The one topic we never tire of is ourselves. And

neither do "they"-the sociologists, poll takers, mar-

ket analysts, and other human-behavior experts who

publish an astonishing thirty-three thousand studies

each year on how we behave. Yet most of their valu-

able scientific research is hidden away in profes-

sional academic journals and written, usually, in

impenetrable jargon. We-the objects of it all-get to

see only bits and pieces, usually filtered through lhe

distorting lens of TV talk shows, tabloid headlines,

and brief magazine articles.

Now, veteran author Bernard Asbell has sifted

through thousands upon thousands of studies about

us and the people around us-our friends, families,

associates, enemies, mates, lovers, neighbors. He

has translated into plain English the most significant,

most surprising, and most amusing findings. The

result, in this book, is a one-of-a-kind guide that will

help you understand what your behavior reveals

about your self, what you are likely to do, how people

perceive you, and how others are likely to act toward

you-and you toward others.

Organized so that you can, in a sense, look your-

self up, Whet They Know About You begins with the

outer presentation of your self-everything from your

body language to your dress, attractiveness, body

type, height, speech, even your name. It then moves

inward to explore such issues as your intelligence,

your creativity, your sexual proclivities, your pre-

disposition to stress and violence, and your person-

ality type. Along the way are provocative insights

about your relationships with spouses, employers,

children, and pets; about the identities you have cho-

sen (religion, work, politics, schooling) and those

you didn t (gender, racial end ethnic background);

and what your habits, guirks, biases, and beliefs

reveal about you.

Rigorously researched and written with penetrat-

ing clarity and wit, Whet They Know About You is an

endlessly absorbing compilation on that most fasci-

nating subject of all: you.