For Movember, We Moustache You to Read These Books!

Men's Health: Don't Shave it for Later

The Movember movement started over two decades ago in Australia with a group of young men who coined the term and proposed the idea of growing moustaches through November for charity. A few years later, the Movember Foundation was formed with the goal of raising awareness of men's health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and male depression and suicide.

Typically, a lot of men struggle to open up about their health and emotions, so Movember is a great way to get the conversation started. Nothing like a handlebar moustache to get people talking, right? Growing some whiskers is one way to help, but another way to show your love for the men in your life is to beef up on the health concerns they face. The Harvard Medical School Guide to Men's Health by Dr. Harvey B. Simon provides comprehensive information on what keeps men healthy—and what doesn't.

In response to the "silent epidemic" of male depression, psychotherapist Terrence Real brings twenty years of treating men and their families to his book I Don't Want to Talk About It. He observes that men typically hide their condition from family, friends, and themselves because they see vulnerability as being "unmanly."

As a result, the condition may manifest itself as workaholism, alcoholism, rage, difficulty with intimacy, or abusive behavior. Mixing penetrating analysis with compelling stories from his practice, Real's approach illuminates a "pathway out of darkness" for these men and their families.

The Care and Feeding of Furry Faces

It may seem like a no-brainer to those of us who haven't tried to grow facial hair, but in truth, maintaining tidy and attractive beards and moustaches can be challenging. The Modern Gentleman's Guide to Facial Hair by Rigoberto and Tyler J. R. Caswell provides guidance for facial hair of all styles. Including history, fun facts, the tools of the trade, and what it means to be a gentleman.

In Gentleman, Accept this Facial Hair Challenge, Melinda R. Cordell recalls the days of yore when beards and moustaches attained a level of amazingness that commanded some serious respect. This book can help Movember participants shape their most extreme follicular goals.

And if you are one of the many people who struggle to grow facial hair, you could try making one with Knit Your Own Moustache by Vicky Eames.

The Top 5 Fictional 'Staches

Finally, we'd like to take this opportunity to celebrate literary moustaches. Here in no particular order are our five favorite fictional moustachioed men.

Hercule Poirot
Agatha Christie's exacting detective may be best known for his ability to solve mysteries, but his flair for facial hair isn't far behind. The Belgian's lip sweater is described as "very stiff and military."

The Lorax
Inspiring young environmentalists everywhere, Dr. Seuss's wise, little, furry-faced critter stands as the 'stache that speaks for the trees. Somber, impassioned, and strident, his clarion call for all things green grows more and more urgent.

Dr. Watson
Although the tidy Sherlock Holmes is clean shaven, his sleuthing partner is cut from a more manly cloth. Not only does the former rugby player sport facial fur, he is described as a "strongly built man—square jaw, thick neck."

Ignatius J. Reilly
"Full, pursed lips protruded beneath the bushy black moustache and, at their corners, sank into little folds filled with disapproval and potato chip crumbs." This description of John Kennedy Toole's slovenly antihero says it all.

Hagrid
Harry Potter's faithful friend doesn't sport just a 'stache, but a full, furry chin pelt as well and it deserves a place on this list as the friendliest of fictional face furniture—a character in and of itself. Hagrid's beloved beard is, quite simply, a beacon of hope.

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Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon