2003 Aventis prizes for science books

Chris McManus wins the "Science Booker" for his exploration of an uneven universe

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Chris McManus, professor of Psychology and Medical Education at University College London, has scooped the £10,000 General Prize of the 2003 Aventis Prizes for Science Books for Right Hand, Left Hand: The Origins of Asymmetry in Brains, Bodies, Atoms and Cultures, (Weidenfeld & Nicolson).

The panel of judges, chaired by writer Margaret Drabble, said, "His book answers some of the deepest questions in biology, physics and chemistry. It is an excellent mix of hard science and engaging games and tricks. It's got a treasury of anecdotes and things you didn't know."

From molecules to entire organisms, nature endows each with a defined handedness and McManus explores what this orientation means in a practical sense. "A veritable compendium of everything you might want to know about handedness. …I feel pretty well integrated with my body, the cosmos, human culture and its diversity," wrote Brian Goodwin on April 25, 2003 in the ...

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