 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
WHAT'S IN A FACE?Book Review by Beverly Harvey, Pathways Magazine, Fall 1998 The catch phrase at parties in the 1960s was "What's your sign?" The question in the 70s was "Who's your analyst?" In the 90s, the best pick-up line might be "Let me look at your face." Rose Rosetree's The Power of Face Reading for Sales, Self-esteem, and Better Relationships may be the one book to read this year that will actually change your life, not just promise to do so. When it comes to personal relationships, you may find face reading to be more reliable than computer dating and certainly more fun than reading the personals ads in the newspaper. Rosetree's wacky sense of humor makes learning the process a delight. The book is arranged by chapters on face parts like "Ears" and "Cheeks" but also includes chapters on "Problem Solving in Relationships," "Sex" and "How Face Reading Can Help Your Career." She mentions more than 500 celebrities in examples throughout the book. You may find that someone famous shares that face trait of yours you'd rather not talk about. The ancient Chinese art of face reading, called Siang Mien, is one of many systems that Rosetree studied before becoming a professional physiognomist in 1986. Eventually, she explains, she felt the need to come up with her own system, based on intuition. Face Reading Secretsâ is Rosetree's patented name for a system she took years to develop. If you're skeptical about face reading being "real," take a deep breath. I was impressed with her list of mainstream clients. Clearly she's onto something here. This form of face reading is not about learning your fixed destiny. Facial traits change over time. Who hasn't looked in the mirror and gasped, "Where did those bags under my eyes come from?" You probably rationalized it as water retention. Rosetree will tell you an alternative layer of meaning. Or maybe you've secretly held a desire to get that nose of yours fixed. You might think differently after you've read the chapter on noses. And for all you gals out there who envy the full, lush lips of super-models and actresses, well, thin lips have advantages, too. (Being thin-lipped myself, I'm not telling. You'll have to read the book.) Everything from the thickness of eyebrows to chin dimples tells you something about the person who owns them. If you're skeptical, just pick one of your own traits and read about it. You'll recognize yourself in the description. If you have traits not associated with classic beauty or rugged good looks, rest assured that it doesn't mean you have character flaws or are doomed to a life of loneliness. In fact, that's the point Rosetree stresses throughout the book: Beauty and success are in all facial features, even the ones you think you'd like to change. Learning about faces helps you to recognize a personal style of relating intellectually or emotionally, in business or relationships. Rosetree writes, "Face reading is not a pretext for judging people as good or bad. It's an opportunity to learn." Thus, it helps you to look beyond the stereotype and see the person as an individual. So this book can help you to read others with uncanny new insight. But maybe you're wondering whether you want to read about yourself. At best, won't it tell you what you already know? For one thing, you'll realize you're not the only soul on Earth who thinks or reacts the way you do. Plus, you'll appreciate the opposite trait in other people. And if you learn how to read faces before entering a new relationship or embarking on a career change, you may improve your track record and learn to work with people so that you can benefit from your differences. The Power of Face Reading, I suspect, is helpful for people in scores of occupations, not just those with "sales" printed on their business cards. We're all in sales, one way or another. Any time we persuade, teach, or motivate someone, we're selling. Period. How much more effective would you be if you knew ahead of time how to get on someone's wavelength? Rosetree's practical tips include learning how, by observing "lipfulness," you can determine in advance whether you'll be more successful with a pitch that emphasizes the personal benefits of what you're selling or with sticking to "strictly business" arguments, stressing cost or reliability. If nothing else, face reading will be fun at parties. But once you learn all of this, I guarantee you'll never look at those partygoers the same way again. You might even change your criteria for selecting the perfect Mr. or Ms. Right. Beverly Harvey is a freelance writer in Herndon, Virginia Reviewer’s BookwatchThe Midwest Book ReviewJuly 2001, Page 10The Power of Face Reading is a splendidly presented update on the 3,000 year-old metaphysical art of physiognomy which can help us to be a better communicator, improve our relationship skills with others, as well as acquire and enhance our insights into the character, ability, and predilections of human beings. |
HOME