Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Birth stress and left-handedness -- Nonright-handedness and the continuum of reproductive casualty -- Left-handedness and prenatal complications -- Intrauterine factors in sinistrality -- Laterality in hemiplegic children -- Neuroanatomy of atypical handedness in schizophrenia -- Phenotype in normal left-handers -- Cultural influences on handedness -- Switching hands -- Mental retardation and left-handedness -- Handedness, sex and spatial ability -- Handedness and its relationship to ability and talent -- Familial sinistrality and cerebral organization -- Sinistrality and psychopathology -- Autism and anomalous handedness -- Left-handedness and alcoholism -- Left-and mixed-handedness and criminality -- Laterality and longevity.

Left-handedness has been shown to be a possible marker for various psychological and physical abnormalities. This book presents evidence by a number of researchers who evaluate whether there are indeed differences between left- and right-handers which extend into the broader psychological and physiological realms. Several chapters show that left-handedness is found in unexpectedly high proportions in populations that suffer from various immune deficiency diseases, in alcoholics, dyslexics, mental retardates, psychopaths and other clinical groups. The book indicates why left-handedness should be a marker for such conditions. The genetic and environmental pressures on handedness are explored. A model for pathological left-handedness is presented, along with some interesting data which suggests that left-handedness may be associated with reduced life-span. Finally, several chapters discuss the implications of handedness patterns in non-clinical populations.

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