Michelle Dresbold

Is handwriting analysis a science or not? Is it legit or is it bullshit? Many believe it's a pseudo science despite it being used to solve many crimes, but I wanted to decide for myself. After reading Sex, Lies, and Handwriting - A Top Expert Reveals the Secrets Hidden in Your Handwriting by Michelle Dresbold, I'm convinced that it's definitely legit.
The direction your writing slants, whether your letters have lead in strokes or even how hard you dot your 'i's' are all clues to your personality, character and even your upbringing. It's fascinating really.

The case study of the ransom letter in the JonBenet Ramsey case was riveting (and proves it was written by JonBenet's mother Patsy) as was the analysis of many famous signatures. I'm not sure I believe the analysis right down to the weapon strokes, and I don't think I'll be able to remember all the strokes to look for, but I enjoyed seeing how handwriting analysis can prove a signature is forged or how writing can be proven to have come from the same person.

I also enjoyed the case studies and exercises provided in the book, and it certainly made me look at my own writing in a whole new light.

Recommended reading for skeptics, forensic enthusiasts and readers of true crime.… (mehr)

This was fun. I kept a sheet of paper tucked in the book for some guided exercises, and as I read I doodled my signature or jotted a few lines of freewriting to have a basis for my own comparison. I have mixed feelings about my own handwriting. It's never been a source of pride, but I have grown to like the way it looks. The author suggests that if we recognize aggressive marks in our writing we can consciously change both our handwriting and our mindset.

The book focuses on bad people and how their handwriting reflects their violent tendencies. I'm not sure how much I believe about the predictive application of handwriting analysis - for example, the author recalls a practice case in which she could tell from a handwriting sample that the person "grew up in Austria or Germany and moved to the United States when she was a teenager," a spot-on analysis of the subject. I feel possibly able to tell that a crazy looking signature could belong to a crazy acting person, but I'll leave the rest to the experts.… (mehr)