Crossing Paths: Reading Hands for Love and Work

Mahabel makes large assertions about palmistry in this little book: ""The life purpose of a human being is clearly written into the hand""; palmistry is ""an unsurpassed tool for character and emotional analysis,"" etc. For those inclined to believe him, his volume serves up quite a bit of information. Pages on the left offer a drawing of the palm, highlighting in each case one particular characteristic and the trait it indicates: a long upper segment of the middle finger demonstrates a philosophical bent, for example, while a flat hypothenar region suggests superficiality. The page on the right goes into slightly greater detail about the subject, explaining other, complementary qualities (curiosity, for example, in the philosopher-types) and people famous for the primary quality (Jessica Simpson and Pamela Anderson, for example, are apparently famous for their superficiality). Liars and nature lovers alike, it seems, can all be revealed by the creases in their skin. The book's simple format and Lukowiak's clear drawings make this a highly interesting volume to thumb through, whether or not one believes in palmistry's legitimacy.