The Handshake
The Handshake by Ella Al-Shamahi, published by Profile Books Limited in 2021, is a 176-page exploration of the rich history and cultural significance of the handshake. This book delves into how this simple gesture has been a part of human interaction for millions of years, revealing its deep roots in our social fabric and even its biological implications.
Readers will find a blend of humor and insight as Al-Shamahi takes them on a journey from the handshake’s origins to its abrupt decline in 2020. The narrative incorporates anthropological research and personal anecdotes, examining the handshake’s role in various contexts, including interactions with uncontacted tribes and significant historical events. This study touches on themes of history, psychology, and social science, providing a comprehensive look at a gesture that continues to shape human connection.
Official synopsis Publisher
‘It’s a little book of wonder, it’s fantastic’ Chris Evans’A fabulously sparky, wide-ranging and horizon-broadening little study … joyously unboring’ Sunday TimesFriends do it, strangers do it and so do chimpanzees – and it’s not just deeply embedded in our history and culture, it may even be written in our DNA. The humble handshake, it turns out, has a rich and surprising history.So let’s join palaeoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi as she embarks on a funny and fascinating voyage of discovery – from the handshake’s origins (at least seven million years ago) all the way to its sudden disappearance in March 2020. Drawing on new research, anthropological insights and first-hand experience, she’ll reveal how this most friendly of gestures has played a role in everything from meetings with uncontacted tribes to political assassinations – and what it tells us about the enduring power of human contact.Because the story of the handshake … is far from over.
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