General Background and Overview
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Body Language (or TCIGtBL, as I'm going to call it from now on to save on the typing) is the seventh communication-related book I've read this year, and it's probably in the better half of them. It basically deals with non-verbal cues in a very wide variety of practical situations: from business to relationships to advertising to the classroom (from both a student and a teacher POV) and even with pets and in virtual reality. And it dealt not just with the usual gesture and facial expressions that many books limit themselves to, but also haptics (touch), smell, and non-verbal auditory cues.

Good Stuff
I enjoyed the different practical situations that this book explored the effects and symbolism of non-verbal communication within. I think it's probably the widest reaching of any of the books I've read so far.

I also liked the voice in which it was written (although I did find it getting a little... overly chummy to the point of condescension a couple of times)

Bad Stuff
Hmmmmm - one of the major issues I had with this book was the lack of editing around callout boxes. Over and over again, we had callout boxes that ended midsentence. With a DTP background, I'm guessing that the text overran the avaialable box size, and that no-one spotted it till after the print run was done... but regardless of reason, it got annoying in places.

It also, I think, probably went on too long - while they covered a lot of ground, they didn't cover it in a huge amount of detail, and maybe scaling back on some of the more unusual stuff (or, on the other hand, scaling back on the more usual stuff, and focussing on the unusual) but going into what's left in in more depth might have made for a better book.

Add to that the occasional feeling condescension, and while this was an enjoyable read, it definitely wasn't a perfect one.

Ratings and Recommendations
This isn't a bad book, and if you're looking for a wide ranging body language primer, it's probably a good one to pick up. It's long, however, so it probably wouldn't be suitable if you're looking for a quick-and-dirty 'this is how non-verbal communication works' type guide. I'm going to give the book 7/10 with a note that that might have been upped to a 7.5 if they'd just got their stuff sorted when it came to the editing. ( )