Hairtalk: Stylish Braids from African Roots [Paperback]

Duyan James (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2007

A braidery is more than just a shop where you get your hair done: it is a spiritual space, a meeting place, and a cross-cultural intersection, and the site where the past and present are woven together and traditions come alive. Duyan James, a Liberian native with a braidery in Washington, DC, presents a colorful, fascinating, and gorgeously photographed guide to the art. Complete with stories, folklore, and traditional hair care secrets, Hairtalk provides a full sense of the history of the many braiding styles that have become a staple in American culture. Pore through 51 styles for adults and nine for children—including some with synthetic and natural extensions—and learn all of the basic braiding techniques. But most importantly, James and her 12 African braiders from all over the continent provide a compelling account of the tribal meanings and ritualistic uses of each unique look, expanding the value and significance of braiding beyond mere fashion.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Sterling (June 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402742355
• ISBN-13: 978-1402742354
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #743,657 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Better than the rest!, February 6, 2008

By 

Moonquake (Baton Rouge, LA USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Hairtalk: Stylish Braids from African Roots (Paperback)

At first glance, I would have given this book five stars. On almost every page, there are large full page color photos - unlike most of the books I've seen. There are lots of hairstyles included, unlike some books. I took away two stars because 1)the figures showing how to create the styles are drawings, not photos, and are hard to decipher and 2)the book is organized by synthetic, human, and natural hair instead of by hairstyle. So the hairstyles types repeat themselves for each hairtype for reasons beyond me. I would have liked to see all the microbraids, braids, twists, locks, nube nube, et cetera styles together instead of the human or the sythetic styles. There are no how-tos for the various styles, but the book states that the pictures are mainly for ideas. Had there been directions, I would have given this book five stars for its beautiful large photos. I still like this book best so far for the up-to-date (2007) styles and nice pictures.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's been hard to find books like this, October 30, 2007

By 

V. Chandler (East Coast) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hairtalk: Stylish Braids from African Roots (Paperback)

Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of books that have such a wide variety of photos and instructions of braided/twisted/locked hairstyles. As someone who has consistently been disappointed by the "braid" magazines which display sort of "hair show" styles that are impractical for everyday life, I found this book a breath of fresh air. It shows many different styles along with basic instructions on how to do them, how long it takes and some idea of cost. Just what I needed!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fellow braider's view, November 5, 2007

By 

Miriam Jackson Gray "toolbelt diva" (Mo Valley CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hairtalk: Stylish Braids from African Roots (Paperback)

I loved the book! Really enjoyed how it explained the different forms of braids with excellent hair photos. The make up needed work, but other than that great way to show clients different hair styles. If you have a idea of how to do a style but don't really know this book is for you. A braider's go to mannual.