This is a gorgeous book! Anyone who's not ashamed of the human body would be proud to have this one on their coffee table -- or in their local library.
Many serious books about the male nude reproduce the same old, same old, same old pictures that everyone else has printed. This book concentrates on "90 of the world's greatest photographers" and more than half of the time showcases a photo quite different from what we're used to from each of them.
Better yet, this is not just a "pretty-boy" book. There are, of course, plenty of tight bods and young faces. But a much wider selection of male subjects is presented -- a couple of them might even be called "trolls" -- ouch! However, this variety challenges our culture's commercial sale of male beauty and underscores the fact that this is a serious artistic book with no inhibitions -- not just an attempt to present centerfolds as art. (Not that there's anything wrong with that!)
Each photographer receives basically the same exposure: A page on the left summarizing his or her work and career, and a page on the right showcasing one photo. (That's right -- with few exceptions, everyone gets just ONE image! And both men and women photographers are represented in abundance.) Editor Philip Braham deftly adds a brief artistic analysis of each photo.