R is for Reading People

This book by Jo-Ellen Dimitrius promises to help the reader 'understand people and predict their behaviour, anywhere, anytime, anyplace'. Dimitrius is a leading expert on reading people, and has accurately predicted the behavior of jurors, witnesses, lawyers, and judges many times over. She helped select the jury that acquitted O.J. Simpson.

This book teaches how to decode hidden messages in appearance, tone of voice, facial expression, and personal habit. This could come in handy in so many areas of life - friendship, marriage, career, and family.

Dimitrius argues that our 'people-reading muscles' have atrophied due to our increasing technological society where we'd much rather text or email than phone or have a face-to-face conversation. But one cannot read another person if time isn't spent together.

Everything from the secrets revealed by hairstyle, to body language, to what a person avoids saying, to items present in the workplace or home, to listening to intuition, to how one answers questions - all are important in learning about a person's integrity, work habits, trustworthiness and more.

I think we all can benefit from learning to read people well, whether in business, community, or family relationships.