Nowicki, Stephen, Jr., & Duke, Marshall. Will I Ever Fit In? The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Adult Dyssemia - Book Review

New York: The Free Press, 2002. 256pp. $24.00 (h).

People who have some form of dyssemia--a group reported to include as many as 25 million Americans--cannot readily understand nonverbal messages, much as dyslexics do not readily process written language. Yet nonverbal communication plays an essential role in our communication with others, and people who do not pick up the signals others send often face painful social rejection. Nowicki and Duke, experts in the field of nonverbal communication and seasoned clinical psychologists, offer a practical plan to improve your relationships and social skills--skills you may not have known you even needed. Will I Ever Fit In? includes the first diagnostic self-test for adult dyssemia, and it helps you understand nonverbal communication--shows you how to read it--through a combination of imitation and mentoring. Gentle and easy, the step-by-step approach guides you through the study of nonverbal behavior by observing others walking, eating, and talking; by making a dictionary of gestures and postures portraying different emotions from magazine photos; and by finding out what emotions you convey by taking snapshots of yourself and working with a friend--or coach--whom you can trust. What's more, it also offers guidelines for choosing professional help if you should need it.

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COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group