Entanglement: The Secret Lives Of Hair

When no longer attached to the head, human hair is disconcerting. Whether it's being harvested in Indian temples, crafted into wigs in China or sold as extensions in the United States, hair is part of a hidden but expanding global trade most of us know nothing about. A commodity entangled in religion, politics and cultural identity, it finds second lives in wigs, toupees, rope, embroidery, paintbrushes, fertiliser and proteins. But what happens when different hair worlds collide?

Entanglement is a fascinating look at the intimate stories that connect the lives of people with different aspirations and needs in distant parts of the world. Anthropologist Emma Tarlo unveils the secret global journeys of hair as she traces its paths through India, Myanmar, Africa, the United States and Europe and investigates the wide range of meanings hair has for us. A fascinating look inside a little-known industry, this book ensures you will never look at hair in quite the same way again.