This landmark study examines the role of gestures in relation to speech and thought. Leading scholars, including psychologists, linguists and anthropologists, offer state-of-the-art analyses to demonstrate that gestures are not merely an embellishment of speech but are integral parts of language itself. The volume contributes to a rapidly growing field of study, offering a wide range of theoretical perspectives. It has strong cross-linguistic and cross-cultural components, examining gestures by speakers of Mayan, Australian, East Asian, as well as English and European languages. The content is diverse, including chapters on gestures during aphasia and severe stuttering, the first emergence of speech–gesture combinations in children, and a section on sign language. In a rapidly growing field of study this volume opens up the agenda for research into a new approach in understanding language, thought, and society.