- Hardcover: 320 pages
- Publisher: Jonathan Cape Ltd; 1st edition (17 Oct 1977)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0224015338
- ISBN-13: 978-0224015332
- Product Dimensions: 28.2 x 21.8 x 3.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 83,968 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Trade In this Item for up to £0.25
Get an extra £5 when you trade in books worth £10 or more until June 30, 2012. Trade in Manwatching: A Field Guide to Human Behaviour for an Amazon.co.uk gift card of up to £0.25, which you can then spend on millions of items across the site. Trade-in values may vary (terms apply). Find more products eligible for trade-in.
|
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
Book by Desmond Morris who normally studies animal behaviours, applies his expertise to humans.
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I'm not totally sure what Desmond Morris' job title is, but you can guarantee that anthropology, psychology and evolutionary history all come into it somewhere. I have always regarded him as the scientist who uses logical methods to explain apparently illogical stimulus.
For instance, in this tome, Morris deals with, broadly speaking, the science of body language. It is something that affects us every day and we don't really realise just how much, despite everyone having heard the statistics. Morris attempts to use totally emotionally detached methods to arrive at conclusions which explain how we automatically react to someone in ways we don't even think about.
The title (switched recently to Peoplewatcher after the more extreme feminists confused the term "Man" with the noun and not the scientific description of the species) hints at the way Morris carries out his research. He observes people as one would observe lions or apes - doubtless a hangover from his work with animals. Incidentally his other work such as Babywatcher, Catwatcher and so on all utilise the same method. The results make sense not only in terms of scientific reasoning, but also tie in with things you begin to realise you had subconsciously noticed all along.
The book progresses in a logical way. Each chapter is one small category in the broad expanse of the world of body language, and divides itself up into many sub-categories. As an example, the book starts with a chapter on Actions. This covers inborn actions, discovered actions, trained actions, absorbed actions and mixed actions. From here we move on to Gestures, which again covers incidental gestures, expressive gestures, mimic gestures, and so on.
All in all there are over 60 chapters of this kind, all broken up into their sub-categories. This alone should confirm that Morris leaves absolutely nothing out of his study. In addition to 'pure' body language he explores some hang-ons of our evolutionary past such as the clothes we choose to wear, fighting behaviour, the human fascination with art and many other diverse subjects which help explain who we are and where we come from. In essence you are gaining two books - one which covers absolutely EVERYTHING about body language, and another which is more anthropological and helps you to understand how humans got to be the way they are.
This makes it a fascinating read. It serves as a great introduction to those new to body language and serves them well. You can skim over any chapter that does not interest you and, if you like, just find out how your posture can affect people's reactions to you. If you want to read further then like me you'll read the whole book through. And probably come back to it more than once.
In terms of criticism, there is only one minor point to be made: those looking for a 'quick-fix' way to improve their body language will not find it here. Morris places emphasis on what each gesture means and why it exists, but does not provide exercises or techniques to try out. That is not to say that you cannot improve your body language immensely, it just means that you have to read between the lines and start trying what you have learned out for yourself. Morris ensures that the reader does not merely aquire knowledge - but that he or she understands it as well.
The subtitle of this book is "The Body Language Bible". It is not misleading. Essential reading for anyone who is genuinely interested in increasing their understanding about why we react to things the way we do.
0 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This product was advertised at a low price. It was withdrawn from sale. It then appeared on the site at a much higher price....Disgusting treatment...
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3 reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Excellent field guide for the human life!
5 May 1999
Format:Hardcover
If you want a book that answers all of the why's of human behavior, this book is it. It covers everything from dialation of the eyes to how we ward off someone in our personal space. This book is a good source for those studying human behavior, as well as those who are more interested in the nonverbal communication of humans. I read the book almost five years ago, and the information is still clear in my mind. Well written and concise, this book is interesting as well as educational.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Human behavior 101
26 Feb 2001
Format:Hardcover
Desmond Morris has never been known to cater to popular opinion in his research; either you have the emotional maturity to deal with his observations, or you don't.
This man's books are a must have for anyone who wants to better understand why the people around him (or her) do the strange things they do. While every theory may not be perfect, his works demonstrate a classic scientific method of discovery through social observation that remains useful in any situation
6 of 27 people found the following review helpful
An excellent, if humanistic, review of man as social animal.
7 Oct 1998
Format:Hardcover
Again and again, Morris' writing displays itself as the work of a purely humanistic scientist. His style is excellent, his scientific method cannot be faulted. His observations are concise and thoughtful, well-worded and intelligent. However, I cannot agree with what seems to be his prevailing opinion - that man is purely an animal, sometimes better, more often worse than the other animals that he shares the planet with. Morris' stream of what he no doubt considers to be purely rational thought leans toward being offensive to persons of faith - persons who believe that humankind is a species that differs from his animal neighbours in a profound and fundamental way. He seems to have lumped Humankind in with the rest of the life on the planet, and while it is true that man is as much a part of this planet's life as any other life form, it is also true that man is a creature with an imagination that sets him apart from his animal neighbours. Humans possess souls that animals cannot fathom. This is the major shortcoming of Morris' research: that he has overlooked the imagination and emotional sentience of humankind. Man may be no better than an animal with regard to issues of savagery, war, and conflict resolution. But on the other hand, man has the capability to analyze his own actions and to distinguish between right and wrong. Mr. Morris would do well to turn his own analytical skills toward himself, if ever he should need proof of this.
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
