The Left-Hander Syndrome : The Causes & Consequences of Left Handedness [Hardcover]

Stanley Coren (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1991

Left-handedness is a complex psychological and neurological phenomenon. Recent research suggests that left-handed people encounter psychological problems and have a shorter life expectancy, but display greater intelligence and creativity in some spheres. This book examines the phenomenon, considering the various difficulties that left-handed people face in a world designed for right-handed people and suggesting ways in which things can be made more comfortable and safer for them. It also investigates other aspects of "sidedness", including foot, ear and eye preferences.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

An interesting but confusing exegesis, this book is full of bad news for southpaws, who will find that they are more prone to a diversity of ailments.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From Library Journal

Coren received a good deal of media attention several years ago when he and a colleague published a paper claiming that left-handed people die at a considerably younger age, on average, than their right-handed counterparts. The current book explores the social consequences and biological causes of sinistrality in the process of explaining these findings, disproving some widely held myths along the way (e.g., most southpaws are not "right-brained"; handedness is probably not inherited). The book is readable without oversimplifying the topic, and is highly recommended for public and academic libraries on the basis of its own merits, the interest it will generate, and the fact that it is the only serious and up-to-date treatment of the topic for the general reader.
- Mary Ann Hughes, Washington State Univ. Libs., Pullman
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 308 pages
• Publisher: Free Press; 1St Edition edition (November 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0029066824
• ISBN-13: 978-0029066829
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,795,574 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Stanley Coren, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia, is a recognized expert on dog-human interaction who has appeared on Dateline; The Oprah Winfrey Show; Good Morning, America; 20/20; Larry King Live; and many other TV and radio programs. He lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, with a beagle, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel, and a Nova Scotia duck-tolling retriever, as well as his wife and her cat.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All hands are equal,but one hand is more equal than theother, April 19, 2001

By 

Roger McEvilly (the guilty bystander) (Sydney, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Left-Hander Syndrome: The Causes and Consequences of Left-Handedness (Paperback)

Well well, there is some very interesting stuff here. Why are only around 10% of the population left handed? Is this genetic or learned? And what does this mean for tool making, writing, driving, accident proneness, societal prejudice, sporting pursuits, and general living as a left hander? You might also be interested to know that around 20% of people are left footed, and around 40% of people are left eyed. Also more woman are right handed than men. And then there are the mixed types, the ambidextorous, and also those who mix different activities and their handedness- say writing and throwing. A surpising number of people are actually mixed types, and this increases for footedness and eyedness.

This book is a good overview of various statistics, and what it means to live as a left hander in a right handed world. The author has conducted many years research into various studies, from identical twin studies, to family studies, to genes and learning, to the way tools are designed, and how left handers cope with these sorts of things in general. Bias, prejudice, and general policies are discussed, both historically and in recent times. (Everyone knows the old rap over the knuckle for left handed school students several generations ago, but where have we come from there?).

The author mentions his university in the 1990s where all the chairs in his lecture theatre have right-sided writing areas. (Being left handed in writing, I also remember having to cope with this at university. I also remember smudging most of my first ink pen writing in primary school-left handed writers will know what I am talking about!).

One of the best things about this book is the detail. Not only is there analyses of handedness, but as mentioned, footedness, eyeness, and even earness. Which ear do you listen to your watch with? Also, mixed handed types are discussed, along with various sports, and degree of lefthandness (and right handedness!) in each, and where it may be useful to be more of a mixed type for some sports (eg soccer with mixed footedness, and basketball with mixed handedness). Readers are given personal questionaires to determine their general level of left or right handedness, footedness, earness, and eyeness. Links with brain states and brain areas, personality types, tendancy to certain careers and so on is also discussed. Famous lefties are also listed.

The book is a must for the curious leftie, and for those who are interested in where this curious, and rather little studied aspect of humanity is taking us.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very concrete and helpful as well as scientifically sound, December 27, 1998

By 

M. McPhillips "single-handedly keeping Amazon... (Rumsey Island, Maryland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Left-Hander Syndrome: The Causes and Consequences of Left-Handedness (Paperback)

I learned a great deal about myself reading this book and I think even came away with higher self esteem. The author is a leading scientist studying left-handedness and explains why media and "common knowledge" information and facts on the subject are often incorrect. The writing style is factual and informative but also entertaining. You learn about the problems of left-handed presidents as well as your own or a friend's problems and why there are fewer left-handed older people than younger ones. I'm very grateful to the author for explaining to me why I had so much trouble in dancing class as a teenager; I found his answer to that puzzle much more help than all the dermatologists my mother took me to for my acne. I wish I could have read this book earlier in my life.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting issues that are worthy of further investigation, December 23, 2002

By 

Mark Carroll (Marysville, Ohio, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Left-Hander Syndrome: The Causes and Consequences of Left-Handedness (Paperback)

This book doesn't tell left-handers how best to live in a right-handers' world, but it doesn't purport to. It does, however, live up to its title. Coren presents a range of very interesting theories and conclusions about left-handedness. Crucially, he also describes the actual studies and presents their results, and is fairly clear about when something's just a theory and why one might believe it, so you get to see some raw facts and judge for yourself. I'm strongly left-handed and am not in the least bit offended by the idea that it could have possibly been caused by something going slightly wrong somewhere. Some of the theories did actually explain a few things about my family and myself quite well, which was an added bonus.