Let's go digital

...A room full of such quick-witted hands dancing to each other could picture the unseen worlds and solve all mundane problems, I feel sure Of course, even the "pressing of flesh" is looked at somewhat askance today, suspect of being a political ploy...

...The hand achieves this grace and expression with 250 muscles below the elbow (more numerous, and more complex in their movements, than those of the face...

...THE LAST WORD Lei's go digital WILLIAM HOUGHTON Our minds swell up with large abstractions like "global markets" and "global budgets," but our poor body and spirit still dangle from small gestures and trivial daily habits, rituals like handshaking The lowly handshake, now that hugging or even touching the elbow is taboo, is left as our only relatively safe physical contact As a boy, I saw those tiny ads in the back of comic books, pnnted in such antlike fine type that their very format suggested something occult, forbidden "How to Shake Hands " (The ads for "How to Kiss" were even more tantalizing, but beyond my boldness to explore through the public mails ) A studious friend of mine received the handshaking pamphlet, which he kept in a box in his room, and I was somewhat disappointed to read its revelations' "Grasp the other person's hand firmly," it said, "and look him directly in the eye, pumping the hand several times and then releasing it...

...For most people, the hand cannot lie...

...I would recommend the lowly handshake ? William Houghton, a physician, lives in Milwaukee 31...

...I conscientiously followed these instructions for many years...

...College students are counseled to obtain informed consent before touching Signed contracts before kissing may be not too far in the future, and soon after that attorneys will work on loopholes, disclosure, contingencies, and breaches of contract A walker in any large city can see how heavily armored pedestrians are, the muscles of the back and shoulders rigid, staring straight ahead, speaking to no one, in terror of any physical contact These are the fruits of our admiration of the dry intellect, and our fear of the damp body...

...Artists have seen and memorized this quality Michaelangelo drew and sculpted hands that speak volumes Charlie Chaplin could make a character with a wrist and a finger In the old days, a man's word and his hand—and a woman's, too—were proof enough of lasting commitment...

...Now that in our daily business we routinely telephone across the continent, and our minds are spaced out on TV, vaporized on faxes and the information superhighway, we may find ourselves in more need of immediate and accessible— even lively and "handy"—gestures to make a physical connection to others...

...I have watched deaf people sign to each other with fluttering hands and envied their agile fluency...

...As usual, the manuals for life were good up to a point, but not a complete guide I did a fair imitation of a hearty handshake, but found that the styles of handshakes were too vanable, my timing and the other person's too individual and erratic, and unexpectedly I was pitched into the world of the spontaneous and the genuine Many handshakers offer hands that are mushy, or slippery seaweeds, so guarded are they, and so wary of my approach They would mold their hands (selves) to my wishes, which is not what I wish The rockcruncher is a familiar type I enjoy crunching back, but if I haven't worked out on my rubber balls lately, I feel defeated, and resent his intrusion as much as I dislike the mushy retreat Dripping digits hold a humid horror for the squeamish, but I must admit that I like a bit of moisture, even stickiness, up to a point, which gives a grip to the bones' brush I have noticed that the fumbling of the fingers is almost nothing without a direct gaze or a glance from the eyes, and of course the appropriate words—"Glad to meet you," "Congratulations," "Thank you," "Good-by"—round out the ritual Other parts of the body are obviously involved One cannot avoid some awareness of their closeness and temperature But the custom of the handshake requires the discipline not to look too directly at the other person's body The handshaking ritual gives us an opportunity to be both close and safe I have noticed that some people plan a handshaking performance (still following the manual), but that most people—including me—simply bumble into a fairly haphazard lunge and "leak the truth at every pore " (The same is probably true of kisses) Shaking hands is the last stronghold of the open and true expression...