Gesture, or visible bodily action that is seen as intimately involved in
the activity of speaking, has long fascinated scholars and laymen alike.
Written by a leading authority on the subject, this long-awaited study
provides a comprehensive treatment of gesture and its use in interaction,
drawing on the analysis of everyday conversations to demonstrate its varied
role in the construction of utterances. Adam Kendon accompanies his
analyses with an extended discussion of the history of the study of gesture
- a topic not dealt with in any previous publication - as well as exploring
the relationship between gesture and sign language, and how the use of
gesture varies according to cultural and language differences. Set to
become the definitive account of the topic, Gesture will be invaluable to
all those interested in human communication. Its publication marks a major
development, both in semiotics and in the emerging field of gesture studies.