Mendive. Revista de Educación, oct.-december 2019; 17(4): 624-626

Translated from the original in Spanish

Among words, gestures and emotions: a necessary book

Margarita Santalla López

Escuela Primaria "República Argentina", Pinar del Río, Cuba.

Bibliographic record

García Rodríguez, Keisel (2018). Between words, gestures and emotions. Havana. Scientific-Technical Publishing. Cuba.
ISBN: 978-959-05-1112-7

Who has not heard of communication? How many times have we been accused of having communication problems? Communication is one of the pillars that sustains the existence of the human being as a social being, and that involves everything that involves human activity: language, socialization and even the transition to new stages of psychological development. Sometimes satisfying a need or resolving a conflict depends on what is communicated, how and with whom we communicate.

In communication, words are the first thing we perceive, but many times these are geared to gestures, the way of saying, the personality of the person who says - also from whom he receives_, from social referents, conception of the world, knowledge, experiences, experiences and more.

There are no basic recipes, nor manuals capable of predicting how we are going to communicate with other people, it occurs spontaneously and different factors influence it.

The book "Among words, gestures and emotions" written by Keisel García Rodríguez   is an interesting text that brings us to the fascinating and necessary issue of communication.

This 266-page book is written in an entertaining and understandable language, consists of Introduction, eight chapters and the final words.

In the Introduction, the author delves into the importance of communication skills in interpersonal relationships.

Chapter 1 deals with essential aspects of communication theory, explains the "golden rules" and the elements that interweave this   process.

Chapter 2 analyzes some studies about verbal and nonverbal communication, based on studies on body expression (posture, looks, gestures, movements, laughter) and its relationship with the psyche of man. It is interesting to know the differences in meaning that has the same gesture: sticking out your tongue, for example, in China it means disorientation, in Tibet it is a sign of polite courtesy and in the Marquesas Islands they stick out their tongue to deny.

The author presents also some considerations on breaks, including in silence, tears, cough and sighs and the signs related to space and time, distance, smell and slaps that influence communication, more than we assume They do not escape the analysis of the psychologist and researcher the inescapable scope of the word and the voice.

Chapter 3 shows the influence of self-assessment and other elements that integrate personality in communication, the researcher reflects on “difficult” people and analyzes the communication skills of self-control, active listening, feedback, empathy and assertiveness.

Chapter 4 refers to inhibition or fear, to the constant change of argument, to the interpretation of thought, to prejudiced perception and other psychological barriers that hinder dialogue. Timely criteria on attitudes of superiority, criticism, threats, generalizations, ambiguity, double messages and defense mechanisms that individuals assume make this a chapter that you will read carefully and will allow you to evaluate the people with whom you communicate.

Chapter 5 takes us into the fascinating world of the couple, living together, the language of seduction, and the communication-sexual relationship.

Chapter 6 begins with the question: In which family are there no problems? And its reading leads to understand the necessary interaction, debate and emotional relief of its members, respect for individual beliefs and opinions, and the need to create a climate of trust and respect among its members.

Chapter 7 provides strategies for effective communication at work both with heads and with peers, characterizes some communication styles described in the scientific literature and advice on how to resolve a labor dispute and calibrate l as emotions.

Chapter 8 is directed to the study of the incidence of new technologies in communication, their advantages and disadvantages as well as their impact on psychic development. The work concludes with recommendations for efficient communication.

In the pages of this book, written in pleasant and colloquial language, you will find very valuable guidelines for the exercise of communication in the social, family, school and work environment.

We recommend this book in a special way to teachers and students of pedagogical careers because communication is a fundamental element to fulfill their social role and to all those who wish to enter the study of this important process, certain that their reading will allow them to be communicators more competent.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) Margarita Santalla López