Finally, a field guide to interpreting more than 100 international gestures, from the wave to the finger, from the shrug to the nod. Here’s easy access to the essential information about common (and some not-so-common) gestures you may encounter at home or abroad. Field Guide to Gestures is organized into handy sections for quick reference when time is of the essence and interpretation is everything. If a man bends his torso forward when meeting you, turn to the “Arrival/Departure” chapter to learn more about the bowing gesture. When the woman at the end of the bar flips her hair and looks your way, turn to the “Mating” chapter to learn just what she’s trying to say. And if your friend has intertwined his index finger and middle fingers as the night’s lottery numbers are being read, go to “No Words Needed” to learn more about the crossed fingers gesture. This practical guide includes more than 100 full-color photographs of the world’s most common gestures, plus cross-referenced descriptions throughout, including historical background and common usage. Helpful step-by-step directions and detailed line drawings teach you how to perform each gesture correctly.

Get to know your stains—and then bid them goodbye forever! Learn everything about more than 100 stains—including their habits, their habitats, and (most importantly) how to make them go away. From wine to wiper fluid, Field Guide to Stains provides effective techniques for rescuing clothes, upholstery, carpet, and wallpaper from stains caused by: Fruits and vegetables Dairy products Household items Office supplies Sauces and condiments Beauty products Bodily functions And more! Featuring a glossary of cleaning techniques and the basic products any would-be clean person should have on hand, this guide is the perfect accoutrement for the laundry room, kitchen, nursery, garage, or any other place stains might occur.

With this illustrated guide, discover what hand gestures can offend others around the world—and whether you avoid making them or not is up to you. A hand gesture is arguably the most effective form of expression, whether you’re defaming a friend’s mother or telling a perfect stranger to get lost. Learn how to go beyond just flipping the bird with this illustrated guide to rude hand gestures all around the world, from asking for sex in the Middle East to calling someone crazy in Italy. Detailed photographs of hand models and subtle tips for proper usage make Rude Hand Gestures of the World the perfect companion for globe-trotters looking to offend. “If you’ve resolved to make the most of your travels, a copy of Rude Hand Gestures of the World to know what gestures you should avoid while abroad. Better safe than sorry!” —Buzzfeed

Part enthnography and part how-to manual, "Love Signals" documents the little courting rituals witnessed in elevators, on subways, and in the workplace, and examines the essential role the face plays in courtship.

An exciting new volume based on Henry Siddons' illustrated guidebook for actors, originally published in 1807. The book includes 36 illustrations of contemporary actors reinterpreting gestures from the original book and an introductory essay by James Stanley that explores the history of acting and acting training, placing the book project in a larger historical context.

Let your finger do the talking!There is one gesture that transcends language, race, gender, and age: the bird. Throughout time, man has brandished his middle finger to express anger or insolence, to scorn or to provoke. FIELD GUIDE TO THE NORTH AMERICAN BIRD documents great moments of creativity, ingenuity, and utter stupidity in the history of the one-finger salute. With step-by-step illustrations for more than 50 ways to give someone the finger, this handy little guide will have you flipping off with skill and style. Brush up on classic birds like the Peel the Banana and the Volume ("Can you hear this? . . . Or do you want me to turn it up?"), then expand your vocabulary with more sophisticated birds like the Cell Phone, the Pulley, and the Helium Balloon. For the globetrotting bird-flipper, FIELD GUIDE also showcases Birds of the World, so you can piss off people wherever you go. You'll find the perfect bird for any job, whether tormenting your little sister, covertly rebelling against your boss, or telling that tailgater exactly what you think of him.

The first book to bring together the many different everyday gestures that are used all over the world. Desmond Morris has travelled to over 60 countries while making field studies of human body language, and made notes of hand gestures and facial expressions. The result is a fascinating reference book of over 600 different gestures from Europe, the Middle East, North & South America and the Far East. The book is arranged alphabetically under the part of the body used with Meaning, Action, Background and Locality and each gesture is illustrated with a line drawing. The World Guide to Gestures complements Desmond Morris's bestsellers Manwatching and Bodywatching.