EYE TO EYE: How People Interact

Encyclopedic in scope, lavishly illustrated, this monument of pop psychology offers an entertaining and lightly informative Grand Tour through the labyrinth of interpersonal relations. Twenty-seven psychology professionals, most British, serve as guides here, darting with sharp eyes in the few pages allotted each through pigeonholes from ""Using Body Language,"" ""Reacting to Scent,"" and ""Detecting Insincerity"" to ""Family Pets"" and ""Patterns of Jealousy."" The topics, as overall editor Marsh (Psychology/Oxford Polytechnic) explains, are grouped into two sections--""How People Interact"" and How Relationships Work""--with neither, he says, intended to be a"" 'cookbook.' There are no simple recipes for a complete and fulfilled social existence."" Nonetheless, in addition to its wealth of well-digested psychological lore, the book is packed with practical advice, some useful, much obvious--e.g., on improving sexual relationships: ""by participating in your partner's preferred sexual practices, you show your concern for them and for the relationship."" In any case, the big draw here is the illustrations--over 300 photographs, most in color; at least as many charts and graphs, all easily interpreted--that make this work a browser's delight. ""How to Have a Good Quarrel""; ""Becoming More Assertive""; ""Forming Impressions from Voices""--it's all here, and all packaged so prettily that even harsh truths go down like honey: this guide could attract very many pop-psych tourists indeed.