"Expressly Human" by Mark Changizi and Tim Barber challenges conventional wisdom about communication by proposing that emotions, rather than logical language, are the primary messages we convey to each other. The book explores the evolution of emotions and argues that emotional expressions are our first and most important language, enabling sophisticated communication among social animals. While the premise is intriguing, the execution and depth of analysis leave room for improvement.

The authors present an original theory on the evolution of emotional expressions, suggesting that emotions played a crucial role in the survival of social animals. The idea that emotions serve as a fundamental language for social interactions is fascinating and prompts readers to reconsider their understanding of human communication. The exploration of the evolution of emotional expressions adds an interesting perspective to the discussion.

However, the book falls short in delivering a comprehensive and convincing argument. The narrative lacks in-depth analysis and rigorous scientific evidence to support the proposed theory. While the concept is intriguing, readers may find themselves wanting more empirical data and concrete examples to substantiate the claims made by the authors.

The writing style tends to be academic and may be challenging for readers without a background in evolutionary biology or neurobiology. The complexity of the subject matter, combined with the lack of sufficient explanations, might hinder the accessibility of the book for a general audience. A more reader-friendly approach could have enhanced the book's appeal to a broader range of readers.

Despite its shortcomings, "Expressly Human" does succeed in sparking curiosity and encouraging readers to rethink their assumptions about communication. The book introduces a thought-provoking perspective on the significance of emotional expressions in human interactions. However, it would benefit from a more thorough exploration of the proposed theory and a more engaging presentation to captivate a wider audience.

In conclusion, "Expressly Human" offers an intriguing premise about the role of emotions in communication, but it falls short in providing the depth of analysis and empirical support needed to fully convince readers. While it may appeal to those with a strong interest in evolutionary biology, the book's academic style and limited evidence might make it less accessible to a broader audience, resulting in a three-star rating.

Picked up for the interesting premise, had to DNF because it just didn't quite resonate with me? Definitely something we have to learn somehow or other due to how hybrid work situations are though.

DNF.

I love reading non-fiction, but it gets tough for me when it feels like it reads like a text book and doesn't grab your attention. I tried reading this book several times and was never able to get into it.

The book has a very interesting premise: decoding the world language through human history. I found the subject quite different and with a simplistic but informative tone. I think the average reader can find this read easy to follow and while some parts can get tedious in general it's a good book, I definitely recommend it.

My thanks to the author's Mark Changizi & Tim Barber, BenBella Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to get this ARC for an unbiased review.

This was a good read. I found it both informative and useful. Good communication, conventional wisdom suggests, is calm, logical, and rational. Emotions, we’re told, just get in the way. This is so accurate and I've found a lot of what these authors wrote to be useful in daily living. I've incorporated the information learned from this info my daily life and relationships.

Book is written in a easy prose. Simplicity is always welcome in science books. Expressly Human was a great work that presented some interesting ideas on human emotional expression. Everything was clearly and concisely presented. I particularly enjoyed the consideration given to modern-day communication through social media, and how that affects standard emotional exchange. The index and appendices at the end were also helpful in adding further worthwhile explanations.

This was an interesting premise! I found myself skipping around in chapters, pulling out tidbits and reading sections. As a whole, I don't know if the average person will sit down and read this book straight through.

I have been a fan of Changizi's for quite a while--especially love his views during the pandemic. He makes a compelling case for why communication has been and will continue to be non-verbal. I especially like he and Barber's references to how drivers on the road communicate without hearing one another verbally. The only criticism I have about the book is that some parts of it are a bit too academic/sciencey for me (and I read a lot of journals!).

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Expressly Human by Mark Changizi & Tim Barber, an evolutionary neurobiologist and a mathematician, reveal that emotional expressions are our first and most important language that allow us as social animals to engage in highly sophisticated communications and negotiations.

There’s a lot of words in this book, but not a lot of science. DNF.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Expressly Human is a nonfiction work by Mark Changizi and Tim Barber. The work deals with the science of expression through body language and non-worded sounds. This is a means of communication that relies on the ability to send a message to the other party through the use of emotions. The authors highlight a working scenario where drivers use expressions successfully to communicate with other drivers on busy roads. A true picture of drivers honking, flashing lights, and using their hands to send signals is clear in the reader's mind. The book gives detailed explanations regarding major emotional figures of faces and graphs.

I liked many things concerning this writing. The language of choice was unsophisticated, which made the work easy to understand. I also liked that the situations used to explain how we express ourselves were real-life experiences that we come across frequently. There were humorous spots even though it talked of facts. The writing was also engaging with the use of diagrams and evoking thinking.

The length of the book was something that did not please me. It was long and dragging. There was repetition, mostly as a back reference.

I rate this work  4 out of 5 stars. The rating is deserved because the work was clear on the way social animals express themselves all the time. I found it educative and detailed. Moreover, it was incredibly edited and organized.

I recommend Expressly Human by Mark Changizi and Tim Barber to readers of science, nonfiction, and human behavior.

Expressly Human was a great work that presented some interesting ideas on human emotional expression. Everything was clearly and concisely presented. I particularly enjoyed the consideration given to modern-day communication through social media, and how that affects standard emotional exchange. The index and appendices at the end were also helpful in adding further worthwhile explanations.

Expressly Human was a thought-provoking work that presented some interesting ideas on human emotional expression. Those theories were clearly and concisely presented, aided by some cute emoticon diagrams. I particularly enjoyed the consideration given to modern-day communication through social media, and how that affects standard emotional exchange. The index and appendices at the end were also helpful in adding further worthwhile explanations. The only note I'd make is that it would be best to buy this book in print, unless you plan to read the eBook solely on a large computer screen, as on my small e-reader some of the detailed diagrams were hard to make out, the text only just visible.

If you're someone who thoroughly enjoyed reading Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari, you will definitely enjoy this one.

A short book with seven concise chapters with extra contents on human: our language evolution and how we express ourselves with amazing examples and references. Basically how we have evolved and how we express ourselves throughout the ages throughout different mediums as the basic concept of the book.

This book is so interesting. Once you start reading it, it will carry you through smoothly until the end! Definitely a different kind of fun non-fiction read which does not make you feel like you're reading a serious, non-fiction book but rather enjoying a fun lecture/class with a fun, amazing professor!

Exactly what I felt while reading the book. I got to learn a lot of new things about the old us and gave me lots of topics to discuss about.

I appreciate the inclusion of the Index towards the end. It does help while reading.

Thank you, BenBella Books, for the advance review copy.