A Left-Hand Turn Around the World: Chasing the Mystery and Meaning of All Things Southpaw
by David Wolman
Summary
Are Southpaws really more creative, or is that just a myth? Is there a gene for left-handedness? David Wolman—a lefty, and proud of it—explores a Scottish castle designed for left-handed swordfights, visits a Paris museum to inspect nineteenth-century brains that hold clues to this biological puzzle, consults an Indian palm reader, subjects his own brain to research, and sits with a primatologist whose chimpanzees may hold the key to the evolutionary mystery of left-handedness.
A seamless blend of science, travel, culture, and humor, this inquisitive exploration of all things Southpaw is sure to be the perfect book for lefties and the righties who love them.
Excerpt
I have an obsession with left-handedness. Noticing all things Southpaw is simply part of my programming. It’s not that I’m just a journalist with an overflowing file of lefty-related clippings. My interest in this topic, unlike other curiosities that seem to come and go with each edition of the Sunday paper, has lasted longer than any other I’ve ever had, with the notable exception, presumably, of my right-handed wife.
Why is it that I remember things like driving past the Lefty Gold Shop on Williston Road in Burlington, Vermont, perhaps 10 years ago, yet I can no longer remember the quadratic equation? Why is it that I remember the Leftorium in an old Simpsons episode; the town of Left Hand, West Virginia; the Left Hand Brewery in Colorado; and the hand preferences of all my friends? This is the mental clutter that has accumulated in my brain Years ago, an Irish friend told me that ciotog, pronounced, “ki-toeg,” is Gaelic for “lefty.” I learned a lot of Gaelic words and phrases that summer in Ireland, but the only two I remember to this day are ciotog and pog mo thoin, or kiss my ass.
One time while in Japan, I was actually stupid enough to say to the barber, perhaps in a desperate attempt to put my beginner Japanese language skills to work: “Hey, you’re a lefty. So am I.” Already flustered by having a gaijin in his shop, this guy must have really been taken for a ride by my comment. Staring at me for a few moments before lifting his scissored hand into the air, he said tersely, “No. It’s the mirror.” Ten bucks says he still tells this story at parties.
The thing is, though, most lefties are pleased to bond with a fellow Southpaw, even if for a nanosecond. As soon as I see a waiter pull pen from apron with the left hand, you can bet on some lefty-style greeting coming from me. Before others at my table have glanced at the appetizer menu, I’ve already taken a quick survey of whether the waiter prefers the seizure-esque, tensed-up, hooked-hand posture; the impossibly odd, slanted-notepad approach; or the rare pen and paper position that actually looks normal—in the righty sense of the word—indicating a grammar school teacher of extraordinary genius and sensitivity.
Reprinted with permission of DaCapo Press. http://www.dacapopress.com
Reviews
“Funny and instructive…amusing and thorough”—Publishers Weekly
"A nicely balanced blend of pop science and personal essay, and just the thing for the family southpaw”—Kirkus Reviews
"An entertaining exploration and an intriguing look into new research in an ongoing debate”—Library Journal
Author's Biography
David Wolman is a journalist whose work has appeared in Newsweek, Discover, New Scientist, Outside, and the San Jose Mercury News. Recently a Fulbright journalism fellow in Sapporo, Japan, he lives in Portland, Oregon.