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A Left-hand Turn Around the World
David Wolman
A light-hearted exploration into the science, history, and culture of all things Southpaw
Chasing the Mystery And Meaning of All Things Southpaw
Da Capo Press
October 2005
236 pages ISBN: 0306814153 Hardcover
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Non-Fiction
If left-handedness were a religion, where would Mecca be?
This book recounts one lefty's quest to uncover the causes
and consequences of left-handedness. Wolman's travels take
him from the halls of history to the halls of science, as
he visits a Scottish castle designed for left-handed sword-
fighting, nineteenth-century brains on display in a Paris
museum, and a California laboratory where he experiences
first hand the brain-zapping tools of modern neuroscience.
He confers with an Atlanta primatologist about connections
between chimpanzee coordination, handedness, and the
evolution of language, while also seeking the mystical
significance of left-handedness at a handwriting analysis
conference in Virginia, a palmistry training program in
Quebec, and in the woods of Left Hand, West Virginia. Along
the way, he meets colorful Southpaws such as Diabolos Rex,
follower of the Left Hand Path, an inspiring amputee named
John Evans, and members of Japan's National Association of
Left-Handed Golfers. Weaving his personal experience with a blend of sharp-eyed
reporting and intriguing personalities, Wolman crafts an
entertaining and accessible narrative about his search for
the essence of what it means to be a Southpaw.
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