Laterality

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. Summarizes scientific research on laterality Separates fact from fiction in common beliefs about laterality Includes illustrative interviews with left-handers