Book cover of Right Hand, Left Hand: The Origins of Asymmetry in Brains, Bodies, Atoms and Cultures

Book description

A labor of love and enthusiasm as well as deep scientific knowledge, Right Hand, Left Hand takes the reader on a trip through history, around the world, and into the cosmos, to explore the place of handedness in nature and culture. Chris McManus considers evidence from anthropology, particle physics, the…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Right Hand, Left Hand as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

A popular myth that refuses to die is the idea that the left brain and right brain do quite different things. Chris McManus, a researcher of human perception, as well as a medical doctor, wrote the delightful book Right Hand, Left Hand in part to dispel these myths, but also to explore the wonderous world of laterality. From handedness, to how development builds a symmetrical organism, to asymmetries in subatomic particles, this exuberant book takes you on a grand tour of fascinating ideas and observations, told with the detail, color, and organization of a great symphony. 

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