Clare Porac’s* [Laterality: Exploring the Enigma of Left-Handedness] is a succinct book, both in style and length. It’s a bit over 200 pages including a page or two of listed sources at chapter ends. As she notes in the the preface she has no “particular theoretical postion” to convey in the book, but has the desire to address many of the questions she has been asked, translating the academic to something more accessible. She reviews the last 50 years of research in the field with mention of older research but also with a concentration on research of the last twenty years. She sums each chapter with a page or two, distinguishing between the disproved (and the “fanciful fictions that pervade the internet”) and what is currently known or theorized in scientific circles. Topics covered in relationship to handedness include: preference/performance, genetic basis and heredity, the sexes and handedness, disease & death, conversion to right-handed, history, geography, evolution of, abilities, personality, and a discussion of other lateral preferences: footedness, eyedness, earedness.

It’s always a rush to learn new things and to let go of any lingering old ideas. Porac succeeds in her goals of making the subject accessible. This book is highly recommended for those with a keen interest in the subject of handedness, but one should note that Porac’s book is published by Academic Press and costs $50 in paperback. And while I felt that a good investment, others may want to encourage their local libraries to purchase it.

*Clare Porac. Professor Emerita of Psychology at Penn State University :The New School for Social Research

Note: The book was recommended for those wishing a general review by Chris McManus (I.C.MCManus) in a 2019 article "Half a Century of Handedness Research: Myths, Truths; Fictions, Facts; Backwards, But Mostly Forwards" Brain and Neuroscience Advances: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2398212818820513 ( )