The Book of Tells (Peter Collett)[unlocked]

THE BOOK OF TELLS
include, who controls the handshake, whether they are
accompanied by a smile, what people say when they greet
each other, and so on. The grip itself can vary according to
how tightly or limply the hand is held, the temperature of
the hand, how dry or damp it feels, its position in relation
to the other person's hand, and what the rest of the body
is doing. Basically, there are eight types of handshake:
• THE BONECRUSHER. One of the cardinal rules of handshaking
is that the grip should be neither too tight nor too
limp, and that each person should adjust the pressure of
their grip to that of the other person. There are people
who violate these requirements by squeezing the other
person's hand. Sometimes this is done unwittingly. Most
of the time, however, it's done as a show of strength or a
way of putting the other person in their place. People
who want to show others that they are not as weak and
ineffectual as they look often use the bonecrusher as a
form of compensation.
• THE LIMP HANDSHAKE. A limp handshake occurs
when someone offers a hand that is totally relaxed. It
doesn't exert any pressure on the other person's hand,
and it doesn't contribute to the mutual production of the
handshake. A person who offers a limp handshake is
someone who, in more senses than one, doesn't connect
with the other person. Like their hand, they remain
passive and detached - they're simply not focused on the
person they're greeting. This often happens with people
who are self-important or who have to shake hands with
lots of people. Chairman Mao, for example, is reputed to
have had a very limp, non-committal handshake.
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