How to Simply Cut Hair: A Step by Step Guide to the Six Basic Haircuts That Can be Combined or Altered to Create Just About Any Hairstyle: A Step by Step ... Just About Any Hairstyle (How to Simply)

"This book gives clear simple instructions on how to create basic haircuts. However, some of it is definitely not as easy as it looks. For example for the long layered cut the client is supposed to hang her head upside down while you cut off a pre-determined length. First of all, it's quite difficult to get your head in a completely upside down position unless you are both slim & supple (which unfortunately not everyone is!). Even if your subject can get into this position, holding it for any length of time is hard because they soon start to feel dizzy.
It's also difficult for the one doing the cutting, because you have to squat down on the floor. If your subject has very long hair then it becomes even more difficult because the hair will drape on the floor.
Also the section on cutting the outline I found a bit confusing because it looks as though you'll end up with a fringe (I refuse to call it "bangs" as the book does) whether you want one or not. I didn't actually try this because my daughter who's hair I was cutting didn't want a fringe so I skipped the outline part, I'm now looking for a guinea pig who doesn't care too much so I can experiment!
Overall this is definitely a book worth having if you want to learn to cut the family's hair, just don't expect it to be quite as straightforward as the title suggests."
~ Written on 2006-09-03

"This book is very simple to understand. It gives the 'basics' then goes on, with simple illustrations, to different ways to cut bangs. From there it goes through a couple of simple cuts step by step."
~ Written on 1999-01-11