Review:
Photoanalysis teaches the fine art of finding hidden psychological meaning in photos. (Don't be put off by how old this book is; it's a timeless gem.) The author offers an assortment of family and historic photos, pointing out nuances that most people would miss. He urges readers to examine every detail: In a family group, who is standing close to whom? Where are their hands placed? What do the smiles or lack of them reveal? Akeret, a psychoanalyst who trained with Rollo May and Erich Fromm, gives step-by-step instructions for analyzing photos (i.e., begin by studying the image carefully, then look away and see how much you remember). Readers learn to look for hidden stories, to pay attention to how the subjects are communicating and relating, and to interpret facial and body expressions. In the final chapter, Akeret provides ten photos and challenges his audience to photoanalyze them.