Overview

Since the late Stone Age, approximately 10 percent of humans have been left-handed, yet for most of human history left-handedness has been stigmatized. In On the Other Hand, Howard I. Kushner traces the impact of left-handedness on human cognition, behavior, culture, and health. A left-hander himself, Kushner has long been interested in the meanings associated with left-handedness, and ultimately with whether hand preference can even be defined in a significant way. As he explores the medical and cultural history of left-handedness, Kushner describes the associated taboos, rituals, and stigma from around the globe. The words ""left"" and ""left hand"" have negative connotations in all languages, and left-handers have even historically been viewed as disabled. In this comprehensive history of left-handedness, Kushner asks why left-handedness exists. He examines the relationship-if any-between handedness, linguistics, and learning disabilities, reveals how toleration of left-handedness serves as a barometer of wider cultural toleration and permissiveness, and wonders why the reported number of left-handers is significantly lower in Asia and Africa than in the West. Written in a lively style that mixes personal biography with scholarly research, On the Other Hand tells a comprehensive story about the science, traditions, and prejudices surrounding left-handedness.

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9781421423333

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Reviews

This scientific landscape in perpetual, cyclical flux is well described by Kushner's engaging, accessible panorama. -- Abigail Zuger * Undark *

This scientific landscape in perpetual, cyclical flux is well described by Kushner's engaging, accessible panorama. -- Abigail Zuger * Undark * This is a useful addition to the growing library of laterality literature and gives us a solid overview of the history of left-handedness. * LATERALITY * Howard Kushner's On the Other Hand is a review of the history and current state of scientific knowledge about human handedness. This doesn't sound like thrilling reading, but it is. * Lection * The book will be of special interest to left-handed people, particularly those who have suffered negative consequences as a result, and to members of other stigmatized groups. For the rest of us, it is an interesting case-study in the seemingly limitless capacity of human beings to discriminate against those who are different from themselves. * The Psychologist * In this interesting and highly informative book, Howard Kushner brings together a wealth of information on handedness in humans, including research into its possible causes, and past and present attitudes to left-handedness. * The Dana Foundation *

This scientific landscape in perpetual, cyclical flux is well described by Kushner's engaging, accessible panorama. -- Abigail Zuger * Undark * This is a useful addition to the growing library of laterality literature and gives us a solid overview of the history of left-handedness. * LATERALITY * Howard Kushner's On the Other Hand is a review of the history and current state of scientific knowledge about human handedness. This doesn't sound like thrilling reading, but it is. * Lection * The book will be of special interest to left-handed people, particularly those who have suffered negative consequences as a result, and to members of other stigmatized groups. For the rest of us, it is an interesting case-study in the seemingly limitless capacity of human beings to discriminate against those who are different from themselves. * The Psychologist * In this interesting and highly informative book, Howard Kushner brings together a wealth of information on handedness in humans, including research into its possible causes, and past and present attitudes to left-handedness. * The Dana Foundation * This is a very engaging and informative book that will interest scholars but should also appeal to a much wider audience. * Social History of Medicine *

This scientific landscape in perpetual, cyclical flux is well described by Kushner's engaging, accessible panorama. -- Abigail Zuger * Undark * This is a useful addition to the growing library of laterality literature and gives us a solid overview of the history of left-handedness. * LATERALITY *

Author Information

Howard I. Kushner is the Nat C. Robertson Distinguished Professor of Science & Society Emeritus at Emory University and John D. Adams Professor of History Emeritus at San Diego State University. A visiting scholar in the Laboratory of Comparative Human Cognition at the University of California-San Diego, he is the author of A Cursing Brain? The Histories of Tourette Syndrome and American Suicide: A Psychocultural Exploration.

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