Book excerpt: Making Hands: The Design and Use of Upper Extremity Prosthetics provides a historical account of the development of upper extremity prostheses. It describes different aspects surrounding the development of key elements of mechanisms and control, for prosthetic hands and arms, and includes biographical sketches of some key contributors. The field is broad and uses knowledge from a wide range of disciplines. Sections cover the background to give researchers and professionals what they need to learn about adjacent fields. The author's expertise on the control of prostheses makes this a very comprehensive resource on the topic. - Covers research and technological innovation in the development of upper limb prostheses - Introduces upper limb prosthetics from the different perspectives of biology, engineering, clinical practice and industry - Discusses innovations of the recent decades, rapid manufacture, the 'citizen engineer', and how these things may shape prosthetics in the future