Ms. Al-Shamahi did a decent job elucidating how the handshake seems to be a universal gesture of greeting. But she ignores that the handshake is a gesture between tribes or peoples that do not inherently trust each other. They shake hands to ascertain that the other is not wielding a hidden weapon.
She ignores the cultures of East, South East and South Asia, where the handshake is as foreign as hugging would be to an Arab or Muslim woman. This densely populated part of Asia has seen periodic plagues over many millennia of recorded and oral history. They have thus given up the handshake in favor of a bow or folded hands gesture (such as a Namaste). The reason they gave up the handshake is that a handshake is inherently a distrusting gesture and it inevitably spreads germs. A Bow or a Namaste acknowledges the divinity of the other person and it is thus more civilized than the brutish handshake.
A lost opportunity indeed.
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Top reviews from other countries
Liliya
Interesting and unexpectedly fascinating
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 24, 2023
The_photographer_Tom
Who would have thought . . . .?
Reviewed in Germany on September 9, 2021
The_photographer_Tom
Reviewed in Germany on September 9, 2021
Ell Al-Shamahi. That's who. Being a paleoanthropologist and evolutionary biologist, amongst other things, she takes us on a ride from the stone age to the present day, exploring its rich and varied history.
It lives up to its promise of being a "gripping history" with titles such as "the hand of Destiny" and "history's worst handshakes" together other interesting Snippets. You will also find out which tribes gave "penis shakes" in lieu of handshakes!
Something to learn in almost every chapter! Recommended.
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