Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

One afternoon as I was browsing the shelves in my local county library I suddenly saw the words, "Curly Girl" and I was intrigued enough to check it out and bring the book home. All my life I have battled, hated, and been ashamed of my *ugly* naturally curly hair. I am the only curly girl in a family of people with stick-straight hair. When I was a child, my mother always complained that my hair looked "like it was combed with an egg-beater." I so wanted to feel long, swinging hair on my shoulders that I pinned scarves to my head. My mother always threatened that if I didn't take better care of my hair; i.e.,control its unruliness, she would cut it off. And just before my 3rd grade field trip to take a boat cruise in the harbor, that is exactly what she did! I was humiliated to discover that with the ocean's humidity I looked like a poodle! In my teens I slept on rollers as big as orange juice cans and even subjected my hair to a home-straightening kit, which ruined it and caused it to break off and thin. In my 20's I learned that if I kept my hair cut really short and used a big round brush to blow-dry it, my hair would be smoother. But the results never were exactly as I'd hoped and never lasted. Give me a rainstorm, fog, sweatiness, or too much handling, and it would all come undone. For years I wouldn't allow my husband to touch my hair for fear that my hair would revert to its natural state. (Not too romantic, heh?) About 15 years ago at my *staight-haired* sister's urging, I tried using a diffuser when blow-drying my hair. Unfortunately I knew nothing about technique. I was living in the Desert Southwest and was still dutifully shampooing my hair every morning to remove the ton of hair products I loaded onto it the previous day and then blow-dying it before I went to work. The result of my efforts with the diffuser was that my hair was dry and brittle and frizzy. When I would unexpectedly catch a glimpse of myself in a mirror or window I would think, "who's that!" Massey's book was a revelation from the beginning and I actually read it through in one sitting. The next day I followed her suggestions and was amazed at how much curl I actually had in my hair, even short. The 2nd day I read the labels on my haircare products and tossed out the ones with the drying ingredients, and even bravely disposed of my round styling brushes. Once I embraced my curliness, I decided that I really needed to grow it out some since without blow-drying, it looked really short! Each day my hair seemed to get shinier and by following the styling advice in Massey's book, my technique improved too. I haven't gotten a single negative comment or look from my friends and family. (Indeed, they are relieved that I am no longer so hair-crzed and dissatisfied with its appearance.) But best of all, I have come to terms with my curls and even discovered that I like the way they look and I am proud of them. I am so glad that I discovered "Curly Girl: the Handbook" that day in the library. I wish there had been a book like it years ago when I was really young. It has changed my life for the better.