Sometimes
the title of a book just grabs you and you say, "why not?".
Thus, with Winning Body Language (2010 Kindle), it just hit me at the
right moment (or maybe someone referred to it, I don't recall). Anyway, the
read proved worthwhile. Bowden breaks down the zones of the body and how each
communicates to us. When you think about it (if you do), it makes sense. We are
incarnate beings, and a lot of communication, probably most, goes on outside of
our spoken words. We received messages not just from voice inflection, but
through the whole body. Many of us don't know this in a way that allows us to
use it, but you can bet that actors, professional speakers, and politicians
(the good ones anyway) use it, at least instinctively. If we communicate with
others—i.e., unless you're a hermit—you should consider this book and what it
tells us about ourselves and how we send messages. Want to get people excited?
Raise your hands above your head. Want to be perceived as forthcoming? Then
keep your arms open at waist level. Want to speak from the heart? Then fold
your hands in a prayer gesture at the level of you heart. This may seem simple
and formulaic, and to some extent, it is, but these basis insights will allow
you to become a more effective communicator (much as mirroring does). I think
that these observations work, that this perspective involves deep evolutionary
and cultural information, and that it's been refined by practice. It's worth
trying--at least I am.
