UPC: 9781421423333 | On the Other Hand : Left Hand Right Brain Mental Disorder and History (Hardcover)

UPC lookup results for: 9781421423333 | On the Other Hand : Left Hand Right Brain Mental Disorder and History (Hardcover)

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. Does being left-handed make a person different in any way that matters? 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.