This is a fascinating inside look at something I would otherwise never know--what is it like to have African-American hair. Byrd addresses the history, from slaves removed from the tools and techniques to maintain traditional hair in slavery, the founding of the major black hair care companies (and their buyouts by big white companies), the problems of finding good barbers and experts in new towns, the cultural politics of going natural, inter-racial and adopted children and parents learning how to care for hair unlike their own, and the internet as a source of information.