Laterality - by Clare Porac (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Left-handedness has been connected to many different conditions, traits, and abilities. This is especially true for pathological syndromes, such as schizophrenia, along with learning disabilities and autism. The published research on handedness is vast and frequently contradictory, often raising more questions than providing answers. Questions such as:

• Is handedness genetic?
• Can handedness be changed?
• Are there consequences to training someone to switch handedness?
• Are there positive traits associated with left-handedness like creativity?
• Are there negative traits associated with left-handedness like trouble reading maps?
• Is it abnormal to do some things right-handed and other things left-handed?
• Are the brains of left-handers different from the brains of right-handers?

Laterality: Exploring the Enigma of Left-Handedness examines the research conducted over the past 50 years with special emphasis on twenty-first century research on handedness and translates this literature into an accessible and readable form. Each chapter is based on a question or questions covering diverse topics such as genetic and biological origins of handedness, familial and hormonal influences on handedness, and the effects of a majority right-handed world on the behaviors of left-handers.

Review Quotes

"...as an academic text it offers a great introduction to handedness research. This would make it a good resource for an upper-level undergraduate/postgraduate student seeking to efficiently acquaint themselves with the world of handedness." --Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition

"Whether you are left- or mixed-handed, or simply want to know how non-conforming laterality relates to a wide range of psychological factors, you will likely find a host of interesting research presented in this book." --PsycCRITIQUES

"Laterality: Exploring the Enigma of Left-Handedness is divided into 12 chapters, covering ... the roles of genetics and hormones in handedness, to early death and psychological disorder in left-handers. At the end of each chapter, Porac presents a clear take-away summary of the chapter's key findings, helpfully distinguishing fact from fiction...Porac set out to translate laterality research into an accessible and readable form, and...she's accomplished this goal....As an academic text it offers a great introduction to handedness research. This would make it a good resource for an upper-level undergraduate/postgraduate student seeking to efficiently acquaint themselves with the world of handedness." --Annukka K. Lindell