Entanglement

Starred review from October 1, 2016

With more than 200 pages of well-researched and carefully documented analysis of cultural artifacts including wigs, extensions, collections, and advertisements for or about hair, Tarlo (anthropology, Goldsmiths, Univ. of London) provides new ways of looking at hair. Her book spans the globe, an approach that at times leads her to gloss over complexities, especially of race and ethnicity. Still, the questions she examines and the "secret lives of hair" that she exposes are fascinating. Readers will learn about tonsure, hair pieces, and many cultural practices that involve hair loss, removal, extension, or repurposing. More interesting even than these details, though, are some of the paradigm shifts that occur when readers begin to think of hair in different contexts--what meanings and values adhere to hair when it is used in industries or displayed in collections? What shifts when someone views "growing hair" as "a hobby"? All of a sudden, a process people view as natural becomes full of intentionality and meaning as hair grows on, giving people the power to share and shear more. VERDICT An engrossing investigation of hair that will engage readers who enjoyed Mary Roach's Stiffed.--Emily Bowles, Appleton, WI

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2016
Tarlo, Professor of Anthropology at Goldsmiths, University of London, takes on a new subject in her notable career researching culturally significant anthropological topics: hair. Tarlo's chronicle of her experiences investigating hair is filled with fascinating details about human hair and the hair trade. As she travels to the far corners of the world in search of tantalizing tidbits on the deceptively simple subject, Tarlo adds to her research as a curator would to a cabinet of curiosities. Written in conversational prose with historical images, little-known facts, and an absorbing narrative woven throughout, this is a lively read that explores the fashion, industry, and history of hair, while untangling our own often-complicated relationship with this natural accessory. In an informative and often whimsical voice, Tarlo personalizes her research with vignettes about her own fascination with hair. From eccentric wig makers in China to hair hunters in India and customers in Europe, Tarlo takes us on an eye-opening journey that will make us wonder if our own hair doesn't have a secret life of its own.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)