One Thousand Beards: A Cultural History of Facial Hair

M. Wayne Cunningham is a past executive director of the Saskatchewan
Arts Board and the former director of Academic and Career Programs at
East Kootenay Community College.

Arising from “one of those perverse moments of inspiration,” this
delightful book by Toronto psychiatrist Dr. Allan Peterkin tackles the
subject of beards. It’s an exhaustive account. We learn about all
manner of beards (from those typified as “religious” to those
considered “gay”), about beards of fame and beards of infamy, about
the history of shaving and “alternate facial hair expressions,”
among other beard-related topics. There are photos of Elvis Presley and
his sideburns, Colonel Saunders and his goatee, Charlie Chaplin and his
moustache, to name but a very few.

The book is a storehouse of trivia. We discover, for example, that 92
percent of American women shave their legs, 58 percent pluck their
eyebrows, and 2 percent depilate their toes. Serious beard growers will
profit from the chapter that provides detailed instructions for all
aspects of beard care, from initial planning, to cultivating, to
cropping.

Bearded or not, you will be captivated by One Thousand Beards.