Between the Lines: Understanding Yourself and Others Through Handwriting Analysis

Between The Lines: Understanding Yourself And Others Through Handwriting Analysis is the sixth book written by Reed Hayes, a Certified Master Graphologist. (Graphology is the evaluation of handwriting.) Reed says that "handwriting is so closely tied to impulses from the brain that it is a barometer of moods and of physical, emotional, and mental health." He adds that "no magic is involved and the interpretation of writing is quite logical and systematic." Handwriting analysis has a long and distinguished history, with one the earliest acknowledgments of its validity coming from Aristotle. Seventeenth century scholars were the first to develop an organized system of analysis. Hayes devotes the bulk of his book to instructions on how to analyze handwriting, starting with basics like how the writing as a whole appears on the page. He uses samples from many well-known people, including Georgia O'Keefe, Mark Twain, Abraham Lincoln, and Adolf Hitler, as well as everyday people. True analysis includes much more than just the way the letters look. Hayes shows readers how to understand the significance of line spacing, pressure patterns, directions, and slants. Each factor is fully defined and illustrated. He also discusses why some people's signatures differ from their normal handwriting. He ends with a "Dictionary of Personality Traits" in which ways of writing are linked personal characteristics. For example, absent-minded people will tend to have "missing letters; missing i dots and t crosses; disorganized writing; poor spacing." Hayes says his book "will provide an objective look at you. By looking at yourself honestly you can deal more effectively with your weaknesses and build on your strengths." Anyone wished to know what their handwriting says about them will find the skills they need in Between The Lines. It's interesting, comprehensive, and practical. Sandra I. Smith, Reviewer