Crime Signals

by David Givens

Crime is never unpredictable.    Before a lie is spoken, a pocket is picked, or an assault is inflicted, each and every criminal gives off silent cues.  They can be as subtle as a shrug of the shoulder, a pointed finger, or an averted gaze.  But together, they make up a nonverbal language that speaks loud and clear—if you’re trained to see it.    CRIME SIGNALS is the first book to offer a comprehensive guide to the body language of criminals.  Filled with amazing real-life stories of crime and survival, it's designed to help you stay alert to the warning signs of a wide array of offenses.  From the tell-tale signals of a swindler to the warning signs that experts use to help thwart terrorism and violent crime, this book breaks down a criminal's body language into clear recognizable symbols.   What is the look of a lie?  How do child predators unknowingly give themselves away?  What were the clues that exposed white-collar offenders like Martha Stewart and Andrew Fastow?  Answering these questions and more, Dr. David Givens, a renowned anthropologist and one of the nation's foremost experts in nonverbal communication, offers a fascinating, instructive, and essential tool for warding off crime and protecting the safety or yourself and your family.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 8, 2008

About the author

David Givens, Ph.D., is the director of the Center for Nonverbal Studies in Spokane, Washington. He has been a consultant for Pfizer, Epson, Wendy’s, Dell, Unilever, and Best Buy, and teaches Communication and Leadership in the graduate program of the School of Professional Studies at Gonzaga University.

He is the author of Love Signals: A Practical Field Guide to the Body Language of Courtship, Crime Signals: How to Spot a Criminal Before You Become a Victim, and Your Body at Work: A Guide to Sight-reading the Body Language of Business, Bosses, and Boardrooms.

Reviews

[Kevin Farrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book that reminded me of Gavin DeBecker's book about fear. The thesis of this one is that a person can lie but his body can not lie. By paying attention to the signals that the body shows us while a person is talking can help us spot a liar. The author gives many examples of situations where people have lied and how their body language gave them away.

Also discusses why and how often we lie. Turns out that it is a built in primate skill. We just have to learn to live with it. I loved the book -- no, that was a lie. I just wanted to say something really good about the book. The truth is that I learned a lot for this book. Some of what I learned I can use in every day life. It is well written and seems to be well researched.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. It was ok, a little too technical when it came to naming each muscle that caused the reaction. Gavin DeBecker's "The Gift of Fear" is much better. It's actually cited in this book, but just because the author knows good books doesn't mean he can write so the common person can understand like DeBecker does. Not bad, but not great either. Not a keeper. Read "The Gift of Fear" instead. That one is a keeper.

[Me · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting stuff, here. Looks to be the biggest problem many people have is simply not paying attention to their surroundings, especially the people around them.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

An expert in non-verbal communication catalogs defendants' movements during high profile court cases. He then interpolates those signs for the public and for police officers to identify likely criminals.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad, but not much original content either; much of the information here is common sense, already widely written about, or both. The various specific pointers on body language are good, though, and it's handy to have this many collected in one book for anyone not widely read on this subject.

[Elias · Rating 2 out of 5]

So far I like Gavin de Becker's books better.

[Will · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK - I didn't get around to reading this - like most other nonfiction books I don't read. sigh...

[Devin]

so far so good