This book is about more than just the history of black hair. Dabiri traces the evolution of Black hair from the past to the present. Dabiri uses Black hair as a springboard to discuss race, colorism, discrimination, body politics, appropriation, and other issues, using phrases like "representation is not liberty" and "not all skin folk are kin." This book is peppered with her personal experiences, which do not detract from the topic but rather add to it.

This book taught me a lot about my 4c hair and told the story of my natural hair journey. Don't expect an easy read because this book is well-researched and reads like an academic thesis. This book felt disjointed because Dabiri's point was not clear from the start. It was obvious once I understood Dabiri's thesis. This book is for anyone interested in the history of black hair.

I will recommend any book that talks about Black women and their experience with their hair. It means so much to us and I think Dabiri gives a good introduction to those who may be unfamiliar. it is relatable and it is moving. I can see why it got such high reviews.

The cover is what drew me to this title, and the fact that it comes at a time when natural hairstyles have made a comeback.

Twisted explains how even the premise of ones' hair textures and styles can be used as a form of discrimination. Dabiri does a phenomenal job of breaking down the history and cultural significance of hair textures and styles. It might challenge us to look at some of the reasons we may have trouble identifying with our natural hair.

An engaging story with lots of takeaways and is a must-read.

This book was fascinating. This history and culture of Black hair is so complex, from the discrimination, stigmatization, shame, erasure, to the appropriation. I learned so much reading this. Have you ever thought about the complex geometry and patterns that go into braids?! I had not. Amazing!

This year I wanted to read more non-fiction books. I came by Twisted on NetGalley and knew I wanted to request it because I never read a nonfiction book about hair and I always find African-American and African hair to be very fascinating because it’s such a part of them, (for my hair is just that and not so much a part of my identity or my culture.) I enjoyed learning more about how much it's a part of their culture and a part of who they are as a person. What it's like to have hair that makes them seem different and what it's actually like having hair like that in American and around the world. I learned so much from this book. I learned so much about these different kinds of hair, and what and how people can and are treated based on the kind of hair they have. My favorite part was learning about the different styles and what those styles mean to them. And not just the style but the process of getting hair done, and how it’s meaningful and very important. The parts about how people were/are treated for there hair broke my heart. Twisted has a great balance of facts with personal stories that show the truth and power that hair has. I enjoyed looking at all the photos.  The only thing that I didn’t like was that I wanted more, it’s was a short read for me and I wanted it to be longer so I could learn even more, but that was just a, me thing. All hair is beautiful, all hair matters, and all hair should be treated the same. This is a great read, that showed me more about the interesting and heartbreaking history and culture of African hair. If you are interested in culture and/or hair then you’ll enjoy this book!

Covering colonization through the atrocities of slavery and the civil rights movement to how African textured hair and hairstyles are discriminated against today, the author presents a thorough history of Black hair. Also touching on the very personal feelings associated with her own and other people's (both Black and white) reaction to her hair, the information is very culturally relevant. Especially important for white people is the chapter on cultural appropriation and why African-inspired hairstyles are offensive for white people to wear. With just enough sources to back up her claims, this book skirts the edge of being academic while remaining readable and engaging. Highly recommended for anyone who has ever wondered, "What's the big deal? It's just hair."

***I was granted an ARC of this via Netgalley from the publisher.***

Black hair had been looked down on in the West for a long time with negative attitudes widespread in the white and black communities. However, over the last 40 some odd years this has changed. In the book, Twisted: The Tangled History of Black Hair Culture, Emma Dabiri through a series of essays talks about not only her own experience of being a half black, half white girl growing up in Ireland at a time when there weren't many black people there but also how she came to love her own hair and the history of styles and attitudes toward black hair. Many black girls will relate to Emma's story of coming to appreciate their natural hair and people of other cultures will do well to read what black hair means to the black community and the wrongs in policing it. The dive into the history of the attitudes about black hair both from the black community and outside of it show where the negative connotations come from and why we should consign them to the trash heap. This book also takes a look at the evolution of the Black hair product industry and the political and social effects of the dialogue about black hair culture and offers some thought-provoking commentary on it. This is an excellent book on the topic of black hair culture and I would recommend that everyone read it.

Rating: 5/5 stars. Would recommend to a friend.

Dabiri's collection surrounds Black hair culture, the history of Black hair, and its subsequent appropriation and stigmatization. It is a journey through Black hair history from Africa before colonization to the present exploring the ways in which natural hair has been and continues to be subjected to discrimination and appropriated, especially by the influencers and celebrities we see today.

I never would have imagined reading the perspective of a Nigerian that grew up in Ireland and had a father who was educated at Morehouse (one of the greatest HBCUs). As a black woman, I am guilty of preferring my hair straight over my natural curls. Dabiri does a phenomenal job of breaking down the history and cultural significance of hairstyles. Readers are able to understand elements of her childhood that influenced her (and her work). It is refreshing to learn the history and impact of black hair, especially as a black woman. This is a must-read in my book.

A great recounting of a varied history of hair. Examined through the lens of the author's cultures and through the lens of whiteness as defined by white imperialist and colonial histories, Twisted is must read for anyone in a radical, positive, and liberating narrative on Black hair.

This book profoundly resonatedwith me as an african american woman in her 40s who has struggled with a love/hate relationship with my hair most of my life. I believe it can be an eye opener for others who misunderstand the deep, passionate emotions that we feel towards our hair being misused, emotionally, politically and culturally.