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The Hand
How Its Use
Shapes the Brain,
Language, and Human Culture
by Frank R. Wilson
- Book Description
"The human hand is so beautifully formed, its
actions are so powerful, so free and yet so delicate that
there is no thought of its complexity as an instrument;
we use it as we draw our breath, unconsciously."
With these words written in 1833, Sir Charles Bell
expressed the central theme of some of the most
far-reaching and exciting research being done in science
today. For humans, the lifelong apprenticeship with the
hand begins at birth. We are guided by our hands, and we
are indelibly shaped by the knowledge that comes to us
through our use of them.
The Hand delineates the ways in which our hands
have shaped our development--cognitive, emotional,
linguistic, and psychological--in light of the most
recent research being done in anthropology, neuroscience,
linguistics, and psychology. How did structural changes
in the hand prepare human ancestors for increased use of
tools and for our own remarkable ability to design and
manufacture them? Is human language rooted in speech, or
are its deepest roots to be found in the gestures that
made communal hunting and manufacture possible? Is early
childhood experience in reaching and grasping the secret
of the human brain's unique capacity to redefine
intelligence with each new generation in every culture
and society?
Frank Wilson's inquiry incorporates the experiences and
insights of jugglers, surgeons, musicians, puppeteers,
and car mechanics. His fascinating book illuminates how
our hands influence learning and how we, in turn, use our
hands to leave our personal stamp on the world.
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