Planning a trip abroad? Preparing to entertain foreign visitors? Or maybe you're just a student of human behavior In any event, this is a book you can't afford to thumb your nose at. Written by cross-cultural guru and bestselling author, Roger E. Axtell, GESTURES covers body language from head to toe- from greetings, beckonings, and farewells, to terms of endearment and insults, and more. You'll discover where and why such routine gestures as flashing the "OK" sign can get you punched in the nose, and why beckoning to a waiter can be a perilous adventure. You'll also learn about such exotica as the "eyelid pull," the "earlobe flick," the "bird flap," and of course the ubiq- uitous "fig" harmless in some countries, big trouble in others.

The first half of GESTURES is an illustrated catalog of gestures in which the author describes what each gesture means and where it's used. The second half is a country by country listing of the gestures and body language used in each country and when it is (and isn't) appropriate. The final section pro- vides a "shortlist" of gestures commonly used by North Americans that can get you into big trouble.

* Over 200 gestures used in 82 countries

* 141 whimsical and informative illustrations by Mike Fornwald

* Rules of decorum such as how close to stand, eye contact, and when, what. and how to touch

* Packed with anecdotes and hypothetical scenarios as well as historical facts and scientific theory