Peoplewatching

World-renowned zoologist and author of dozens of popular books, Desmond Morris now catalogues and briefly explains nearly every aspect of our lone, social and anti-social behaviours. Our signals, gestures and actions, usually taken for granted, are acquired by genetic inheritance, personal discovery, social absorption or deliberate training. The author examines everything from mockery signals and symbolic insults to parental signals and play patterns, from aesthetic behaviour and lefthandedness to how we walk, eat and swim. The origins of obscene signals make interesting reading, destined to spring to mind the next time anyone cuts you up in traffic! And there are countless useful hints. Faced with an aggressor, it's as well to remember that if his face is pale, he's more dangerous than if it has reddened. A crimson face means that he has experienced a parasympathetic backlash and is no longer in the pure state of readiness to attack. There are many fascinating revelations, some of which you might have preferred not to know. Women once weaned their children by chewing up their food and then passing it into the infantile mouth by lip-to-lip contact. Adult kissing is explained as a relic of this mutual tonguing and mouth pressure. A 'Liar's Charter' is listed, with 20 giveaway signs to tell whether someone is lying. Caught like flies in aspic in the brilliant colour illustrations are victims of non-verbal leakage: Bill Clinton touching his nose and Prince William photographed in a false smile. Morris explains why the nose touch has become the most overworked of all deceitful actions. During Grand Jury testimony, President Clinton was seen to have touched his nose 26 times when answering questions about Monica Lewinsky. This book is an achievement representing some 40 years of work and is highly recommended for anyone fascinated by how the human animal functions and communicates - not to mention as an invaluable reference tool for assessing whether celebrities are telling the truth. (Kirkus UK)