals. Or at least, this appears to be the case for the first couple of chapters. However, what starts off as a dull and forgettable airport novel actually pans out into something surprisingly informative and readable. The author focuses for the most part on the human limbic system (or non-conscious brain) and its reactions to stress. According to Navarro, this "honest brain" is responsible for all involuntary human behaviour, and if you know what body language to look for, you can tell if your lying whore of a girlfriend slept with some filthy antique dealer for AU$60,000, or if she did it in exchange for a lucrative new job jetsetting around the globe in power suits... *ahem*

The science isn't an exact one, but it is solidly researched and backed up by plenty of compelling examples from Navarro's long career with the FBI. Along with signs of stress, the author tells us to watch for self-comforting actions known as "pacifiers", emblems such as unconscious use of the middle finger, as well as synchrony between words and gestures. Engaging stuff, especially when you realise you haven't been watching people's feet, torsos, arms, or even hands that much, and that there is a heap of stuff you've been missing. The author also spends a chapter talking about lie detection. Interestingly, and contrary to popular consensus, we learn that the best place to look for signs of intent, mood and deceit is not the face, but the feet. Great if you have a foot fetish, not so great if you've already cut your girlfriend's legs off.

Worth the read for people whose minds aren't busy enough processing the excessive amounts of information already flying around out there.