Red : a natural history of the redhead

A New York Times Bestseller Red Is The First Book To Explore The History Of Red Hair And Red-headedness Throughout The World. More Than Just A Book For Redheads, Red Is A Fascinating Social And Cultural Celebration Of A Rich And Mysterious Genetic Quirk. With An Obsessive Fascination That Is As Contagious As It Is Compelling: The Book Explories Red Hair In The Ancient World, The Prejudice Manifested Against Redheads Across Medieval Europe, And Red Hair During The Renaissance As Both An Indicator Of Jewishness And The Height Of Fashion In Protestant England, Thanks To Elizabeth I. It Also Examines Depictions Of Red Hair In Art And Literature, Looks At Modern Medicine And The Genetic Decoding Of Redheads, And Considers Red Hair In Contemporary Culture, From Advertising To 'gingerism' And Bullying. Stereotypes of redheaded women range from the funloving scatterbrain to the fiery-tempered vixen or the penitent prostitute. Red-haired men are often associated with either the savage barbarian or the redheaded clown. But why is this so? Harvey begins her quest in prehistory and traces the redhead gene as it made its way out of Africa with the early human diaspora, only to emerge under Northern skies. She goes on to the modern age of art, and literature, and the first positive symbols of red hair in children's characters; the genetic and chemical decoding of red hair; and finally, red hair in contemporary culture, from advertising and exploitation to "gingerism" and the new movement against bullying. A captivating history of red hair through the ages, drawing on science, religion, politics, literature and art.More than just a book for redheads, Red is a fascinating social and cultural celebration of a rich and mysterious genetic quirk.A New York Times bestseller