The Definitive Book of Body Language
Squeezing the thumb against the fingertips avoids intimidating the audience
Speakers who used the finger-pointed position were described
as 'aggressive', 'belligerent' and 'rude' and recorded the lowest
amount of information retention by their audience. When the
speaker pointed directly at the audience, the delegates became
preoccupied with making personal judgements about the
speaker rather than listening to his content.
An Analysis of Handshake Styles
Shaking hands is a relic of our ancient past. Whenever primi-
tive tribes met under friendly conditions, they would hold
their arms out with their palms exposed to show that no
weapons were being held or concealed. In Roman times, the
practice of carrying a concealed dagger in the sleeve was
common so for protection the Romans developed the Lower-
Arm-Grasp as a common greeting.
The Lower Arm Grasp -
checking for concealed
weapons — the original
Roman method of
greeting