World Beard and Moustache Championships

In November 2003, proud men from around the world gathered in Carson City, Nev., to flaunt their facial hair masterpieces at the World Beard and Moustache Championships, an event that sprouted up in Germany in 1990. The various 'dos demonstrated not only inspired style and painstaking craft but also natural ability, and the cream of the crop are pictured here according to category (Handlebar, Fu Manchu, Musketeer, etc.). Some of the competitors seem to take their lifelong work seriously, posing with studied intensity, while others grin childishly behind their whiskers. The images of men in costumes sporting their natural sculptures are hilarious, but what makes the book truly compelling are the profiled eccentrics like Alf Jarrald, 82, who won both Best Sideburns and second place overall, ""with a small face bracketed by such massive nests of hair, he looks more like a squirrel than any other human on earth."" Many categories strictly prohibit styling aids, but in some competitions, like the wacky ""Full Beard Freestyle,"" they are ""permitted, often exhausted,"" allowing for some intricate designs that twist and curl, defying gravity. Beard and mustache artisans of all ages should appreciate this delightful little book, which could make a great Father's Day gift. 45 b&w and 45 full-color photos.