SIX
Getting a Grip
Nonverbals of the Hands and FingersA
mong all species, our human hands are unique—not only in what
they can accomplish, but also in how they communicate. Human
hands can paint the Sistine Chapel, pluck a guitar, maneuver sur-
gical instruments, chisel a David, forge steel, and write poetry. They can
grasp, scratch, poke, punch, feel, sense, evaluate, hold, and mold the world
around us. Our hands are extremely expressive; they can sign for the deaf,
help tell a story, or reveal our innermost thoughts. No other species has
appendages with such a remarkable range of capabilities.
Because our hands can execute very delicate movements, they can
reflect very subtle nuances within the brain. An understanding of hand
behavior is crucial to decoding nonverbal behaviors, for there is practi-
cally nothing your hands do that is not directed—either consciously or
subconsciously—by your brain. Despite the acquisition of spoken lan-
guage over millions of years of human evolution, our brains are still