What Happens

The human hand, Black says, “is a miracle of evolution working in harmony with engineering.” People use their hands for hundreds, even thousands, of daily tasks, yet they take these critical tools for granted. Hands have a complex structure and development; even the most straightforward actions require coordinating many parts.

Hand bones are among the most difficult to recover completely, especially after a fire. Black relates a case of two young boys who died in a house fire. To the horror of their grieving parents, some of their remains were overlooked and turned up later.

Each hand has twenty-seven bones. The author discusses variations in people with more or fewer fingers or toes than usual. Forensic anthropologists must account for all bones or determine why some are missing. What is more, hands are extremely distinctive to each person.

Black tells the story of a key chain made up of the bones of a human finger. It belonged to an amputee who made his finger into a key chain and then lost it. Black and her team helped narrow the search by identifying the characteristics of the finger and hands, which can reveal much about the age and sex of the person. Fingerprints are also critically important.

Why It Matters

Black’s presentation of the human hand should be quite fascinating to most readers. Her description of the intricacy of the hand might even make readers look at their own hands with a new appreciation. This is the author’s intention. Readers are also invited to consider how the simplest tasks require a whole series of steps that they do automatically. They might also think about how their lives would change if they lost one or both hands.

The story of the finger key chain might also raise some eyebrows. Black is skeptical about the amputee’s decision to create the key chain. Readers, however, should conclude whether this is morbid or “cool.”