Haircutting for Dummies

Rating:
Summary: Very helpful
Review: Between watching my son's barber and using this book, I am getting pretty good at cutting his hair. The book's instructions are very clear. In general, it is hard to learn how to cut hair from just reading a book by itself. But, I think this is as good as any haircutting book can be. With some patience and practice you can save alot of money.

Rating:
Summary: Illiterate
Review: Elaine Spear may know how to use scissors, but she has less than a sophomoric comprehension of the English language. The book is unclear, confusing, and the pictures are even worse. This woman drove my wife crazy, and I was forced to try to read portions of the book to make sense of Spear's concepts. Impossible. Thank you, Elaine, for making my night so painful. Oh, and thanks to the editor, who also should not collect a paycheck.

-Greg Miller

Rating:
Summary: Cut to the Chase
Review: I can't believe how great the chapter is on compact cutting. I can now layer my daughters' hair and put in a few details in less than 15 minutes. The cuts look great, too. I would have never thought to comb all the hair to one point and snip...but honestly, it really works. Amazing.

Rating:
Summary: Not a good book for the visual learner
Review: Spear offers many helpful tips, among them: 1) wetting the hair for 90 seconds before shampooing and 2) before cutting your bangs, in order to avoid cutting them too short, first wet them and allow the hair to dry for 3 minutes to determine shrinkage.

That said, the main purpose of this book is to teach ordinary people to cut hair, and I'm not sure it does this very well. I've been cutting my 3 boys' hair for many years, having learned by using common sense and by watching my stylist's technique as she cut my hair. I was hoping this book would help me finally understand how to give a good haircut. Not so.

If you are a visual learner, you will find it difficult to follow the step-by-step instructions, since there are few accompanying photos. At a minimum, the instructions for each type of haircut should be accompanied by a photo of that style, as well as head sketches or photos showing the progression of the haircut.

Rating:
Summary: Not a good book for the visual learner
Review: Spear offers many helpful tips, among them: 1) wetting the hair for 90 seconds before shampooing and 2) before cutting your bangs, in order to avoid cutting them too short, first wet them and allow the hair to dry for 3 minutes to determine shrinkage.

That said, the main purpose of this book is to teach ordinary people to cut hair, and I'm not sure it does this very well. I've been cutting my 3 boys' hair for many years, having learned by using common sense and by watching my stylist's technique as she cut my hair. I was hoping this book would help me finally understand how to give a good haircut. Not so.

If you are a visual learner, you will find it difficult to follow the step-by-step instructions, since there are few accompanying photos. At a minimum, the instructions for each type of haircut should be accompanied by a photo of that style, as well as head sketches or photos showing the progression of the haircut.

Rating:
Summary: Haircutting for Dummies
Review: This book has saved me a lot of money and grief while cutting my family's hair. Having a whole book's worth of professional haircutting tips is priceless. I recommend Haircutting For Dummies to everyone who wants to cut their children's, husband's, wife's or friends' hair. I agree that Ms. Spear does promote haircutting as a career, but that's fine with me. I like getting insider tips about how to make my family look their best.

Rating:
Summary: Haircutting for Dummies
Review: This is not a professional stylist's manual, it's for HOME use. I think that she does spend a wee bit too much time trying to convince the reader to go off to cosmetology school, but then again, that is her field, and her interest. If you want a professional manual giving tips on how to do the hottest, newest styles, go to cosmetology school. If you want the basics of hair cutting, to trim your family's, or your own hair, this book is an ideal tool. As a mother who has been cutting the hair of a husband and 4 sons, I have found corrections to problems that I have been having as an amateur stylist. The first time that I skimmed this book I saw a few tips well worth the price of the book to polish the cuts that I have been giving, and to prevent errors in the future. At about the cost of one decent haircut, this book is a frugal investment.