The book is masterfully structured to aptly code its message in a way that can be easily decoded by body language enthusiasts. For instance, while reading, you will understand that the hands are the most expressive parts of the body. As such, it was extensively explained throughout a chapter and conspicuously linked with other chapters throughout the discussion. However, I also opined that the lower parts of the body are the most reliable body language indicators. The reason being that both you and your subjects rarely pay attention to those parts of the body; we are conventionally focused on the face which can be feigned and restructured to show what they want you to see. A fundamental lesson for every reader is how you can beam your searchlight in the lower parts of the body to decode the intents of the heart of an interlocutor.Perhaps, people rarely talk about color in nonverbal communication because they see it as not relevant or not strong enough to reveal the minds of others to them but this a misconception intellectually rebuffed in this book through a masterful discussion of the concept and how it can be interpreted around the globe.

The first chapter focuses on the head. The head is our engine room; we describe people basically on the look of their head. In this opening chapter, we want to understand the messages that can be passed with the use of the head. In communicative context, you need to pay attention to the movement of the head. Being the centre of attraction, different cultures adorn the head in different ways. We will unlock the possible meanings that each bears in this segment. Further, we will beam our intellectual light on head nodding and the meaning it connotes. There are times that people unconsciously nod their head in contradiction to what they say with their mouth. This is a red flag for you to take note of. In addition, a person may suddenly reach for their head as if it is about to be severed off. All these are implicative of the feelings of the subjects. People also scratch their head, ventilate and rub while communicating with others. Before you can interpret these actions, they need to be subjected to contextual analysis. In this chapter, you’ll be walked through how to decode meanings of messages consciously and unconsciously passed with the use of the head. While interacting with a person, you are expected to look at them in the face and by extension, at the head. Hence, whatever the message they pass through this part of the body becomes easily recognisable.

On top of the head is the hair. A lot of people are oblivious of the fact that they can decode the intents of their co-interlocutors by paying attention to their hair. Well, this is one of the ‘wonders’ of this book. Our first point of focus here is hair appearance. People may intentionally style their hair in a particular way for the purpose of deceiving others. For instance, if they want to impersonate someone, they will ensure that their hairstyle with the person to be impersonated looks the same. In the same vein, we can also know the mood of people through their hair appearance. People with deep sense of fashion will pay more attention to their hair while on the other hand, some pay not necessarily bother. It also gives us a hint of the occupation people are into. All these pieces of information are essential to establishing facts about a subject. Further, we will also explore different ways in which men and women play with their hair. The touch is often different and you need to understand the unique message that each bears. Giving every action a generic interpretation will make you miss the important points being passed across. Then, you will know what hair tossing, pulling and flipping are. In an ideal communicative context, the hands are supposed to be used in buttressing the message that is being passed across. However, if this primary function is being jettisoned and they begin to hover over the hair, there are intrinsic messages being passed across.

The forehead is another part of the body that communicates deep messages about the intentions of people. Many people have asked how possible it is for the forehead to communicate messages due to the fact that it is almost immobile but a deeper look at its structure and positioning tells us that it is capable of revealing some hidden messages. The forehead tells you when someone is tensed or stressed up. Again, the context matters. There are people that massage the forehead while discussing with them, this is an implication that all is not well with them. The fact is that the forehead changes shape according to our inner feelings. In this section, you will understand how the forehead looks like when someone is telling you the truth and vice versa. Another objective of this chapter is to make you see the different meanings alluded to how the forehead is being touched. Some point at it, some place their palm on it, some rub or scratch while others massage it. All these touches have different meanings attached to them and they would be unraveled in this segment. In some other situations, people may cover their forehead with hat. This is to prevent you from reading their emotions. This, in itself, is a message that can help you in engaging your subjects better. Can you identify a puzzled look through the forehead? Relax, read on and be imbibed in knowledge in this chapter.

Next are the eyebrows. To some, these are only meant to complement the elegance and beauty of females. However, it goes beyond that. It is an embodiment of messages for anyone patient and critical enough to decode them. In this section, you will learn some of the messages that the eyebrows pass across in different circumstances. There are people that will flash the eyebrows at you while some others will use them in greetings. There are underlying messages that they are passing across. The shape and structure of the eyebrows will change as our internal feelings change. For instance, they may begin to narrow as you feel nervous about something. Good enough, this is subconsciously done. Invariably, the person letting out this sign is not aware of this development. While listening to their story, you will begin to pay attention to the movement of the eyebrows. This chapter aims to open your eyes to important unknown messages that come with the differing shapes of the eyebrows. In addition, you will learn eyebrow arching in tense situation. When we are caught up in a difficult situation, the eyebrow, just like most other parts of the body, takes another shape. Can people control the movement of their eyebrows? How do you know when the look is unreal? All these would be unraveled in this section.

An unknown person rightly posits that the eyes are the windows to the soul. Another saying goes thus: real conversation is in the eye. What these sayings are trying to emphasise is that the eyes are indispensable in a bid to understand a co-interlocutor. Our eyes are major instruments of communication. Different cultures have their beliefs concerning eye contact and you need to pay attention to these differences as explored in this book because it is the foundation upon which the whole chapter is built. To tell you how expressive the eyes are, we will explore forty-three different ways they communicate the deep intents of people to us. If you fail to notice a message through the eyes of the person you are interacting with, you may not understand more implicit ones expressed through other aspects of the body. One thing that liars have always tried to feign is eye contact. They are aware of this and as such, always manipulating their look to beat your imagination. Even while lying, against the popular myth that they would not hold eye contact, they would, in fact, stare at you while narrating their fabrications. This means you need to look above the surface level to uncover the real messages. Pupil constriction, dilation and narrowing of the eye sockets are some of the common non-verbal gestures that tell you that a person’s mood is undergoing changes. Furthermore, you will learn how alteration of blinking rate gives people out. You will also understand the differences between gazing and staring. Do you know that even when someone decides to close their eyes, there is a message being passed across? There is no gainsaying that this chapter has been expertly outlined to teach you some deep facts about eyes in the most interesting way.

Beyond listening, our ears are also instruments of self-expression while communicating. And to some people, they are tools of further beautification of the face. When conversing with people, pay attention to the movement of their ears in relation to other parts of the body. The shape of the ears can tell you whether your co-interlocutor is either interested in what you are telling them or not. In this chapter, our focus will be centered on what you can decode from a person through the carriage of their ears. Damaged ears means that the person you are speaking with might have some difficulties in picking your words. You need to slow down your pace and communicate slowly with them. Also, people who adorn their ears may use that as a trick to shift attention away from their eyes. As humans, we have the tendency to focus more on the part of the body that unusually stand out. Can you pinpoint listening gesture in people through their ears? You will learn that in this segment. There is no essence of speaking when the person you are conversing with does not give you the needed attention. They will always feign it. It is in your hands to know that something is wrong and put things aright. Also, we will explore earlobe pulling or massaging and ear flushing. All these actions are triggered by some internal feelings acted out externally.

In this section, we will learn some of the silent messages passed through the nose. The nose also changes shape in relation to the emotions we are undergoing. Each of these body parts is discussed in bit so as to allow you see ways that you can take maximum advantage of them. A common non-verbal message is wrinkling of the nose which depicts that all is not well with the person. When you see a person wrinkle their nose, it means something disgusting is happening to them. However, this is a generic message as there is another one—unilateral nose wrinkling. In this chapter, you will understand the differences between the two and how each plays out when people are emotionally tensed. Twitching of the nose is another point of focus here. This seems to be peculiar to the Caribbean people. However, we will relate the message to global context. Criminals can do anything to defend their actions, it is left to you not to be swayed by their antics and the only proven way you can do this is to look beyond their shenanigans. They will definitely try to appeal to your emotions but you must maintain your objectivity in order to get the true facts of the case you are investigating. In addition, there are times that the hand finds its way to the nose to brush, hold, touch (with index finger) and tap. All these four categories have their different meanings. You will learn them here and the motivations behind each action.

In our search for knowledge through the non-verbals, it is essential to note that the mouth has a crucial role it plays too. In this segment, we will explore all the possible messages that can be communicated with the mouth. In all, you will learn thirty-three non-verbal gestures of the mouth and the message that each bears. The mouth works in conjunction with the nose. For instance, if the nostrils are blocked, we automatically begin to breathe through the mouth. Exhaling is a critical aspect of our lives but people do it differently. Apart from style, they are also restrained by their feelings per time. You will learn what each exhaling type stands for. In addition, we will review the motivations for people who let out air through the corners of the mouth instead of the central position. Tone and pitch of voice tell you the feeling of people. however, we cannot hastily conclude that anyone who is ‘shouting’ is angry. There are some salient points you need to take note of as expounded on the pages of this book. One of clear giveaways that someone is nervous is stammering or stuttering. The person might not be necessarily guilty but it is an implication that there is something hidden about them. Fast speech, incongruence expressions and interruptions are some of the non-verbal clues hinting that things are wrong. People may yawn in some circumstances apart from the need to sleep. What may be the cause of this? And what does it imply? You will unravel all and much more in this module.

For more understanding of the labial, the next part you will learn are the lips. The lips are the extension of the mouth and without them, speech will become impossible. They give us good face structure by covering the teeth. In the same vein, they are embodiments of non-verbal messages. In fact, it is a shared sentiment in some quarters that they are more expressive than the mouth. In this module, you will learn twenty-six different ways you can decode messages passed through the lips. For the first section, we will talk about the hands on the lips; what does it mean when the hands or fingers hover around the lips? Well, there is no straightforward answer; it depends on the touch and the context in which it is carried out. You will learn all the possible meanings in this module. Also, you will learn the meanings attached to the lips when affected by other parts of the mouth such as biting of the lips, compressing them and narrowing the lips. There are people that lick their lips before or after making their speech. All these actions are metaphorical and you need to understand how they affect the meaning of whatever they are saying. For instance, someone licking his lips after making a presentation might have just told you lies. This is not an outright interpretation; read to discover other possible meanings. In the same vein, you can identify a sad or happy person through the shape of their lips. Think for a moment: does someone who is crying have the same lip structure with someone laughing hard? Definitely, No! The difference can be spotted in their lips. Even when you have concealed cases of nervousness or anxiety, you can see the traces through the lips of the person concerned. Perhaps, the concept most argued on in the field is the issue of smile-how to distinguish between genuine and fake smiles. Without mincing words, there are people that don’t know how to differentiate between them. You do not necessarily have to focus on the entire face before you spot a fake smile; it is on their lips. You will learn practical ways of doing this here.

The teeth only become exposed when the lips are separated. Whether they are open or closed, they remain a vital part of understanding the emotional state of people. However, they are very silent in the messages they communicate; you need to listen attentively to catch up with that the teeth have to say about a person. Three basic non-verbal messages would be explored here—flicking nails on the teeth, tapping and barring the teeth. You can only notice all these conditions when someone is feeling negative emotions. For instance, flicking nails on the teeth portrays someone that is confused or trying to remember something. The person needs to get out of the confusion at that point in time because they are feeling some psychological heat within. Note that once the finger finds its way to the teeth, it means all is not well with the subject. However, you need to understand the whole context of the event in order to understand what went wrong. This is the point where many people don’t exercise patience. In this module, you will be taught how to interpret body language as it relates to the teeth. If you can understand the mouth, lips and teeth together, then you can successfully engage anybody and fetch the right information from them.

In between the lower and the upper teeth is the tongue. Metaphorically, the tongue is an object to be feared in many cultures because it is the actual instrument of speech-making; when the tongue is cut off, you would not be able to speak again. That is why the phrase ‘hold your tongue’ is common around the world. Just like the teeth, when the mouth is closed, the tongue becomes inaccessible but even at that, it is still sharp in communicating mood and feelings of people. The tongue is more expressive than the teeth. One of the concepts to be unraveled in this module is the meaning of tongue chewing or biting. When a person decides to bite their tongue, what does it mean? What is the right positioning of the tongue and what does ‘tongue in cheek’ symbolise? One of the reasons why you need to pay more attention to the tongue is that it is the foremost vehicle of speech. If you can understand the metaphor behind it, it would become difficult for deceitful people to play on your intelligence. In fact, people make insults through tongue. This module is as adventurous as anything; you will learn things that you have never thought of in relation to the tongues before. Protrusion of the tongue is another common non-verbal expression that tells you that someone is not feeling comfortable. Darting of the tongue and using the tongue to lick the teeth are some other areas to be explored.

Our cheeks and jaw are also a source of metaphorical expression of our mood. Cheeks are meant for kissing and the jaws are supportive to the teeth but they are more than that in understanding people. unarguably, the cheeks are the softest part of the face. This makes them a go-to place for touching. The manner, place and time in which the cheeks are touched tell us how a person is feeling. For instance, when the cheeks are massaged, it is indicative that the person is stressed and trying to calm him or herself. This would be done gently and some will even do it in subtler way that it will appear as if they are trying to wipe off something from the face. Puffing out the cheeks is also a pronounced action that calls people attention to one’s feelings. This means the person is feeling negative emotions. Wiping the cheeks, pinching the corners of the mouth, scratching and framing of the cheeks are the other gestures to be explained in this module. Before you used to overlook all these actions but they are crucial to fathoming the hidden messages that your subjects do not want you to know. Just like the cheeks, the jaws also help us to understand the feelings of people we are dealing with. Someone may decide to jute, drop or pulse the jaws, depending on their feelings. It is pertinent to note that these feelings are, most times, expressed externally against the wish of the subject.

Just beneath the mouth is the chin, another part of the body that defines our humanness; it is reported that it is only humans that have chin among all mammals. Hence, it is serving an important function for us. Unlike some other parts of the face, the chin is a bit flexible, hence can be twisted to assume different shapes per time. When the chin is either facing down or up, it bears a unique message. Perhaps, many readers would be surprised to find out that chin withdrawal differs in some way from chin hiding. This chapter is intellectually loaded to make you stand out in your engagements with people. criminals will hide under all pretexts when you are proactive through deep understanding of human acts, you will be at the winning side at all times. Further, we will discuss different ways in which the chin is touched. For instance, someone may decide to brush the chin with the back of their hand while another person merely touches it, these two do not have the same meaning. Some articles are too quick to allude the same meaning to both. No! this chapter gives you a detailed analysis of both and contexts you are likely to see them play out. Real-life examples are also shared to better drive home each point made. The chin may also be shifted to the extent that it begins to touch the shoulder. These are visible signs of a distressed fellow. Perching the chin angrily, cradling it and stroking of beards are some other gestures you will learn in this module.

After considering all the thirteen parts of the face, in this chapter, we want to focus on the entire face. This will enable us cover areas that were not mentioned in the previous modules. The face, when taken as an entity, embodies numerous messages. Our attention is on nine gestures noticed among people across the world. Face avoidance is a common attribute of people who have something to hide; they do not want to look you in the face because they are afraid that by so doing, you will read their expressions and understand what they are going through. You may have to beg such people to look you in the face in order to have meaningful conversation. This is related to face shielding and blocking that would be espoused in the module. We will take our discussion further by perusing incongruence in the face and how to identify a strange face in the crowd. Some people believe that being able to spot a strange face amidst crowd is a game of luck but this is far from the truth. This chapter explains practical means you can identify a strange face in a group of people. All the basic emotions expressed through the face would be analysed too. Our discussion here would be brought to an end by considering the reasons why people touch their face even when there is no known environmental factor warranting such action.

The neck is the point of connection between the head and the rest of the body. It is a delicate part that we guard jealously because if anything happens to it, it may signal the end of such life. In the same vein, the neck is crucial in non-verbal communication as it tells us how a person feels per time. In this chapter, we will discuss seventeen ways in which the neck helps in communicating our intents to others. We wear accessories on the neck and this also passes messages in some given contexts. For instance, when someone begins to play with their necklace, it signals many things—they are either bored, stressed or inattentive. If they were not wearing the necklace, their hand would have found its way to some other parts of the body. For the first part of this chapter, the focus would be on neck touching—the different ways in which the neck is touched and what each means. Those who do not want to touch the neck directly will fiddle with their tie-knot, collars or even play with the neck dimples. The circumstances inducing all these actions would be explained in this chapter. In addition, we will explain ways in which the neck is massaged by people. Massaging is primarily induced by the need to calm the body. However, there are different parts of the neck being massaged by people. This is not a matter of preference but spontaneous reaction to psychological feelings. The final segment of this chapter is dedicated to other actions such as the movement of the Adam’s apple, stretching of the neck and stiffening it. When you are kept abreast of the motivating factors for these actions, you will make right inferences about people.

The shoulders come immediately after the neck. How they are being used per time is symbolic. When conversing with a person, you can pay attention to how they move their shoulders. There are times that they are able to subject it under their control but in some other times, it exposes them. Raising a shoulder means you are actively involved in an action. You may also use the shoulders to show that you have interest in what is being said. When you sink into the chair, the shoulders are affected and it communicates a deep message to someone paying attention to you. It means fear, anxiety and need to disappear from a troubling scenario. This is explored in details in this section. Shrugging of shoulders is an indication of unwillingness to participate in a thing. If you ask someone a question and instead of them to give you an answer, they begin to shrug their shoulders, it means the person doesn’t want to divulge the information. Some other complex gestures such as raising shoulders with the palms up and tilting the head would be explained in this module. When you know the causes of such complex display of a gesture, you can easily relate it with other situations and draw your conclusion in an informed manner. Widening of the shoulders, kowtowing and holding of the two shoulders high are broken into pieces in the chapter.

The arms are very expressive parts of the body. We are all aware of how they are being used but tend to attach only literal meaning to them. When you understand the metaphorical interpretations of these gestures, you will understand that the human mind is a hill of thoughts. Due to their expressive nature, there are array of meanings that can be given to each arm gesture. You need to read between the lines so that you do not mix things up. When you gesture during speech, you stimulate the interest of your listeners; your audience become more interested in what you have to say. Gesturing is like acting a movie. People that are easily bored would be kept close to you through the gesturing. However, there have been instances where people become hyperbolic about it. This means that it can be faked. So, how do you distinguish between real and fake gesturing? This is masterfully stated in this section. Just like other gestures considered in previous chapters, the arms can also be used in understanding the emotions of our subject—we can know if a person is either elated or saddened through how they carry their arms. When the arms become heavy and practically immobile, this invariably suggests that the person’s heart is also heavy with issues but when the arms are moved easily, it portrays a light-hearted fellow. This chapter is filled with deep revelations of interpretations of most of human daily engagements. Revealing the armpits, spreading out the elbows and arms, interlocking the elbows, narrowing of the arms and a host of other gestures explicitly explained here.

Our hands and fingers are the terminating points of the arms. With them, we write, eat and perform all the basic daily duties. The hands are as important as the eyes. In the introductory aspect of this module, the condition of the hand is discussed. This is followed by manner and rate of touching. The way you touch an item, a person or thing shows whether you are interested in it or not. Touching a person in a hesitant manner shows you don’t want to have anything to do with the person. This is related with flesh pressing. You will have better understanding of these concepts and how they affect your thoughts on others. Territorial display is another point importance to us. When people display territory with their hands, they are trying to show how powerful they are by taking up more space. When people display territory, what do they stand to achieve? And how can this be curbed when done wrongly? These questions are explicitly answered in this section. On the other hand, a person may decide to keep to himself by moving away from the table. This can be caused by different factors expatiated in this segment. The hands, instead of being used for gesticulating while talking, can be used in fiddling with items within reach. When you see this, it is an alert that something is wrong. Rubbing of the hands, jittery hands, holding of the hands and anchoring with hands are different ways in which a person may decide to play with their hands when they are supposed to concentrate on what their co-interlocutor is saying. As the most expressive part of the body, sixty-nine items are discussed in this chapter.

In this chapter, our focus is to understand the chest, torso and belly. The chest houses the heart; thus it determines breathing. You may argue that breathing is not part of our body but it still features in this discussion. Well, the reason being that there is no we can exclude it and still have our being. Attention should be paid to the way people breathe. In this segment, different kinds of breathing rates and their interpretations are given. Then, the chest and the non-verbal symbols it bears comes next. When we place the fingers on our chest, there is a meaning that comes with it. Sometimes, the hand raking might be continuous and the meaning is different from the first one. Another alternative way people display emotions is to press the palm against the chest. This is instructive and you will understand how the three uniquely work. People may also remove clothes to ventilate themselves. Don’t you consider it weird for someone to subtly undress just for fresh breeze when every other person at the same environment do not see any need for it? This chapter is uniquely loaded and you will surely enjoy every bit of it. Also, we will consider distancing and leaning in from the perspective of the chest and belly. Perhaps, one of the most important concepts in body language study—mirroring would be discussed in this segment. Apart from understanding this concept for professional reasons, you can also imbibe it for your personal advantage.

In this chapter, the hips, buttocks and genitals are our point of concern. This invariably translates that we are now focused on the lower parts of the body. You need to pay more attention to this because a lot of people—both the subject and the reader—focus on the upper parts alone. Since the person you are reading is also aware of this, they will do everything possible to scuttle their original feeling. This is to make you confused but if you are able to rightly explore the lower body parts, you will nail the person with ease. Our first point of focus is to understand how the hips bear messages in different contexts. Some may unintentionally shift their hips when the odds are against them, while some may rub the hip or move it with the torso. When such movements are propelled, you will understand their innate feelings at that given point in time. Then, you will be walked through the non-verbal messages related the genitals. Being a very delicate part of the body, when people become anxious, they do everything humanly possible to protect it. It is as if a truck wants to fall on it and they are mustering their strength to defy such occurrence. Hence, the genital is either covered or framed. But if it is suddenly grabbed, then you should know that the person is highly tensed. Case studies are given to make each point clearer.

Our legs communicate so highly that when you are able to decode a message from this part of the body through a well-informed means, you are as certain as anything else as it being truthful. People are least concerned about this part of the body and when we are either happy, sad or moody, the legs help in communicating the feelings. Proxemics is an important concept to be explained here. Proxemics has to do with spacing; there is an ideal amount of space we are required to maintain while conversing with people when a co-interlocutor defaults on this, it means you need to be on guard or beam your searchlight clearer. Another objective is to understand territorial display and positioning through the legs. Just as people use their hands to invade territories, legs too can be used for this purpose. When your territory is invaded, what is the message the person at the other side is trying to pass and what should you do in that context? All these are expatiated in this chapter. The latter part of our discussion will focus on walking attitude and this is concerned about the behaviour we portray on every given style we adopt while walking. The pace of walk is another essential concept to be perused in our discussion. There are differences between walking and sitting legs. The sitting position also has its own unique messages that you need to know. While investigating a subject, one of the places you need to pay attention to is their leg position. When things begin to get tough, you will discover that the positioning of their legs may suddenly begin to change. They are mostly unaware of this as they are focused on giving you a false facial look. When you are smart enough to focus on this aspect, it becomes a takeaway for you.

The feet are the extended parts of the legs and they also embody different messages to be unrivaled in this chapter. Being the last part of the body, they carry us about and share in the minutest of our feelings. Two basic issues would be our focus in this chapter—feet expressing negativity and one that is expressing positive thoughts. There is a metaphorical description of a weak, unyielding feet as ‘dead feet’. This means the feet are so weak (as if they are bearing the burden of the whole world) that the person cannot move. This is followed by withdrawal of foot. When having a conversation and someone is withdrawing their foot away, this is an indication that the person might be taking their leave anytime soon; they are not committed to the gathering or event at hand. This is explained alongside feet facing outside. With the direction of the feet, you can guess where the attention of your co-interlocutor is. When we are happy, this can be known through the feet as they become bouncy, light and easily carried. The hallmark of happiness is when nothing is holding you down. A joyous fellow may decide to jump up, this will not be possible when the feet are heavy. Hence, when someone is reluctant to jump while claiming happiness, this should alert you that they are feigning it. Our discussion will come to an end by considering how the feet are used in expressing anxiety. Shoe dangling and general agitation of the legs are all pointers to a troubled soul. All these are perused logically in this section.

After exploring all the body parts and the messages that each embodies, our discussion would be incomplete without addressing the issue of colour. It is worthy to note that colour is a delicate issue to discuss on a global scale because it bears different meanings in different cultures of the world. However, we seek to intellectually explore them in a way to make this relevant to all and sundry. Hence, the ten most popular colours are discussed in this segment. When you read a person and fail to attach meaning to the colour they do favour, you are yet to thoroughly understand them. You will discover that just like yourself, if you try to give a gift to someone with a particular colour, they will not appreciate it. This is because they have created a form of hatred for it. In addition, there are some colours that are meant for particular events—when mourning, there is a colour to choose, depending on the people concerned and during special festivities, there are colours to choose too. Once you can master the colour of a society, you are good to navigate through such a community. Again, all the colours discussed in this book are done from the global perspective while specific examples of countries and continents are given to localise the contents.