The Definitive Book of Handwriting Analysis

A Lighthouse of Graphology

The lofty title of the book suggests a lot, causing the reader to thoughtfully question whether any science already has a final, definitive book? However we find that it is a solid "stock-taking" which builds on the great works of American graphology by Thea Stein Lewinson, Klara Roman, Ulrich Sonnemann, Frank Victor and Werner Wolff.

It is a broadly laid-out work with many facets, divided in three parts. Part I deals with the history of the field, how to determine form level and how to analyze a handwriting; Part II focuses mainly in on how handwriting is organized by the brain. This part deals with conscious, preconscious and unconscious determinants in handwriting and also how brain damage can affect handwriting. Part III covers forgery detection, questioned documents, and writing expertise in court. The outline shows the author as a long-time expert in this field, but also misses mention of some modern methods of examination such as use of the electron microscope, electrostatic surface examination and optical surveys by UV light. This shows the focus of the book for laymen.

Altogether this book rises like a lighthouse out of the morass of the other graphology publications in the USA. The author presents a great array of American handwritings on astoundingly high level. Although the author only had access to English sources, in spite of this, it is amazingly comprehensive. Maybe this book gets into the hands of one or another university professors and if so, it may help to break up his/her prejudices and this could lead to a raise in standards of academic psychology in the America.

Helmut Ploog, Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief of the German handwriting journal Angewandte Graphologie und Personlichkeits Diagnostik.

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