Honest Signals: How They Shape Our World

by Alex Pentland

How can you know when someone is bluffing? Paying attention? Genuinely interested? The answer, writes Alex Pentland in Honest Signals , is that subtle patterns in how we interact with other people reveal our attitudes toward them. These unconscious social signals are not just a back channel or a complement to our conscious language; they form a separate communication network. Biologically based "honest signaling," evolved from ancient primate signaling mechanisms, offers an unmatched window into our intentions, goals, and values. If we understand this ancient channel of communication, Pentland claims, we can accurately predict the outcomes of situations ranging from job interviews to first dates. Pentland, an MIT professor, has used a specially designed digital sensor worn like an ID badge -- a "sociometer" -- to monitor and analyze the back-and-forth patterns of signaling among groups of people. He and his researchers found that this second channel of communication, revolving not around words but around social relations, profoundly influences major decisions in our lives -- even though we are largely unaware of it. Pentland presents the scientific background necessary for understanding this form of communication, applies it to examples of group behavior in real organizations, and shows how by "reading" our social networks we can become more successful at pitching an idea, getting a job, or closing a deal. Using this "network intelligence" theory of social signaling, Pentland describes how we can harness the intelligence of our social network to become better managers, workers, and communicators.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Science, Leadership, Sociology, Business, Social

184 pages, Hardcover

First published August 15, 2008

Reviews

[Racquel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Initially, as the author explained his group's findings with a focus on one-to-one encounters, I found this book quite interesting. As the applications expanded to include work groups and ultimately, a world plan, the whole concept began to seem a lot less charming. The notion of a society wherein everyone wears "sociometers" and there is continuous monitoring of all activities, contacts, even gestures, in the name of making the world a better place, was presented with astonishing nonchalance. While I do understand that personal privacy is far less important today, particularly to the youngest among us, this Orwellian vision, put forward with complete equanimity by a group of MIT-affiliated thinkers, was more than a little disturbing.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly original and brilliant contribution to the science and understanding of non-verbal communication. Pentland has figured out how to track (using tricked-out cell phones) four variables of unconscious human behavior, and he can use the results to predict all kinds of human interactions, like salary negotiations, speed dating, and venture capital pitches. The four variables are influence (who's dominating the conversation), mimicry (who's mirroring whom), activity (how excited someone is) and consistency (how many highs and lows). The book is a must-read for anyone interested in communications.

[Taveri · Rating 3 out of 5]

in the seventies there was a saying that only 10% of communication was verbal. This book elaborates on the other indicators but doesn't provide much guidance on developing those skills where you might be a better negotiator or poker player. Some skills are innate - we don't realize we have them. The author says apes have these social interacting skills and that's how they coordinate activities without verbal instructions.

[Luke Szyrmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book

This book statistically breaks down the key unconscious behaviors that influence how people understand, perceive, and influence each other. While being academic, the author successfully relates the findings into useful tidbits of what to look out for.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting overview on the ways in which we communicate nonverbally. Quick and easy-to-read and informative.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

My boss read this book recently and has been referencing it, so I figured I should at least know what he's talking about... Really interesting research - that we're always sending subliminal signals with our tone, pitch, minute body language, etc. - and that this impacts our conversations, business pitches, relationships. Cool. Makes sense. But the author basically says that these things are so ingrained and nuanced that we don't even know we're doing them and they're hard (if not impossible) to detect and modify. So I was left know that these "honest signals" are very important, but I can't do anything about the signals I'm sending... that was a let down.

[Russ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scary book whose research is currently being used. Can there really be a machine that can read and interpret the actual intentions behind our linguistic and non-linguistic communications? Pentland's sociometer was used to detect these "honest signals" from his subjects' speech and activities. He then intuits how the research can be used to "improve" our social interactions. It was written just as social media was developing. It's obvious how the tech giants have used this research to maximize their influence and profitability.

[Dustin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m pretty sure I comprehended about one third of this book. It’s fascinating. Scary. Probably shouldn’t be scary? Probably the part of me that doesn’t grasp it is the part it scares?

It’s not overly technical or academic. Don’t worry about that. It’s just pushing a whole new way of thinking about humanity with world-changing implications for the future (and also the present...and the past). That’s all o_O

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's probably something very promising in here, about body language and idea markets. But without clearly specifying how they recognize or code the four different modes, it doesn't seem sufficiently useful for my everyday business purposes. It seems like it could be better, but maybe they don't want to be that explicit for some reason (although, then the questions comes up why would they write a book? maybe it's an extended ad for consulting?)?

[Goran · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very promising first chapter, but after it fails to deliver anything concrete. Most of the book is common knowledge without any accurate description about what 'honest signals' are and how to actually read them. I expected way more..

[Assaf · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a terrible terrible book. Unintelligible drivel. It's so bad, I think it gave me eye cancer.
Do NOT bother.

[David Van Sickle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Vague and pseudoscientific

[Jengordon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, somewhat, but I found myself confused about what exactly they're measuring. There's hardly an enabling disclosure here! This book would benefit from being more descriptive and clear.

[Irene · Rating 2 out of 5]

Is this book about body language? It never mentions body language at all. It talks of measuring activity levels and mimicry, but never says what activities or mimicked actions it is measuring. Is it blink rate? Hand gestures? Body angle? Eye focus? I was very disappointed. If you specifically say you are measuring something, then please provide specific examples of what you are measuring and the scale you are measuring them with. Or something. Anything. This book is too vague to provide any kind of useful information about whatever topic it was supposed to be addressing. I THINK it was body language. But I'm not sure.

[Michael Wolcott · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting and rather quick read about the signals we are very much unaware of and how we are working to uncover them with the use of sociometers (little badges you wear that track who you interact with and patterns in the conversation). Focuses on four main signals related to influence, mimicry, activity, and consistency. Variations in these signals can account for our actions with others and it’s fascinating!

[Midori · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*
A very interesting read, it provides a framework for understanding the signals which we unconsciously communicate in different social situations. The book makes sense, however it was explained in a very duplicate and lengthy way. I wish that it would be more condense with more details of the "real" body postures or gestures in relation with each of the social role.
You should read this book if you want to know more about body language and to improve your communication using body language.

[Mex · Rating 1 out of 5]

From reading the various write ups I've seen about this book, it should have been right up my street. Sadly it does not deliver though. It stimulates a great many questions then goes out of its way to avoid answering them. If you dig through the appendices you'll find hints at some answers, and perhaps even a near complete answer or two, but the main text of the book itself offers nothing. This makes it a very annoying read. Can NOT recommend.

[Katherine Rackliffe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Appendix E on unconscious decision making is mostly what I read this for, and I think it had some good general info overall. It feels a bit vague without examples, and the description of autism leaves something to be desired. I feel like there could be a whole interesting layer to neurodivergence and intentional masking vs instinctive signaling, but maybe another book would answer this.

[April Shoemaker]

Informative insights to behaviors

Easy to read, lots of useful insights to social behaviors, validation for relying on intuition, and if a woman wants a man, she needs to make her desires known!

[marcali · Rating 3 out of 5]

kind of a tech/geek Our Inner Ape-- (also companion for Strangers to Ourselves)-- posits that human networks create a type of neural system for society; and that we communication by design in unconscious ways (& have since our proto-language apish days).
I have this goofy visual image-- our human network doings as really just the life of bees -- each one dancing a furious dance, trying to tell a story, make an argument, influence others.

[Sarazen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The voice of this is rather dry and at times I found I had to re-read passages because my brain had wandered off. However, the material itself is mind blowing. Not only are we not really very rational, we don't even make decisions for the reasons that we think we do, individually and in a group setting. Clearly his work is just scratching the surface of how our unconscious makes bigger and better decisions for us and for groups. I can't wait to see where this thread leads us!

[Martin Stein · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is surprising how much we are guided by our 'social sense'. One additional thought that Pentland totally misses is when that sense goes wrong. Consider lynching as group decision making. The group intelligence is not always better than the individual's - I'd guess it's 50:50.

[Naki]

This looks very interesting.

[Kristina]

Looks interesting... Written by a prof at the MIT Media Lab.

[Ada · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fan of his ideas, but book didn't describe the technologies as much as I'd like.

[Arden · Rating 2 out of 5]

The topic was interesting, but it could have been discussed in a science article. The book itself was bland.

[Gridknightt · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt I just read a research paper and thesis....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book is about a new concept and not so much of a psychology book with actionable steps. overall quick read but difficult to digest.