Subtext: Making Body Language Work in the Workplace

Discusses the impact of body language in the workplace, explaining how to translate it as others present it and how to use it to convey a message of success

Fast (What Should We Do About Davey?, 1988; Body Language, 1970, etc.) has little new to offer here, and the repackaged old ideas are padded out with anecdotes that often seem too exactly pertinent to be believable as real happenings. The term ``subtext'' means unspoken communication and includes such factors as body language, voice tone, use of space, touching, eye contact, and what might be called image, e.g., the clothes one wears, the briefcase one carries, or the car one drives. To get ahead, two lessons must be learned: how to read other people's subtexts and how to make sure your own is up to par. Simplistic self-tests help the reader answer such questions as: Am I a risk taker? How flexible am I? What's my power profile? What's my dominance quotient? How aggressive am I? One chapter takes a superficial look at some of the hazards of doing business in other parts of the world, where the messages sent by the subtext are easily misread. This should have been called Sub-par Text. -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Body language is a complex, culturally defined form of nonverbal communication. Fast, author of numerous popular books on body language ( Body Language , LJ 9/1/70; Body Language of Sex, Power, and Aggression , LJ 1/15/77; Talking Between the Lines , LJ 5/15/79) here reduces it to a simplicity that belies its depth. His aim is to enable readers to succeed in business by reading the subtext (i.e., the meaning behind body language) of others. His message is simple: having this ability enables one to create a personal image that is both appropriate and powerful, and from which success will follow. His brief examples of the different types of "power body language" are taken from those in politics, entertainment, and business that he deems masters of the art of image. Fast provides a quick and easy read, but it would behoove the reader to look for the "subtext" of his book. At one point, he declares, "All these facts are generally true, but they are generalizations." That about sums up his book.
- Barbara Keen, Spokane Community Coll., Wash.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.