[.ca] No Lye!: The African American Woman's Guide To Natural ... (ISBN 0312151802)

very good, ten stars rather than five stars.:
I LIKE THIS BOOK VERY MUCH. However,there is one scientific error in this book,at the beginning to do with the chemical make up of hair....I am not at home and I can't quote it from memory. This book could still be more informative.... This book is like having group therapy or interviewing other women,but it is not all black women's views. I am reviewng it because I think it is worth a read. As you may or may not know African coily hair is quite unique in vision, texture, behaviour and probably in chemical make up too. Coily haired women around the world, go to the most extremes in terms of spending. (Spending time, spending pain and the spending price to have African coily hair styled) A hairstyle that we believe looks good or will help us to become socially and economically advanced. Or maybe for our own self-esteem and maybe to attract the charms of a love interest. Either way, psychologically and philosophically I believe that your hair is a reflection of the state of your consciousness, your internal beliefs and your relationship with the world. What about exploring physics through african hair? For example how much pressure, gravity and tension and tearing do we put our hair through by combing it? let alone excessive harsh combing. Mathematically speaking how many of you readers can tell me how many curls/coils per inch your hair has, and does it vary in coil and moisture? Next question:When does the nature of the hair change and why? (i know it does!) It seems to me all these books on afro hair are good and I welcome it, but we still need to be more informed and they all seem to need better editing, just like Black American beauty magazines.I must campaign for better grammar and less air brushed photos!!! It is as if we like to see ourselves falsely rather than the reality of what we are... Black women need to demand more scientific reasoning from our books and be less competitive over black men which only fuels their egos and as a result probably creates more baby-mothers!!! Sorry but I had to vent out my opinions. I maintain that this book is still worth reading,more than any carcinogenic chemical so called hair treatment that you pay for. Anyway what do I know I am a black african british woman!!!! Most of you Americans think we in Britain have no trains or any kind of progressive development!!! Anyway if I wrote my book answering my questions that I recently put to you, how many of you would buy it?

It was the best book i ever read:
I thought it was a good book. IT gave alot of information on natural hair care. If you are just beginning the natural journy this is the book for you.

Excellent:
This book has greatly helped me to get started on the right foot on my journey to healthy, natural hair. The book's strength is Ms. Kinard's thorough review of hair structure and honesty about the products we incorrectly use. Its minor weakness is its limited number of natural style photos that one can wear to the corporate office. Buy this book to keep in your personal library as reference. I wish every natural hair care professional would seek out her expertise.

Excellent Book:
I have several copies of this book! I give it as gifts and everything -- it's absolutely excellent, and here's the reason: The author explains in easy-to-understand, layperson's terms not only how to care for and style natural hair, but how to care for and style hair while it's IN TRANSITION from being treated with chemicals to being chemical free! It also gives a list of the lifestyle and dietary changes that complement healthy hair, whether it's natural, permed, straightened/pressed, etc. It has so much information and is so easy to read that I've given it as a gift to sisters who refuse to go natural, just to give them some tips on how to eat, care for their hair, etc. Again, it's an EXCELLENT BOOK.

As my Grams would say Kinard put her foot in this book!!!:
Lovely book by Kinard! This book gives great pictures and Ideas of how to style you beautiful "nappy" hair! Her tips on hair care are priceless and can keep you from losing your hair with crazing suggestions the "unnaturals" will give you! Also if your vegetarian or vegan her practices will not go against your standards!