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Vocabulary:
1. prenatal /pree-NAY-tul/. adjective. Relating to the period before birth, especially the period of development in the womb. "Prenatal care is crucial for the health of both the mother and the baby."
2. chiromancy /ky-ruh-MAN-see/. noun. The art or practice of interpreting character and predicting the future by examining the lines and other features of the hands, also known as palmistry. "She visited a palmist to learn about her future through chiromancy."
3. crossroads /KROS-rohds/. noun. 1. A place where two or more roads meet. 2. Figuratively, a point in life where a decision must be made that will significantly affect one's future. "She stood at a crossroads in her career, deciding whether to continue her job or start her own business."
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I’m currently rereading a book by Dr. John Manning entitled "The Finger Book." It analyzes the length ratio of the index finger (2D) with the ring finger (4D). He has gathered information from several countries, examining lifestyles, health conditions, occupations, and more. The 2D:4D ratio is believed to be influenced by prenatal testosterone levels and therefore reflects the personality tendencies in a person's life.
In my palmistry sessions, I only spend a couple of minutes analyzing the student’s 2D:4D ratio because I focus more on time mapping and chieromancy. Dr. Manning’s books on 2D:4D ratios give no insights on timelines.
Currently, this book is not considered palmistry. The definition of palmistry might evolve in time, however, as data and research begin to support areas of traditional palmistry. The price of metadata and data collection in general is dropping.
With this in mind, would I recommend this book? Yes, for a student interested in psychology or anthropology, I definitely recommend it. Although the biological terms are advanced English (C2), the majority of the text is upper-intermediate English (B2). Dr. Manning reiterates concepts with examples to help the reader. For a lower-intermediate (B1) reader, I think it could be an interesting book and would stretch their vocabulary. As for myself, I will continue to integrate brief mentions of it in the context of a romance/love, money, or health-related session.
For more on this topic, the following are independent studies. Sci-Hub might be a workaround to access the full-length versions without a payment. I have used the following studies to create podcasts on the subject:
Sex Differences in Jealousy, 2D:4D research of 2015 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236107604_Sex_differences_and_similarities_in_jealousy_The_moderating_influence_of_infidelity_experience_and_sexual_orientation_of_the_infidelity
Digit (2D:4D) Ratio, Body Composition, and Sex Hormones: 2003 study
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14675912/
BBC study on Digit Ratio, Dominance, and Sociosexuality
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18433004/
Big Five Personality Traits, 2D:4D Ratios, and Aggression in Eurasian Men
https://www.sociostudies.org/journal/articles/2091055/
2D:4D Ratio in Psychiatric Disorders: A Meta-Analysis
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33508786/
2D:4D Indian study: Cardiovascular Disease https://docs.bvsalud.org/biblioref/2019/12/1047000/10-28-32_18710.pdf
*For this column, CafeTalk does not have a category for psychology. I used the category of counseling for this review as it may give insights that could help a person understand their strengths and weaknesses better. Such information can be useful, especially if they are at a crossroads.
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