Prologue and Dawn Summary and Analysis

This non-fiction analytical description of "The Hand" subtitled "How its use shapes the brain, language, and human culture" is published in 1998 by Frank R. Wilson. Wilson presents a cultural and historical tale of the use and development of the human hand that supports human learning, physical characteristics and development before and since Homo sapiens appears on earth.

Prologue

Hands and arms come to life even before waking to belie our total dependence on them as they are skillfully and silently involved in daily activities. The symptoms of "musician's cramp" are made known to the author, along with the pain sculptors, carvers, and surgeons experience. Wilson's mission is to expose the "hidden physical roots" of human capacity for passionate, creative work. He illustrates the anthropological and evolutionary views, biomechanical and physiological characteristics and neurobehavioral and developmental perspectives. Through...