"A startling argument . . . provocative . . . absorbing." --The Boston Globe "Ambitious . . . arresting . . . celebrates the importance of hands to our lives today as well as to the history of our species." --The New York Times Book Review The human hand is a miracle of biomechanics, one of the most remarkable adaptations in the history of evolution. The hands of a concert pianist can elicit glorious sound and stir emotion; those of a surgeon can perform the most delicate operations; those of a rock climber allow him to scale a vertical mountain wall. Neurologist Frank R. Wilson makes the striking claim that it is because of the unique structure of the hand and its evolution in cooperation with the brain that Homo sapiens became the most intelligent, preeminent animal on the earth. In this fascinating book, Wilson moves from a discussion of the hand's evolution--and how its intimate communication with the brain affects such areas as neurology, psychology, and linguistics--to provocative new ideas about human creativity and how best to nurture it. Like Oliver Sacks and Stephen Jay Gould, Wilson handles a daunting range of scientific knowledge with a surprising deftness and a profound curiosity about human possibility. Provocative, illuminating, and delightful to read, The Hand encourages us to think in new ways about one of our most taken-for-granted assets. "A mark of the book's excellence [is that] it makes the reader aware of the wonder in trivial, everyday acts, and reveals the complexity behind the simplest manipulation." --The Washington Post

Handwashing, as part of basic hygiene, is a no-brainer. Whenever there's an outbreak of a contagious disease, we are advised that the first line of defense is proper handwashing. Nonetheless, many people, including healthcare workers, ignore this advice and routinely fail to wash their hands. Those who neglect to follow proper handwashing protocols put us at risk for serious disease - and even death. In this well-researched book, Wahrman discusses the microbes that live among us, both benign and malevolent. She looks at how ancient cultures dealt with disease and hygiene and how scientific developments led to the germ theory, which laid the foundation for modern hygiene. She investigates hand hygiene in clinical settings, where lapses by medical professionals can lead to serious, even deadly, complications. She explains how microbes found on environmental surfaces can transmit disease and offers strategies to decrease transmission from person to person. The book's final chapter explores initiatives for grappling with ever more complex microbial issues, such as drug resistance and the dangers of residing in an interconnected world, and presents practical advice for hand hygiene and reducing infection. With chapters that conclude with handy reference lists, The Hand Book serves as a road map to safer hands and better hygiene and health. It is essential reading for the general public, healthcare professionals, educators, parents, community leaders, and politicians.

Jim Benton, bestselling author of Dear Dumb Diary and Franny K. Stein, brings us a fresh new middle grade novel about breaking all the rules! There's nothing Jake likes more than some good trash-picking, so when his elderly neighbors move out and leave an especially promising-looking pile of household refuse on the curb, he goes right for it. He only has the chance to grab one box before his mom catches him and orders him in for dinner, though. When mysterious goings-on begin to occur in the neighborhood, the trio investigates the hidden box from Jack's garage. In it, they find the Secret Parent's Handbook and with it all the means to subvert the irrational rules and petty tyranny of their home lives. No more clean rooms! No more vegetables! No more brushed hair or washed hands! It's all videogames and junk food all the time! But the authorities -- and the resistance -- have taken notice of the strange goings-on in Jack and his friends' neighborhood. And they are closing in . . .

In this book, Victor Schrager has elegantly photographed more than 100 species of birds in the hands of ornithologists. Rich platinum prints portray a human hand transformed into a delicate pedestal for an even more delicate creature.

Science at your fingertips! People often describe Klutz books as hands-on, but it's never been this literal before. The Hand Book comes with a life-sized skeleton hand. It's an irresistible invitation to find out what goes on under your skin. Assembling the 22 snap-together, custom-moulded bones is rewarding in itself. And when you're done, you've got a scientifically accurate, moveable model on a sturdy display stand, ready to help you discover what makes your own hands so remarkable. Working in collaboration with a team of experts, including a hand surgeon, a hand therapist, and a slew of 11-year-olds, the scientists at Klutz Labs have come up with heaps of intriguing, educational and just plain cool hand activities. Test your digital dexterity and hand-eye coordination. Find out what you can do that a chimpanzee can't. Learn to read the secrets hidden in a hand-fingerprints are just the beginning. Our point is this: Beyond its eye-catching appeal, this skeleton hand is a serious learning tool. And if you happen to leave it someplace where it will scare your sister, that's just a bonus!

'Hand Book' is a print version of the ebook 'Real Palmistry'. It contains the same basic content. The images are black and white. It was created for the many people who have asked for a 'real' book. Before you read another word, look at your hands. What do you see, a confused jumble of lines and bumps? Look again. You are looking at a topographical map of your character in the past, present, and future. You can navigate your map and chart your course. You don't have to be a palmist or even know palmistry to be able to see your relationship, career, and health potentials in your hands. Reading hands is simple and fun.The value of reading hands is in being able to readily recognize personality traits, habits and patterns, and motivations. As we identify our strengths and weaknesses, we can alter our thinking, exercise our free will, and transform negative thought patterns into positive behavioral patterns. We can take charge of our thinking, feelings, and actions. Interpreting our hands and understanding our character can inspire and empower us to transform our destinies.The beauty of reading hands is that hands change as thinking and circumstances change. A tiny change in a hand can represent a huge change in a life. As we make decisions and exercise our free will, we are able to see our successes and failures reflected in our hands over time.Palmistry is the 5500-year-old science and art of interpreting character from hands. Size, shape, and proportions of hands reveal one or more of four basic archetypes: Intuitive, Practical, Thinking, and Feeling. Texture, color, elasticity and consistency of skin, and the flexibility of joints explain how we initiate, maintain, and adapt to new ideas and circumstances. Lengths and proportions of fingers, knots, shapes of fingertips, and the qualities of nails represent our health, career, and relationships, and how we are fulfilling our potentials in our world around us. Lines of the hands, dermatoglyphics (fixed skin ridge patterns), and gestures reveal more detailed information about our life choices and circumstances. The arts and crafts of interpretation and counseling require study and practice.Hand Book will affirm, confirm, and inform readers in helpful and hopeful ways. Readers will ask their hands: Who am I? What do I want? What do I value? What do I think? How do I feel? How can I be happier? How can I be healthier? How are my relationships? What are my obligations? What are my responsibilities? How can I be prosperous? How can I be more creative? What's my purpose? What's my philosophy? How can I be more spiritual? What's next? We can all be our own best friends and bullshit detectors. Astrology had been around for thousands of years, when suddenly in 1968, Linda Goodman's Sun Signs set mass market astrology in motion. Paradoxically, while astrology reveals potential character, hands reveal true character; what we've done, do, and are likely to do with our character. After 5,500 years of being relegated to obscurity, misinformation, and deception, the time has come for the ancient science and art of palmistry to be reborn, creating new opportunities for people to interact and get to know themselves and others better. The paradigm of palmistry as a gypsy fortunetelling scam will finally be dispelled. An inspiring new catchphrase for the 21st Century will be “Let me see your hands”. Hand Book captures the imagination of the masses while addressing their real concerns. In addition to answering fundamental life issues and questions, Hand Book covers topics such as: hands of family and friends, hands of celebrities, insight into intimate relationships, and gaining insight into the hands of children. Palmistry will eventually become accessible to billions of curious hand owners who will be able to experience the power of palmistry firsthand.