Product Description

Scientists have concluded that 90 percent of men shave at least once a day. That works out at a colossal twenty thousand shaves, or five months in front of the mirror, in a lifetime. Yet how many men have ever been given any advice or shown how best to shave? Here to fill that gaping hole is an indispensable guide to the ultimate shave. Shaving shouldn't be a chore, but a pleasure, and "Sharp Practice" will tell you how. Rich in the (sometimes strange) history of shaving, full of anecdotes and packed with tips and advice, "Sharp Practice" will revolutionize your morning ritual. Here you will find advice on avoiding common mistakes, preventing rashes and cuts, what aftershave to use and how to handle a cut-throat razor, as well as everyday tips and the ultimate luxury shave. You will also learn about Che Guevara's beard, Ivan the Terrible's idea of fun, Alexander the Great and the severed head, and how cavemen invented the razor. Super-stylish, funny and practical, this is a must-have for all well-groomed men everywhere, and the perfect present for any young man beginning to shave for the first time.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #47897 in Books
• Published on: 2006-11-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 176 pages

From the Inside Flap
Scientists have concluded that 90 percent of men shave at least once a day. That works out at a colossal twenty thousand shaves, or five months in front of the mirror, in a lifetime. Yet how many men have ever been given any advice or shown how best to shave? Here to fill that gaping hole is an indispensable guide to the ultimate shave. Shaving shouldn’t be a chore, but a pleasure, and Sharp Practice will tell you how.

Rich in the (sometimes strange) history of shaving, full of anecdotes and packed with tips and advice, Sharp Practice will revolutionize your morning ritual. Here you will find advice on avoiding common mistakes, preventing rashes and cuts, what aftershave to use and how to handle a cut-throat razor, as well as everyday tips and the ultimate luxury shave. You will also learn about Che Guevara’s beard, Ivan the Terrible’s idea of fun, Alexander the Great and the severed head, and how cavemen invented the razor.

Super-stylish, funny and practical, this is a must-have for all well-groomed men everywhere, and the perfect present for any young man beginning to shave for the first time.

From the Back Cover
Scientists have concluded that 90 percent of men shave at least once a day. That works out at a colossal twenty thousand shaves, or five months in front of the mirror, in a lifetime. Yet how many men have ever been given any advice or shown how best to shave? Here to fill that gaping hole is an indispensable guide to the ultimate shave. Shaving shouldn’t be a chore, but a pleasure, and Sharp Practice will tell you how.

Revolutionize your morning ritual by learning some essential how-tos:

·Prevent rashes and cuts
·The importance of a good aftershave
·How to handle a cut-throat razor
·What is the ultimate luxury shave?

Along the way, you will learn about Che Guevara’s beard, Ivan the Terrible’s idea of fun, Alexander the Great and the severed head, and how cavemen invented the razor.Super-stylish, funny and practical, this is a must-have for all well-groomed men everywhere, and the perfect present for any young man about to shave for the first time.

About the Author
Anders Larsen was born in Beirut, of Danish/Irish parentage. He spent his early years travelling, then got stuck in the habit and just carried on. He has taught English in Abu Dhabi and Mexico, played volleyball for Ireland, and has had jobs ranging from lavatory cleaner in New York to demolition worker in Munich. But he is not - nor has ever been - a barber. He currently lives in Ireland with his family, where he practises karate and wishes it didn't rain so much.

Customer Reviews

indispensable
The perfect gift for fathers, brothers, partners and all those who listen to tales of shaving woe! This well- presented book gives shaving the attention it deserves, with facts, advice and anecdotes.

Afraid to ask??
It's very true. Shaving is one of those things that every man takes for granted. Very little is explained to us before our first shave. My father shaves with a hot cup of water, soap and a shaving brush for spreading the suds. To top it all off he uses the BIC razor!

I tried this myself when starting out and realized that I had the skin of a fairy. Few gallons of blood and chucks of skin later I realized I wasn't quite up to the whole shaving technique. This book has explained a hell of a lot of questions that for some strange reason I never asked about!

Absolutely brilliant book packed with wonderful stories about the history of shaving and every question answered that you always wanted to ask but where probably too proud or manly to ask about!

I'm going to try a cut-throat!
My girlfriend got me this for my birthday last week. I hadn't been expecting much, but after reading through I was really impressed. Not only is this a guide to how to shave, but it's also got these great stories of the writer's experiences of shaving, from his childhood (where he watched his great uncle switch from a cut-throat razor to a safety razor, because his hand was no longer steady beacuse of Parkinson's) to a weird experience in a jungle with a one-eyed Russian who tells him that he uses his razor not just to shave, but will also use it if he ever finds the man who took his eye! Wild stuff...

There's a history of shaving too, from Cavemen on to Romans, and stuff about how beards are no longer socially acceptable (there hasn't been an American President with a beard for over a hundred years!)

What I liked most though was the stuff about the cut-throat razor. The writer says it's the best, purest way of shaving, and I'm going to buy one to give it a try. What with James Bond back in fashion, I reckon it's time I was a bit more rugged about how I shave. My girlfriend thinks I'll look sexy doing it (and she's not a fan of my stubble - probably why she got me the book in the first place...) so I'm going to give it a go!