From Goethe's Faust to hand games – the hand plays a central role not only as a sensory organ and tool but also in history and literature.

It grabs and feels, caresses and strikes, greets and seals contracts: No body part is as versatile as the hand. In language, we find countless examples of its prominent role: We take something into our hands, something cannot be dismissed, and a goal would be within reach if only we didn't have two left hands. Each era connects its own ideas with the hand – and as we increasingly control machines with language, it speaks volumes about the transformation we are undergoing. Jochen Hörisch showcases the entire diversity of hands that we encounter in literature and the history of ideas.