Jacky Colliss Harvey: It’s always worked very well for me. Rico Gagliano: In your case, how does that manifest? If you are a redhead, they will distinguish you as being “the one with red hair.” And even moreso, people’s reactions to you are determined by the fact that you’re a redhead. Jacky Colliss Harvey: It’s the thing everybody always remembers about you. Rico Gagliano: On page one, you call your red hair, “The single most significant characteristic of your life.” How so? Rico Gagliano: You yourself are one of these rare redheaded creatures. Darwin - theory in the book, is that one of the reasons why there’s always been this connection between redheaded women, in particular, and sexuality and sensuality, is that if you chose a redhead as a mate, then you would breed successfully. So, my theory in the book, my kind of Darwinian - Mrs. Jacky Colliss Harvey: Yeah, that’s right, and you need it for strong bones, and women in particular need it when they’re pregnant and when they’re breastfeeding. Rico Gagliano: Yes, so it would be an advantage to be a redhead in darker countries to the north, because your body is better at making vitamin D. If you have the pale skin that so often goes with red hair, then your system is going to be much, much better at making vitamin D out of whatever sunlight is available.

The reason I bring this up is because I love the Darwinian reason you mention in the book as to why redheads might be more populous in the north: vitamin D. Rico Gagliano: But, mainly in these northern countries. Jacky Colliss Harvey: And, there are these little satellite populations of redheads in India, in Iran, in Afghanistan, and in Western China as well.

There is a very intriguing little hotspot on the River Volga in Russia… You find a lot on the East Coast of America, of course, because of the immigrant population of the 19th century. Jacky Colliss Harvey: You find them on the West Coast of Scotland and Ireland. Rico Gagliano: Where are most of them found? Actually, that was my next question. Jacky Colliss Harvey: They are two percent of the population on a global average, slightly higher in some countries, some parts of the world, than others

Rico Gagliano: So first, let’s get some facts out of the way. Rico Gagliano: Jacky, thanks for joining us.

The author, who is a redhead herself, talks to Rico about the genetic benefits of having red hair, the negative stereotypes associated with redheaded men, and why, in general, people care so much about hair. British author Jacky Colliss Harvey has a witty new book out called “ Red: A History of the Redhead.” She examines the history of red hair through the lenses of science, religion, art, sexuality and pop culture.

Jacky colliss harvey