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. Reviews and Endorsements: "Kushner, a distinguished historian of science and medicine with a deep knowledge of neuroscience, identifies an extremely interesting and puzzling set of issues around the phenomena of left-handedness, handedness in general, brain asymmetry and laterality, and questions of left brain/right brain dominance. Illuminating." — Alice R. Wexler, author of The Woman Who Walked into the Sea: Huntington's and the Making of a Genetic Disease "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 About the Author: 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. |