Big Hair: A Journey Into The Transformation Of Self - Softcover

Most people in modern Western society are obsessed with hair: hair they have, hair they don't, hair they don't want (there), the latest to-do about the do of the latest star or starlet--and yet there have been virtually no in-depth studies of hair in this culture. McCracken, a curator of ethnology, has written an insightful study of how Westerners redefine themselves by defining and redefining their 'dos, dont's, and dyes, and the fetishistic fascination with hair styles of the rich and famous.

Although written primarily about women's hair, and in particular, blond hair, my entire household--men and women alike--learned a great deal from the in-depth analyses of these dead strands of protein extruding from tiny pores on our heads which nonetheless have extraordinary power in determining status and even wealth. Recommended.

An in-depth investigation into the cultural mores of our time.... I found this book brilliantly illuminating. (Ed. Note: Don't snicker: as you will find after reading this book, Vidal Sassoon's role in Western culture is far more important than you might think). -- Vidal Sassoon