Customer Reviews

Rapunzel's Daughters: What Women's Hair Tells Us About Women's Lives

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Although Rapunzel's Daughter is apparently a book meant for university-level cultural studies, it is readable and entertaining enough for a general audience. Refreshingly free of academic jargon, it's filled with examples and insights into the meaning of women's hair at various times and in different cultures. Black and white photos illustrate.

In an especially interesting profile, Weitz describes an American woman who fell in love with an Egyptian Muslim while studying in England. They married and returned to the United States, where she learned about Islam and eventually converted. Then she started covering her head, even though her husband was adamantly against it. She continues to cover her hair and wear the hijab robe against her husband's wishes, because she likes the way men treat her when she is covered. One suspects there is a lot more than hair involved in this vignette.

Other interesting topics covered include hair loss and the culture of the beauty salon. Enthusiastically recommended.

A fascinating look at women and their relationship with their hair. Weitz conducted many interviews and personal research to provide the nine interesting and thought-provoking chapters. She begins with a short history of women's hair, touching briefly on some ancient, medieval and early modern sources and pictures. Most of the book focuses on modern women and the advances within the past one hundred years such as chemical treatments for straightening and relaxing the hair, as well as permanent waves and dyeing treatments. She devotes special portions of the book to African hair, and other ethnic/cultural hairstyles, and how hair makes up the identity of many women. Some particularly interesting styles she mentioned were the Mexican-American "chola" style, dreadlocks, and lesbian hair styles.

Why do women dye their hair? How are women affected when they lose their hair (whether they have alopecia, chemotherapy, or a voluntary buzzcut?) What are women's relationships like with their stylist? You will find out some very interesting answers to these questions when you read the book!

Sure the book is easy to read - because any woman could write it. I found very little here that any person with common sense would not realize on her own. For example, the author says that most women who learn they have cancer learn on the same day that they will need chemotherapy and will lose their hair, and therefore link the cancer and their hair loss forever. Is this even noteworthy?

Also, while the author obviously tries to address the way different cultures and ethnicities view hair, I found that she was disproportionately addressing certain ethnic groups. She talks a great deal about Mexican Americans and lesbians, but there is little mention of any of the many Asian cultures or other Latino cultures in this country - or in other countries, for that matter.

Fluff.

One of the most satisfying experiences when reading a book is when we can see ourselves in its pages. Rapunzel's Daughters allows the reader to see herself, to see others, and to see "other". There are so many ah ha moments in the book as well as much new knowledge. The reader is drawn to the stories because they reveal a common experience. The reader also learns about a variety of "other" experiences, meaning we learn about the intimate stories of groups of people who are not usually accessible to us. These insights give us the opportunity to see people through new eyes.

The writing style of the author is eminately readable. It is clear, thoughtfully organized, and her skill at making transitions is laudable. It is not often that an academic writer can bridge the space between scholarly content and a good read. Remarkably, this author has done exactly that.

If you are looking for a book that is enjoyable to read and one that will give you new insights into women's lives, let down your hair and read Rapunzel's Daughters by Rose Weitz.

This book describes the almost mystical link between women and their hair. Dr. Weitz is a professor at ASU, and I've taken a couple of classes from her over the years. I remembered her mentioning the book she was writing, so I recently looked it up, saw it was out, and went and purchased it. I was a bit disappointed at the unacademic tact the book took with its subject. Perhaps I'm just accustomed to reading scholarly texts, but much of the discussion seemed superficial and didn't explore in detail the rationals behind women's choices for their hair. The tone was explicitly feminist, which I did find interesting, but much of what was written was unsurpizing. The section about aging and hair did hit home for me though. I've had sporadic concerns about how my hair will age, and reading about the issues that other women have faced brought home to me my own fears. Overall, a worthwhile book, but not as wonderful as I was hoping given Dr. Weitz's dynamic and scholarly lecturing style.

I thoroughly enjoyed Rapunzel's Daughters because I learned so much about hair. When I first saw the book, I was trying to figure out how someone could possibly fill a whole book about hair. However I was pleasantly suprised to find there is lots to talk about. The chapters are called The History of Women's Hair, Hot Combs and Scarlet Ribbons, Ponytails and Purple Mohawks, What We Do For Love, Paychecks and Power Haircuts, Bald Truths, At the Salon, I'll Dye Until I Die and No More Bad Hair Days.

In the History of Women's Hair we learn about how hair was cared for and styled in the past. Styles and customs are separated into races since a Caucasian, Latin American and an African American all have different hair as well as different customs about hair. In Hot Combs and Scarlet Ribbons, we learn about what different people do are had done to their hair. The book is full of interviews with all kinds of women from all over. How girls hair was styled depended on what the parents, teachers, peers and media thought was fashionable. Girls rarely decided themselves how their hair would be styled.

In Ponytails and Purple Mohawks, we learn about how some people style or colour their hair to stand out. It also talks about how many lesbians cut their hair and why they do so. It talks about fitting in with stories like the one about the caucasian girl in an otherwise african-american school and how she wanted her thin blonde hair in corn rows since everyone else in her class had them. What We Do For Love talks about styling and colouring our hair the way our husbands want us to. At the same time, when some women divorce or leave an abusive husband, they change their hairstyle so that they feel they can start over. Paychecks and Power Haircuts talks about hair in the work world. In some jobs, you are required to play up your femininity so women with long curly hair are preferred over short straight or braided hair. In some cases, you can be fired for cutting your hair. In other jobs, especially ones where women are in the minority, looking feminine will make you stand out so more masculine cuts and styles are better.

Bald Truths addresses those with Alopecia and those who lose hair due to Chemotherapy. We may not always realize it but hair is very important to women and those women without hair can suffer greatly. Besides being teased and looked upon strangely, they tend not to get as many looks from guys since hair is a big attraction. The chapter also looks at women who shave their heads, to attract attention, show they are lesbian or just downplay their femininity. At the Salon explains what both hairdresser and client get out of a trip to the salon. It's more than just a new do. Many hairdressers act like social workers, listening to clients problems and suggesting ideas. I'll Dye until I Die covers the history of hair dying as it went from something only a few did in secret to the present where lots do it. It talks about how coloring to cover grey came about and how different hair colours show different personality types.

Finally, No More Bad Hair Days is the wrap up chapter, talking about how it might be if hair wasn't as important in the world as it is. This book is a must read for anyone interested in sociology but is a very interesting read for any adult.

I can honestly say this book has changed my life. I am an undergrad Art Major and Women Studies minor and I can honestly say I learned more from this book than the books assigned to me in class.

This book talks about how hair effects women of all class,race,and religion. I never though about my hair too much until reading this book.

The thing that stuck out the most is that it said that women suffering from breast cancer are more upset about loosing their hair than they're breasts! I can honestly say that that surprised me more than anything else.

I recomentd this book to anyone and everyone and I'm thinking as giving it as a gift to friends.

This delightful book turned out to be a great weekend read. Professor Weitz's analysis of the meaning and importance of hair to women is terrific. In describing the book to several friends, all responded with the same remark; "Oh, I wish she'd talked to me." Each then proceeded to tell me at least one story about her own hair and life. Rapunzel's Daughters would make a great choice for a book group because it would draw out so many other stories. The book is also particularly meaningful to those of us over forty as we face the physical decline that is so vividly announced when our hair loses its color. It's no wonder some of use choose to "dye until we die." The first Amazon reviewer (from Publisher's Weekly) took Weitz to task for not distinguishing between hair and dress, or between head and facial or body hair. For heaven's sake, the book was about the hair on women's heads. Did the reviewer wish Weitz to discuss what his beard might tell us about his life? Unlike Publisher's Weekly, I found the book insightful and fun and recommend it highly. I gave a copy to my hair stylist for Christmas and my book group will be reading it in February.

Dr. Weitz is an amazing author and researcher. This book helps to fill in a large gap that has been missing from research on the culture of women in America. In fact, everything that she writes is well-researched, deeply analyzed, and highly sigificant. I have had the great pleasure of being in one of her classes, and it was quite possibly the most challenging, and entertaining class of my undergraduate career. Thanks, Dr. Weitz! (And I'm still working on a definition for resistance!)

Seriously people, buy this book.

I've had to read many scholarly publications, and I've learnec to avoid them at all costs, lest my eyes start hemorraghing. This book is quite a different story. Everything it promises it delivers on. Dr. Weitz has done quality research, and doesn't stop there. She covers enough history of feminism and haircare to make the rest of the book intelligible, and well contexed. She then procedes on to provide insight into the multifacted culture which women's hair expresses. Not being a woman, many things about the female expirience are strange and incomprehensible to me, but in the depths of this book, volumes of information were gleaned. I think it is quite well written, easy to read, and in-depth enough to answer all the readers questions. It has reached that ever critical balance point where any more information would be superfluous, but any less would be annoying.

I for one, want everyone to read it. It's not just about hair, it's a refreshing glimpse into modern woman's struggles and triumphs. In essence, it's about humanity as it stands today.