It's Not Really About the Hair: The Honest Truth About Life, Love, and the Business of Beauty [Hardcover]

Tabatha Coffey (Author), Richard Buskin (Author)

Book Description

Release date: January 25, 2011

Tabatha Coffey, star of the hit Bravo reality show Tabatha’s Salon Takeover, shares her compelling life story with fans, revealing not only the events that have made her so outspoken, but the personal tenets that have contributed to her success and kept her centered and thriving with each new challenge and opportunity.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Fans of the hit Bravo show Tabatha's Salon Takeover tune in for the straight-shooting, unvarnished commentary of its ballsy, stylish, and savvy star. Though millions admire Tabatha Coffey's unflinching honesty and never-say-die attitude, some do not and have even taken to name-calling. Refusing to let others define her, she has reclaimed the word "bitch," transforming it to fit the person she is: Brave, Intelligent, Tenacious, Creative, and Honest.

In It's Not Really About the Hair, this deeply private woman shares the experiences of her own life to encourage you to get in touch with your own inner bitch. Tabatha reveals how she used her strength and openness to help define her signature look, personal relationships, life choices, and tenacious work ethic—one that in her own words likens her to "a pit bull with a bone." Here are the people and the circumstances that have led her to a place of honesty, self-assurance, satisfaction, and success—from her tough-minded mum to her famous mentors, her peers, and clients.

Part memoir, part business manual, and part coaching guide on achieving self-acceptance and love, It's Not Really About the Hair teaches you that it's all right to be who you are, stand up for what you believe in, and do what makes you happy without being defined by others.

Tabatha Coffey's raw, funny, shocking, and always inspirational story will encourage you to celebrate the long-lasting and most important beauty of all—the true beauty that is you.

About the Author

Tabatha Coffey is the star of Bravo’s Tabatha’s Salon Takeover, which combines her hairdressing and business expertise with her edgy style. Coffey has also appeared on Make Me a Supermodel, The Tyra Banks Show (as a part of Banks’s “Glam Squad ”), and The Biggest Loser (where, along wit h Tim Gunn, she provided makeovers to the show’s contestants). Tabatha lives with her partner in Ridgewood, New Jersey, where she al so works at her salon, Industrie Hair Gurus.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: It Books; First Edition edition (January 25, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062023101
• ISBN-13: 978-0062023100
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (69 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #186,086 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Tabatha Coffey was first introduced to America as a contestant on the Bravo reality show Shear Genius, where she quickly earned a reputation for her outspokenness. Voted the show's Fan Favorite despite being ousted in the sixth episode, she was asked by Bravo in 2008 to star in her own reality series, Tabatha's Salon Takeover, which combines Coffey's hairdressing and business expertise with her edgy style as she saves salons in danger of closing. Coffey has also appeared on Make Me a Supermodel, The Tyra Banks Show (as a part of Banks's "Glam Squad"), and The Biggest Loser (where, along with Tim Gunn, she provided makeovers to the show's contestants).

Tabatha lives with her partner in Ridgewood, New Jersey, where she also works at her salon, Industrie Hair Gurus.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining memoir/help book about a facinating person, but not deep enough. March 4, 2011

By King Dingbat

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I love Tabatha Coffey. Her show, including reruns are a staple on my DVR. She is one of the few people on TV, I really care about.
Of course I bought her book to read, and what is in it, is fascinating, and highly entertaining. The advice is great too! I love how she has taken ownership if the word BITCH. She is in every respect a fine example of how to be Brave, Intelligent, Tenacious, Creative and Honest. Her stories allow a small glimpse into what has made her who she is today.

The book is not not stellar though, and while I would still buy it again, after I read it, I was slightly disappointed.

The book is not meaty enough, and it certainly is not a "deeply personal" or terribly revealing in any way. I read it in 4 hours, and I am not a fast reader by any means.

While Tabatha does talk about some personal times in her life, I was left wanting quite a bit more. As memoirs go, this one leaves something to be desired. I don't expect her to reveal every personal detail about her live since she was born, but some of the more important points of her life are barely mentioned and glossed over, particularly that she's gay and has a partner of 10 years, which is QUITE LITERALLY all she says about the subject: "I have a partner of 10 years." and that's that. We are told nothing more of her relationship with this partner and it is not discussed further. Again, I don't expect all the sordid details, but I am curious to know how they met, how she knew that her partner was "the one" and what about her partner changed her mind about settling down....

Exaggerating this problem is the fact that all of the bullet points of her life that are discussed in the book, are discussed in every review or promotional interview I've read about the book online, so I was not surprised about any of them. I had hoped that what I was reading was just a snapshot of what was in the book, but it turned out to be just about everything.

The writing is not perfect, but that happens in self-written memoirs, and is excusable.

Overall, Tabatha's book is interesting and useful, and worth the price, but not blockbuster memoir material. And I'm not sure that's not what she planned all along. Read more ›

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable Read with Good Insights on How to Succeed in Life January 31, 2011

By Tiffany E. Anderson

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

"It's Not Really About the Hair" is a nice little glimpse at the real woman behind Tabatha Coffey, the "celebrity": an honest, hard-working and uncompromisingly ethical lady who could be the poster child for the American success story (despite being Australian by birth). Filled with stories--sometimes funny, sometimes poignant--from her childhood in Australia to the present day, you get a sense of how the circumstances of her life have shaped Tabatha to be the woman she is.

After reading her book, I suspect Tabatha has largely gained her reputation for being a "b*tch" because she sets high standards for herself and others in a society where it has become more the norm to only do the minimum required and to take the easy way out whenever possible. A hairdresser by trade myself, I identified with every single point she made about how to be a true success in our business: set high standards for yourself, develop a good moral blueprint (she calls it a moral "compass"), become unswerving in your beliefs no matter who tries to convince you otherwise, and work like the devil. (A recipe for success for any career, actually, not just the beauty industry.)

If you are looking for a how-to book on how to open your own salon and become one of the top salons in the business, this isn't it. If, however, you are interested in the solid foundation of skills and character you need to develop in order to become a "rock star" in your chosen profession (hairdresser or other) and are willing to put in the work needed to get there, then you'd be hard pressed to find a better road map.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Don;t get wrong I did enjoy the story, when it was infact a story July 10, 2011

By M.Coyne

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I really enjoyed this book Tabatha shared some personal stories about her childhood and the years learning and growing into the person she is now. Tabatha's story was very inspiring and truthful, this book was half biography and half self-help. The writing was OK, but hey she is a hair dresser not a writer so I'm willing to look past it. I would recommend this book to a student like me just emerging into the field of cosmetology or even to a seasoned hair dresser. I think she is fantastic, and hey she has to be to get at as far as she has! I would give it 3 stars.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Book is honest, open, and a good read. February 12, 2011

By M. E Flanagan-Paull

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book was clearly written by Tabitha, because you can hear her voice as you read it (you know, that crisp but fun "Tabitha's Salon Takeover voice"). I know some reviewers complained that she didn't reveal enough, but I thought she did a great job of telling us her life story. As I read it, I kept thinking that I really hope this book falls into the hands of an older teen who feels like the world is against him/her. I think this book would really give that person the encouragement to face their fears/bullies/conflicts, push through their pain, and come out on the other side a changed and better person for it. Tabitha certainly did, and this book conveys it. I highly recommend this book.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Reads with Minor Flaws February 7, 2011

By Christopher J. Simone

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have been a fan of Tabatha for a while now and I was anxious to get to read her book. It was a great read which empowers you to be who you are and discover who you are, and where you wanna go with your life without having to follow an influenced path. While I thoroughly enjoyed it; at times it jumped around and felt contradictory in some places. But regardless, great read and I highly recommend it.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars How to Make the Most of Being Different February 4, 2011

By Michael Travis Jasper

Format:Hardcover

I was very surprised to learn how unusual Tabatha's childhood was. She thrived in a world made up of alternative lifestyles and gender exploration. She is a great example of good work ethics and proof that hard work is necessary for success. Tabatha's Salon Takeover [TV show] is a must for anyone wanting to prosper in the hair industry. Any fan of the show or high standards for personal excellence will appreciate the candor and insight of this quick easy read. As a gay person and former hairstylist, I found myself admiring this role model even more than I already had. She wants the best for herself and everyone that she tries to help, but tolerates no nonsense. I like that.
Michael Travis Jasper, Author of the Novel "To Be Chosen"