Buy, Borrow, Bypass Nonfiction Books About Hair

Buy, Borrow, Bypass Nonfiction Books About Hair Some  of my favorite books fall under the genres of  microhistory or  immersion journalism: Diving deep into a topic, the stranger  or more obscure the better! I fell down a rabbit hole about books about hair recently, and boy, oh boy, is it a weird and cool rabbit hole. Here we have the history of hair removal, personal essay books about hair, history and commentary on Black hair, and a look at the wig industry. Are you sitting down? Do you have a towel around your neck, a cup of water? Because these books are gonna blow you away. Tangle your brainwaves. Weave in facts you never knew you wanted to know. (Im sorry.) Plucked: A History of Hair Removal by Rebecca M. Herzig This is a heavy look  into the science and history of hair removal â€" from shaving as punishment  in Guantanamo Bay to getting routine Brazilian waxes. We get to see the techniques for hair removal, the types of people throughout history who have cared about removing their hair, and what people assume about people who dont tame their hair, like those reckless young women who dont shave their armpits (*waves*). This is the most science-y one here, and its probably the best if youre just wanting one book about hair. Verdict:  Buy. Me, My Hair, and I: Twenty-seven Women Untangle an Obsession by Elizabeth Benedict Hair is a symbol of identity: social status, sexuality, politics. This collection of short essays by women about their hair and what it means is just lovely. We hear from women across the globe, telling the history of their own hair coupled with the history of hair in their cultures. We hear from women who lose their hair from chemotherapy. We hear from women who spent their childhoods wishing their hair were anything but what it is. Verdict:  Borrow. Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America by Ayana Byrd, Lori L. Tharps Oh my goodness, you guys, this one is so good. Its the best of the books about hair Ive found. We get the whole history of Black hair in Africa and beyond, with portraits of hairstyles through the years, and advertisements for Black hair products. We get interviews with  tons of men and women about their hair and the implications of wanting good hair, hair thats straight and smooth. We get the story of politics in Black hairstyles. And theres a chapter in here thats basically a letter to White people about Black hair and hair routines, and it is perfect. Verdict:  Buy. Entanglement: The Secret Lives of Hair by Emma Tarlo Ever wonder what happens to hair when its not attached to a head? Its made into ropes and wigs and clothes and all kinds of things. Tarlo interviews people across the world who work with hair, either turning it into something else, or  collecting it and keeping it safe. But this book is more about the wig industry than anything else, which is a bummer. Verdict:  Bypass. What are your nonfiction recommendations for books about hair? Check out all of our nonfiction recs here.   Sign up for True Story to receive nonfiction news, new releases, and must-read forthcoming titles.