TA 02 Apr 14: The British Hitman - History of the Kiss




Thinking Allowed show

Summary: Hitmen for hire: David Wilson, Professor of Criminology, examined 27 cases of contract killing committed by 36 men (including accomplices) and one woman. Far from involving shadowy, organised criminals, the reality of killing for cash turned out to be surprisingly mundane. Also, Kissing - a cultural history. Laurie Taylor talks to Marcel Danesi, Professor of Linguistic Anthropology about his new book 'The History of the Kiss' which argues that kissing was the first act of "free romance" liberated from the yoke of arranged unions. They're joined by Karen Harvey, from the University of Sheffield, who has studied the meaning of the kiss across different cultures and periods.