A hat designer, Punk musician, sculptor, fireman, professional rent-a-Buddha, heavyweight boxer, peace movement worker, gourmet chef, United Nations official, dog trainer, chiropractor, sanitation worker, Marine Corps pilot, tire retreader - these and many more: 184 men and women with only one thing in common. They are bald.

Unmasked, void of make-up and shorn of hair, stripped of civilised disguise, what does a human face say? And how does it make us feel? Avant-garde photographer Alex Kayser launches us on an odyssey into the emotionally charged topography of the human countenance. Kayser shares the story of his work in a delightfully candid conversation, and National Book Award winner Richard Howard provides a brilliant and provocative afterword.