How to Read People Like a Book: Speed-Read, Analyze, and Understand Anyone's Body Language, Emotions, and Thoughts

by Chase Hill

Do you ever wish you could read the minds of other people, so you’d know exactly how to respond or act around them? How many times have you met someone and thought they’d be a good friend, only to discover that they were a complete liar? Have you ever gotten into a conflict with someone because you inadvertently misunderstood or misinterpreted what they said? We’ve always been told that actions speak louder than words and, apparently, there is wisdom behind this timeless saying. According to renowned behavioral psychologist Dr. Albert Mehrabian, only 7% of messages pertaining to feelings and attitudes are in the words that are spoken. The rest are about the person’s tone and body language when delivering their statement. The tone of voice and body language are just some of the ways people express themselves without using words – they’re often the puzzle pieces that give us the full story behind a person’s message. The good news is, you don’t have to be a communication expert, detective, or superhero to learn how to recognize and decode social cues. All you need to do is to know exactly what to look for and what they really mean. Fortunately, this book contains everything you need to know about deciphering other people’s silent messages. Inside, here is just a fraction of what you will And much more. Every day, you encounter dozens of social cues without knowing how powerful they are or how you can use them to your advantage. It’s time to flip the narrative – by learning how to accurately read other people, you will not just boost your communication skills… you’ll foster deeper connections and enjoy improved relationships more than ever.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help

178 pages, Paperback

Published November 8, 2023

Reviews

[Cav · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Imagine being able to walk into a room and know someone overslept because of a toothpaste stain on their shirt. Or before a person even speaks, you know they are about to tell you a lie..."

I wasn't sure what to expect from How to Read People Like a Book going in. The book's description makes some lofty promises that, unfortunately, its content didn't live up to. More below.

Author Chase Hill is a Personal Growth, Stress Management, and Social Interaction Specialist, and the bestselling author of How to Stop Overthinking.

Chase Hill:


Hill has a decent writing style here, and the book is a short presentation. The audio version I have clocks in at a quick 3 hours, 45 mins. He writes with a lively and engaging fashion, so this one won't bore you to tears. He gets the writing here off on a good foot, with a decent intro that was fairly lively and energetic.

He makes this bold promise to the reader early on, and provides a bit of background for the book:

"By the end of this book, you will be able to effectively read adults, children, teenagers, and even those with personality disorders who are experts at hiding their emotions.
It has taken me over a decade to master the skill of speed-reading others. Like you, I had severe issues misinterpreting people, creating barriers, and living in continuous conflict. My own journey led me to become a life coach and my drive to help others only grew from there.
My personal and professional experiences as a personal growth, stress management, and social interaction specialist motivated me to publish books on topics that drive me. After my book How to Stop Overthinking became a #1 bestseller on Amazon in both the UK and the US, I knew I could keep reaching more people and helping them turn their lives around.
And this is where we are today. No change is easy, but we can make it easier with simple-to-follow strategies that you can start implementing right away. Knowledge is power and your knowledge begins with what it really means to be able to read someone."

Unfortunately, despite what was promised above, I did not leave this book with any increased ability to read someone over what I already had going in. The author lists countless dozens of non verbal communication gestures, and rattles them off one after another, machine gun style. I didn't particularly enjoy this formatting, and didn't feel like it was effective at conveying the broader message.

Although shorter books are often more easily digestable than their longer counterparts, sometimes their short duration leaves valuable context and depth lacking. This book is a good example of that. It really needed to be expanded upon, and drawn out a bit more...

********************

I was expecting a bit more from this one. Although there is some decent information provided here, the meat and potatoes of the book is seriously lacking.
2.5 stars.

[Village Idiot · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

there's a looot of info (tbh i kinda zoned out at some parts) but still pretty useful, especially since i'm not the best at reading social cues sometimes. i'm not sure how much here has been proved/studied though (but i listened to the audiobook so maybe there are references in the physical/digital version).

in any case, i found the tips about realizing when people feel awkward / want to change the topic or end the conversation interesting. also appreciated how the author made sure to stress that it's important to not assume stuff based on a single gesture and to keep the person's culture, personality, and circumstances in mind.

[Wayker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic and useful with practical examples

The book delves into some really insightful points, particularly in the latter half, such as considering factors like the environment, age, baseline, cluster of gestures, and a person's self-awareness when trying to read someone else. However, I believe it does itself a disservice by seemingly downplaying the importance of "biases, judgments, and stereotypes" as if these elements were entirely negative throughout the book. Just a few pages earlier, the book emphasizes the significance of recognizing that body language differs across cultures. When someone becomes adept at reading these cues, it's often because their judgments and assumptions about a group of individuals are based on valuable stereotypes.

Oddly enough, a couple of pages later, the book suggests trusting your instincts because they are right about 90 percent of the time, contradicting itself on several occasions. A book of this nature should acknowledge and understand, as it does in certain parts, that stereotypes can be representations of reality and aren't inherently negative. Setting aside this minor contradiction, the book offers valuable information and helpful illustrations that demonstrate common social cues, gestures, definitions, and examples, which can serve as a guide for anyone unfamiliar with such cues.

[Edward Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have to read.

I’ve read a few books on how to read people, and I think this book helps add to my arsenal of learning how to be better at noticing little things about people I know people are gonna lie and normally that doesn’t offend me or bother me but it’s good to know that you hold the truthwhen you can read the different signs, so I highly recommend to read this book to add to your wealth of knowledge of how to understand and read people.

[Artenie Alexandru · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very comprehensive guide!

I liked how the author took the time to carefully describe all the aspects of non-verbal communication. I recommend reading if you want to improve your people reading skills.

[Literatures Movies · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 40%

I think I learned more about facial expressions than about how to read people in a deeper way. I don't know what I expected when I started this book, but it wasn't this. A lot of what is explained in this book is very surface level which most people can agree with. I understand body language is an art and not hard science, but I expected more from this book rather than something one can find with one google search.


Blog: http://literaturesandmovies.com

[Jenifer Andrade · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent resource for anyone looking to improve their ability to read body language and understand non-verbal cues. The book offers clear techniques for analyzing people, making it an invaluable tool for personal and professional relationships. While some parts feel familiar if you're already into psychology, the concise and actionable advice makes it worth reading for both beginners and seasoned readers alike.

[Shweta47 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book with easy methods.

Liars beware. This book is actually for people who are not good at catching vibes emanating from a person. They would have to assess the person on a physical level by following the methods given in the book. This book is a good one if someone wants to learn easy way to mater the art of reading body language.

[Juliet Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This audiobook gave me a whole new perspective on understanding people’s behavior. The narrator’s tone kept me engaged, and the examples made everything easy to follow. I’ve already started noticing body language cues I used to miss. It’s not just theory—it actually helps in daily conversations and work settings. Highly recommended!

[Esther Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Read!

An inspiring read on connection! Author goes into in depth detail on many aspects of the subject. Communication is key & is a bridge that enables us to express who we truly are.

[Robert Dukes]

Good strategies

This book held some candid direct points, however it did not give a deeper level of strategies in this book. I do like that it provide other books as a resource to deal with different emotional or psychological behavioral type issues.

[Jess C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super Helpful

This book is incredibly helpful for people new to interpreting human emotions and behavior and for people who are more experienced. Regardless, you’ll learn a lot from this book! Highly recommend.

[BookBuff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the sections on email tone and lying interesting.

[Mischa Rice · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was not bad, just was not what i entirely expected. Still interesting, just not as engaging as i had hoped it would be

[Viky · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a sensitive person who is used to overanalyzing everything - I have no problems seeing these ''signs'' therefore the book teaches nothing new. Maybe it's helpful to someone who has trouble understanding body language and other tiny signs.