Thank God I'm Natural

I am really excited to give my review for Thank God I’m Natural: The Ultimate Guide to Caring for and Maintaining Natural Hair by Christ-Tia E. Donaldson. This 285 page book lives up to its name as the ultimate natural hair care guide, covering everything from the author’s own natural journey to a state-by-state natural hair salon directory.

Before I give you my opinion on the book, let me explain how it is put together:

~Aesthetically speaking, the first thing I noticed when I saw the book was how sleek and cool the cover is. The black and white silhouette looks modern and I love how different skin tones and hair textures are represented on the cover. I also really like how some pages are black with white text and how the numbers are in the middle of the margins as opposed to the bottom of each page.

~The text begins on a personal note, with a foreword by Motown Girl, as author Chris-Tia Donaldson chronicles her journey to natural hair. The next 15 chapters include topics such as natural hair myths, the history of black hair, how to discover your hair type and texture, and a range of chapters covering hair care and styling options and making products at home.

Also, there are commercial product reviews, info on hair loss and additional resources. Dispersed throughout the text are black and white photos of hair styles and types, and even some of Chris-Tia’s personal pics from her own journey. At the very end, there are natural hair FAQs, a glossary of terms, and a salon directory! This book really covers it’s bases and leaves no stone unturned.

Each chapter is well written and easy to follow. At the end, the author includes “key points to remember” with bullets highlighting the main ideas of the chapter.

Special Features:

•Hair Style Photos

•Celebrity Stylist Product Reviews

•Daily Routines for Natural Hair and Locs

•Natural Hair Myths & Misconceptions

•Relaxers Beware

•Greatest Moments in Black Hair History

•Natural Salon Directory

A Few of My Favorite Parts:

~Chapter 5: Type and Texture- Typically, we only hear about hair type when discussing natural hair. However, Ms. Donaldson goes beyond the Walker system to break down the difference between hair types and hair textures. Understanding both aspects of your hair will help in determining styling options and product picks to care for your hair.

~Chapter 15: In the Kitchen – Why do I like this chapter? Well, I love the idea of making your own products at home using simple and fresh ingredients. Natural hair does not have to be expensive and this chapter explains how to use everyday items for superior hair care.

~Salon Directory- Not everybody is cut out for doing their own hair. Thank goodness you don’t have to! If you are the type of person who prefers to have his/her hair done by someone else, Chris-Tia has compiled a thorough list of salons in the US and even includes some contact info for international salons in the UK, Canada, France, Germany, British Columbia and the US Virgin Islands. Wow!

I do wish the book had more pictures, but only because I am a very visual person and I’m practically obsessed with seeing shots of healthy, natural hair. But, I love the ones that are included and I think they illustrate the range of diverse options for wearing black hair in its natural state.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and I feel it has something for everyone. Even for someone like me who has been natural for 10+ years, I found useful information and ideas I had not yet tried!

Yes, the book is dense, but there is a ton of good information. For a newly natural person, this might be overwhelming at first, but no worries, this will soon prove to be an extremely valuable resource as you get to know your hair. For this reason, some may choose to read the book from beginning to end, while others might flip to a particular chapter of interest. The good thing about this book is that, because of how it is written, you can do just that! It is the type of read that you can come back to over and over again as you reach different milestones in you natural journey.

I think this would be a great gift for a special woman in your life who you know is contemplating the natural thing but doesn’t know where to begin. As the natural hair movement continues to grow, I think women can only benefit from a guide like this. Never before has there been so much support and resources for natural hair like there is right now. Websites, blogs, magazines, and books are more prolific than ever and I think Chris-Tia Donaldson’s book is one to have in your arsenal!

Want to take your own peak inside this book, click here for excerpts and actual shots of the inside!

So now that you see how cool it is, and your really want a copy, where can you buy it you ask??? Click here to get your very own copy of Thank God I’m Natural!

MY Thoughts on the Book:

I luved it! We, in the highly textured hair community, soooo need more books like this! I enjoyed this book b/c Chris-Tia was so informative and broke it all down and included all this in it:

* Chris-Tia’s hairstory
* Myths and misconceptions
* History of our hair
* Anatomy of hair; natural hair
* Hair types and textures
* Relaxer info
* Transitioning info
* Hair care
* Locs info (starting them, maintenance, etc.)
* Coloring natural hair
* Different hairstyles/photo gallery
* Product suggestions and making your own products

The book ALSO includes a FAQs section, glossary and salon directory! What more could you ask of this book? Sista girl left no stone unturned.

This book is for everyone the natural vets, newbies, transitioners, mothers taking care of their children’s hair, etc. I don’t know what else to say. So what are you waiting for, get your copy! It’s a dire MUST in your natural/kinky curly hair care library. Support this sista b/c she is adding something so positive and utterly enlightening to our community. This will make a great Christmas gift as well…. 😉

For more information on A GRl CAN MAC, please visit her blog at http://www.agrlcanmac.com/2009/09/book-review-thank-god-im-natural.html.

By: Tori from A Kinky Hair Monologue

Do you remember why you decided to go natural? Was it a split decision? Did a bad perm or color treatment leave your hair so damaged you had no choice but to BC? My decision process was more like a marathon than a sprint. I thought about it seriously on and off over the course of a year. During that time, my thinning hairline started to reveal actual bald spots. After that – I was done.

Chris-Tia Donaldson recalls her decision to go natural and all the emotional challenges and blessings of that choice in her new book, Thank God I’m Natural. It’s featured in the November issue of Essence (page 45). Essence describes it as “a natural hair bible” complete with “concrete care and styling tips.”

I had the opportunity to meet Chris-Tia last Sunday at the Natural Hair and Health Show in Chicago where she was signing copies of her book. I wanted to introduce myself since she sent me one – so I got in line. First of all – her hair is too cute. She was rockin’ this hot rodset. But more importantly, she’s one of the nicest people I ever met. She’s smart, friendly and super passionate about natural hair. I interviewed her for the blog – but I screwed up the video file! (Arrghh). But here’s an interview from her appearance on WGN (a local Chicago station). To learn more about Chris-Tia and how you can order her book, go to ThankGodImNatural.