What do you think?
Rate this book
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Palmistry by Robin Gile
Your future is in your hands. This updated and revised second edition covers palm and hand reading, including an in-depth look at individual fingers, lines, and the shape of the palm, and how these can be read to reveal personal insights. All-new information on health, happiness, and well-being and how a reading can interpret them Worksheets to help beginners chart the dominant characteristics of the hand and what they mean in a reading Exercises, examples, and detailed line drawings to ease beginners into the practice of palm reading Perfect for beginners—and a good quick-reference guide for more experienced palm readers
Mass Market Paperback
First published May 24, 1999
5 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 24, 2024
A HELPFUL INTRODUCTION TO THE SUBJECT
Authors Robin Gile and Lisa Lenard wrote in the Introduction to this 1999 book, “palmistry… is a microcosm of your self, and everything about you is there for you—and for the experienced palm reader---to see. Whether it’s your emotional nature, how you think, or what you collect, your nature is written in your hand. And palm readers look to far more than your life, head, and heart lines. They look at your thumb, your fingers, and the mounts of your palm---as well as all of the things as a whole.” (Pg. xx)
In the first chapter, they explain, “Just as a map represents a place, your hand is a map of yourself. Your hand is no more yourself than a map is an actual place, but it is a REPRESENTATION of your self. And the hand, unlike the foldout map you got from the chamber of commerce, is a map that moves. That makes your hand rather like state-of-the-art global positioning systems (GPS), which pinpoint where you are globally at any moment in time. The map in your hand can no more remain the same than you can stay in one place, but like that GPS, it can show you precisely where you are at any given moment.” (Pg. 4)
They state, “the hand reflects the self, not the other way around… your hand doesn’t cast your future in quick-set concrete… it’s a map that moves, and it will change as you do… palmistry [is] a way of knowing yourself, and of knowing others. It can help you understand your potentials, fears, talents, and limitations. By studying your hand, you can better see the many sides of yourself. In fact, the hand reflects precisely what it is that makes you unique.” (Pg. 5)
They note, “William G. Benham, author of ‘The Benham Book of Palmistry (originally published … in 1900) is considered the father of modern palmistry. One of the area Benham was especially interested in was what the hand can reveal about an individual’s health… Benham ‘turned palmistry from an esoteric art into a codified science with its own laws and principles.’ Benham applied the rules of scientific experiment to palmistry, lending it much credence in the process.” (Pg. 7)
They acknowledge, “When it comes to reading palms, the lessons we give you here will only take you so far. One day, you’ll be faced with a hand that, according to this and other books, says, ‘calm and easygoing,’ while your intuition is saying, ‘Still waters run deep.’ Or the fingers say, ‘Lock away your valuables,’ and your intuition says, ‘Trust this person.’ Whom or what can you trust when this happens? Trust your intuition. It’s a big part of being a good reader.” (Pg. 13)
They state, “The next question is naturally, ‘Which hand do I look at?’ The answer it, “Both.’ … quick changes will appear in your ‘active hand’ (or dominant hand), which is your right if you’re right-handed and left if you’re left-handed. But in order to do a thorough reading, both hands should be looked at carefully. Why? Because your ‘inactive hand’ contains your destiny or potential. ” (Pg. 32-33)
They say, “Heart, Head, and Life: The Three Biggies… Whether it’s the emotional nature of your heart line, the thought that goes into your head line, or the fortitude it takes to live your life, the lines in your hand tell the story of how you can live to the best of your potential.” (Pg. 157)
They caution, “The length of the life line has nothing to do with the length of the life. That’s a common misconception… Many healthy people have relatively short life lines. But… a short life line may indicate that one’s path, karma, or destiny isn’t yet ‘written.’… when a palmist looks at the life line, he’ll be far more concerned with its quality than its length… In fact, robin has found that life line length seems to be genetic, and that people of certain ethnic groups share certain life line attributes. Those of Welsh and Irish descent, for example, are often square-handed people---whose lifelines don’t always get even halfway around their thumbs… Interestingly, extremely long life lines can be found on those of African-American descent: Robin has seen some that actually seem go to off the hand. Despite their many challenges in the United States, African-Americans often live long, long lives.” (Pg. 201)
This book is a good introduction to the subject.
Authors Robin Gile and Lisa Lenard wrote in the Introduction to this 1999 book, “palmistry… is a microcosm of your self, and everything about you is there for you—and for the experienced palm reader---to see. Whether it’s your emotional nature, how you think, or what you collect, your nature is written in your hand. And palm readers look to far more than your life, head, and heart lines. They look at your thumb, your fingers, and the mounts of your palm---as well as all of the things as a whole.” (Pg. xx)
In the first chapter, they explain, “Just as a map represents a place, your hand is a map of yourself. Your hand is no more yourself than a map is an actual place, but it is a REPRESENTATION of your self. And the hand, unlike the foldout map you got from the chamber of commerce, is a map that moves. That makes your hand rather like state-of-the-art global positioning systems (GPS), which pinpoint where you are globally at any moment in time. The map in your hand can no more remain the same than you can stay in one place, but like that GPS, it can show you precisely where you are at any given moment.” (Pg. 4)
They state, “the hand reflects the self, not the other way around… your hand doesn’t cast your future in quick-set concrete… it’s a map that moves, and it will change as you do… palmistry [is] a way of knowing yourself, and of knowing others. It can help you understand your potentials, fears, talents, and limitations. By studying your hand, you can better see the many sides of yourself. In fact, the hand reflects precisely what it is that makes you unique.” (Pg. 5)
They note, “William G. Benham, author of ‘The Benham Book of Palmistry (originally published … in 1900) is considered the father of modern palmistry. One of the area Benham was especially interested in was what the hand can reveal about an individual’s health… Benham ‘turned palmistry from an esoteric art into a codified science with its own laws and principles.’ Benham applied the rules of scientific experiment to palmistry, lending it much credence in the process.” (Pg. 7)
They acknowledge, “When it comes to reading palms, the lessons we give you here will only take you so far. One day, you’ll be faced with a hand that, according to this and other books, says, ‘calm and easygoing,’ while your intuition is saying, ‘Still waters run deep.’ Or the fingers say, ‘Lock away your valuables,’ and your intuition says, ‘Trust this person.’ Whom or what can you trust when this happens? Trust your intuition. It’s a big part of being a good reader.” (Pg. 13)
They state, “The next question is naturally, ‘Which hand do I look at?’ The answer it, “Both.’ … quick changes will appear in your ‘active hand’ (or dominant hand), which is your right if you’re right-handed and left if you’re left-handed. But in order to do a thorough reading, both hands should be looked at carefully. Why? Because your ‘inactive hand’ contains your destiny or potential. ” (Pg. 32-33)
They say, “Heart, Head, and Life: The Three Biggies… Whether it’s the emotional nature of your heart line, the thought that goes into your head line, or the fortitude it takes to live your life, the lines in your hand tell the story of how you can live to the best of your potential.” (Pg. 157)
They caution, “The length of the life line has nothing to do with the length of the life. That’s a common misconception… Many healthy people have relatively short life lines. But… a short life line may indicate that one’s path, karma, or destiny isn’t yet ‘written.’… when a palmist looks at the life line, he’ll be far more concerned with its quality than its length… In fact, robin has found that life line length seems to be genetic, and that people of certain ethnic groups share certain life line attributes. Those of Welsh and Irish descent, for example, are often square-handed people---whose lifelines don’t always get even halfway around their thumbs… Interestingly, extremely long life lines can be found on those of African-American descent: Robin has seen some that actually seem go to off the hand. Despite their many challenges in the United States, African-Americans often live long, long lives.” (Pg. 201)
This book is a good introduction to the subject.
June 23, 2013
I found this book to be quite interesting and accurate? I felt like it was dead on at times with how it would explain how my lines described my personality. There was one instance where I felt like what one of my lines told about me was inaccurate and I felt I fit one of the other descriptions a lot more than the one it described to me. I enjoyed this short read surprisingly since I don't normally go for books like this. Honestly, I only picked it up because I was bored at the moment and was happy to find that it held my attention.
December 3, 2008
I used to read palms as a method of flirtation. It worked every time, and I have this book to thank. Whether I believe in it or not is a discussion for another time.
August 28, 2011
A good beginners guide to learn palmistry
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews