One Kiss or Two? The Art and Science of Saying Hello

In this enlightening if unapologetically personal survey of greeting customs from around the world, Scott, a former British diplomat, shares modern observations based on his own experiences and anthropological research. Inspired by the way his two pet cats greet each other, Scott covers a surprising range of physical contact that accompanies saying “hello,” including face slapping (a common greeting among Central Eskimos), genital grabbing (from the Walbiri tribe in Australia), and the kissing of feet (which the author observed firsthand at Heathrow Airport). The book gleans insights from the work of Franz Boas, considered to be the father of the American school of anthropology; primatologist Jane Goodall; William Hanson, author of the Bluffer’s Guide to Etiquette; and Adam Kendon, a professor at Oxford University in Cambridge who first deconstructed the elements of greetings in the 1960s. Scott weighs in on the importance of eye contact and the awkwardness of the peck-on-the-cheek embrace. He writes that undoubtedly the handshake is the most common greeting worldwide (although Scott personally prefers the fist bump because it transmits a fraction of the bacteria). Emphasizing the virtue of human connection throughout, Scott’s buoyant study is reminiscent of the work of A.J. Jacobs in its breezy mix of pop sociology, personal anecdote, and self-help. (Mar.)

Correction: An earlier version of this review misstated the author's last name.