Body language can be used for many things. After some basic techniques that involve mirroring and adjusting to people’s moods, the book gets a bit more specific. Several situations are highlighted in which nonverbal communication and social cues can be extremely useful. The first one is negotiations. Imagine if you could read all the signs of the person you are negotiating with. Could you get a better deal if you could read his or her mood? You bet. Do you think you could sense how far they are willing to go better? Sure. Body language is so important during negotiations because nobody typically puts all his or her cards on the table. Another important area in which body language plays a role, is in selling. It’s hard to understand why people accept or reject offers, how much they are willing to pay, and how emotions sway them into making a buying decision or not. So, the more you know about people, the better you become at selling. Do yourself a favor and learn more about these aspects of body language!

ジョン・アダムセンの『Body Language』は、沈黙に潜む人間の本質を抉り出す。著者は無意識の仕草を、言葉以上に雄弁な「魂の告白」と捉えている。交渉や販売という舞台を扱いながらも、本書にあるのは単なる技術ではない。他者の内面に寄り添い、見えない感情を汲み取るための洗練された人間学の極致がここにある。 特筆すべきは、他者の情動と同期し心の深淵に迫るプロセスだ。不言の真実を読み解く力は社会を生き抜く武器であり、他者を理解する鍵でもある。読者は自らの身体が発するメッセージに驚愕し、世界の解像度が劇的に変わるスリリングな知の冒険を体験することだろう。