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BOOK REVIEW of new Long Hair book
OUR LONG HAIRITAGE: Bringing Peace and Health to your Head
by Roger Sigler
published by Westbow Press 2011
Hi Guys,
I have just been reading a copy of this book which arrived a few days ago in the post. I found out about this book on a thread posted on 30 September 2011 on the MLHB thread.
This book is a very interesting and fascinating read on long hair and why it is better for your physical, mental and spiritual health to maintain long hair. It explores the importance and health benefits of long hair by looking back into history where long hair until before the Romans was once the norm and prized in human society on both men and women. Ancient Hebrews, Greeks, and Spartans as well as more recent groups like North American Indians are discussed and according to the book where long hair is the norm in human cultures baldness is a lot rarer. Short hair is relatively recent in our human history starting generally with the Greeks and Romans where shorter hair was linked to an increase in premature hair loss. The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates himself noted the sudden increase in bald men in his lifetime and made a serious study of it in an attempt to find out why this was the case. The author uses testimony from scientists who study hair to back his ideas that baldness is largely due more to excessive hair cutting which weakens the hair shaft and exposes the scalp to great weathering. Longer hair weighs more and therefore becomes stronger and protects the skin pores on the head better from the rays of the sun. Also excess oil buildup on shorter haired people has been shown to clog the pores creating less healthy scalps along with skin diseases.
The main thrust of the book is it argues that having short hair weakens the hair follicle on the scalp making hair weaker and more prone to baldness. Longer hair weights more on the scalp encouraging better circulation and a healthier scalp. According to the book Having long hair helps limit the risk of baldness and offers better protection from diseases like skin cancer. The author says that hair is linked with our central nervous system through the skin on the scalp and acts as a stimulant.
Interestingly this pro-longhair book is written by a devout Christian who is very much in favour of both men and women wearing long hair with God's full approval. The book has chapters that demolish the weak arguments against long hair by Pharisee Fundamentalist conservative Christians. The book explores the theme that longer hair is more spiritual and noble bringing a person closer to the natural world. Societies where short hair is enforced is seen as being cut off from the natural world and short hair was a feature of people who were enslaved. There is no real good reason for wearing short hair the author says.
What I like most about this book is that the author has clearly devoted a lot of research in writing it using numerous examples from history and the present day and has a lot of different sources to back his statements with. He has interviewed people who are hair scientists and they have linked short hair with premature baldness.
This book is a classic lesson on a work that should not be judged by it's cover and what is inside it is a very passionate pro-long hair book the contents of which are a very worthy companion to Bill Choisser's famous online book ON BEING A LONGHAIR.
I don't agree with everything in the book but it is without a doubt worth reading as it is definately an uplifting pro-longhair for men book.
I would recommend this author's work to anyone who needs good reasons to keep their hair long.
Duncan Quarterman
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Hi Duncan, many thanks for this. Lance
Hi Duncan and thanks very much for the review. Sounds a facinating book and one for all longhairs to embrace. Cheers, Ian
I didn't like it so much. I too, bought it based on the post here, but I thought the book was plain nonsense at times. "Don't try changing your locks, leave them natural as it pleases your lord". Really? THAT'S the reason I'm growing out? No thanks.
The books did have some take home points such as strengthening the scalp and preventing diseases, but overall it was a bunch of religious mumbo jumbo that focused more on the history of long haired religious figures. I'm actually sending it back.
I have to agree that some portions of the book do focus on religious figures in the bible that had long hair using examples to show that in pre-Roman times long hair was the norm. It is difficult to talk about ancient Hebrew culture without having some passing mention of references to the Old Testament and New Testament Bibles. However most of the author's pro-longhair message doesn't just focus on "religious mumbo-jumbo". I think the author included this emphasis in his book to show how fundamentalist Christians have misinterpreted the bible to force short hair on their men and like it or hate the bible is an important social document that is of value to both believer and non-believers alike. I personally take the Bible at face value only and do not take the messages literally like some but see the bigger picture instead. The references to these figures are only a small portion of the total work and shouldn't be dismissed on this alone.
For those who have little time for religion a good 75% of the remaining parts of the book do not have much of a religious theme to it. Historical figures like the founding fathers of America, Contempory Rock Stars and also non-Christian cultures like Ancient Celts, Sikhs, are also examined. Also looks at the negative impact of harsh chemicals and shampoos on the hair and the "barber-mongers" industry is given a serving.
Read the entire 300 page book first instead of just dismissing the religious quotations part of it.
Off the record I am not religious at all, and don't see myself as a true beleiver Christian but still do have time for the philosophy of Jesus Christ and the message that he represented.
Duncan
Duncan, thanks a lot for your review. In contrast, I AM a Christian and have been since age nine. I look forward to what the author says about this subject. Sounds very interesting; I'm glad that it's coming from an author with a perspective that is, for the most part, unexpected on the subject of long hair. Thanks again.
Steve
Steve
Thanks for the heads up Duncan, cheers Dave
Hi Roger,
Your review is interesting, but unfortunately all is achieves for me is it makes me depressed that I cut my hair my entire life and now I am bald. Don't forget Samson, look what happened to him when he cut his hair. So, if it is any consolation, I now have a beard, but unfortunately, I trim that often too. I guess once in the habit....
Rick, sorry. I did not know longer hair was healthier until these last few years. And if I would have known and knew you back when you were younger - I could have saved your head from baldness. However, you can warn others about the pitfalls of short hair. Please recommend the book to them. It will certainly lead them to a healthy head of longer hair for life, assuming they heed the advice therein. Best regards, your friend Roger.