Chapter 6
HAND AND THUMB
GESTURES
Napoleon in his Study by Jacques-Louis David, 1812,
showing the French leader in his famous pose - did he really
have a peptic ulcer or was he just having a good time?A human hand has 27 small bones, including eight pebble-
shaped bones in the wrist, laced together by a network of
ligaments, dozens of tiny muscles to move the joints. Scientists
have noted that there are more nerve connections between the
hands and the brain than between any other parts of the body,
and so the gestures and positions we take with our hands give
Powerful insights into our emotional state. Because our hands
are usually held in front of our body, these signals are easy to
see and most of us have several trademark hand positions we
continually use. For example, mention the name 'Napoleon'