One of my favourite movies when I was in high-school was 'Hair', given its message of freedom and independence from all adults rules - although I was not too much involved in the 'pros' and 'cons' of Vietnam though. As someone who broke free from the communism, I knew how much emphasis was put on the clean short cut of men and carefully arranged tresses for girls - that I never had, as my mother chose to keep me with the hair cut short. The hair was so important for my formative years that I even took part to a sit in in the school yard against the decision of a school director to cut the hair of some rebel youngsters.
Even we acknowledge it or not directly, the way we look at hair plays an important role in the history of mentalities ad this book reveals several interesting aspects. Actually, we can easier read a culture through its ways to look at hair as 'all cultures have created clear rules and of dress and hair styling to vindicate gender and (usually) marital status'. Hair is more than part of an invidiual identity and personal statement, but is part of an intricated system of beliefs and cultural codes. New hairstyles are indicating a change of attitudes, more than a simple fashion.
Although the book focuses extensively on the religious approaches to it - in my opinion, the Jewish one is quite underrepresented, but maybe it is because I know too much about it, but it also introduces the approach of almost unknown Christian groups, such as the strange House of David - it goes beyond it, trying to read the cultural messages and meanings. It is well documented, but written in an accessible way.
I recommend this book to any contemporary historian, and anyone interested in the history of mentalities.
Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher via NetGalley.com
