109 of 110 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A good book for those wanting to make the natural hair transition, October 25, 2009
This review is from: Thank God I'm Natural--The Ultimate Guide to Caring for and Maintaining Natural Hair (Paperback)
I really liked the book for it's candid approach to why so many Black women are afraid to wear their own natural texture. Like the author I also grew up in an upper middle class white community. While the author was growing up watching Wonder Years and such, my TV icons were more like Charlie's Angels. The "Farrah" Flip was all the rage along with the Dorothy Hammill bob! What was a black girl to do! To add to it my mother was a trained hair dresser. She believed my hair didn't grow because I had bad hair. So I had relaxers starting in grade school. I often thought that I suffered this exact story alone and for that I really thought the book was on track. I commend the author for putting her story out there in an effort to educate and unite a group of women who feel ignored by the beauty industry at large.
I made my transition to natural hair more than 10 years ago when it wasn't popular and there was one book on the market that addressed the issue(Lonnice Bonner's book). I also work in an industry that is all about your look and at first I encountered some flack from a few people but knew that if I rocked my natural with confidence they would have less issues the more they saw me. I agree with the author that it was one of the most liberating things I've done for myself letting go of the relaxer.
For me being a long time natural the book didn't bring any new revelations so I wouldn't recommend this if you already are a natural and have a good hair routine that works for you. The DIY hair recipes might be helpful but these can be found on a lot of the hair blogs and black hair care sites for free. I also don't belong to the trim your ends club every six weeks to promote hair growth unless your hair is really damaged. Now that I have be a healthy natural I don't need all the trimming either. I also wished the photos were better quality and in color. The hair styles pictured were small and in black and white and the paper quality just flattened the detail. The Q & A section just was a rehashing of the books contents nothing informative there. The salon listings not very in depth. I found that the most important ingredients that one should look for in cleansing and conditioning products are Collagen, Keratin, and Amino Acids. The building blocks that make up hair and the three ingredients lost and leeched from hair when you use chemicals and heat--were not strongly if at all addressed in this book.
Overall, if you are new to the natural world this book will be of service to you and with that I can recommend. If you are already a natural lady who is on point with her hair I would pass.
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34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not quite a natural hair Bible...but still good., January 16, 2010
This review is from: Thank God I'm Natural--The Ultimate Guide to Caring for and Maintaining Natural Hair (Paperback)
I officially did the "Big Chop" two months ago, yesterday. I'm glad I bought "Thank God I'm Natural." The book is inspirational and encouraging, but unfortunately, somewhat of a disappointment.
I liked reading about Chris-Tia's natural hair care journey, and her brief historical overviews of relaxers, and her descriptions about various hair classification systems (which include information on Andre Walker's and the LOIS hair care system.) The book also includes information about coloring, essential vitamins, taking down locks, and transitioning tips. She also gives sample routines, choosing the proper "Denman" Brush for natural hair, and dismantles natural hair care myths.
I also loved the production quality of the work: very classy. The cover vector artwork is cute, the layout simple and elegant. (Loved the near Edwardian font for the numbers on the edges too.)
Although Chris-Tia did an excellent job, her book does have its shortcomings. Essence Magazine touted this as a Natural Hair Care Bible. When I think "Bible," I think of essential information being compiled in one place.
I was astonished at the information that was excluded from the book. There were pictures of natural hairstyles, with no directions on how to recreate those styles. Instead, the author tells readers to visit her Website online. This makes no sense, other than from a marketing ploy to get readers to eventually purchase her products. In my opinion, it probably would have made more sense to include the information, then go for the marketing ploy (that would have been more straightforward).
Chris-Tia also included recipes from Motown Girl, the diva of natural hair care, in her book. It's wonderful to have it hard bound and in print, but you can nab her natural haircare recipes for free from the main Motown Girl site (Google it!) You can also get the step-by-step instructions on recreating natural hairstyles (like afro puffs, curly fros, braid outs, twists outs, etc;) from that site that Chris-Tia excludes.
Other exclusions include the mention of Curly Nikki's fabulous site. (Google it if you get a chance). Although Chris-Tia mentions products for use on natural hair, she fails to mention natural haircare staples like Kinky Kurly Custard (KKC), Oyin products, Karens Body Beautiful, etc; I also wish there were color photographs of different hairdos.
Even though, "Thank God I'm Natural" is not perfect, but it's still worth owning. Just know what you're getting.
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28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
EXCEPTIONAL BOOK, July 17, 2009
This review is from: Thank God I'm Natural--The Ultimate Guide to Caring for and Maintaining Natural Hair (Paperback)
At a time when I needed it most this book arrived and lead me to the light. This book is exceptional and should be read by anyone who is thinking of going natural or who have already taken the natural journey. It's funny, witty but also extremly informational. It cut down the time I'd spend ravaging through the web searching for information dealing with shampoo and the many how to's....! It also helped me with the emotional curve for going natural....trust me this is a must buy!!!!!!!!
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