François Caradec (1924–2008) was a French writer and a member of both the Collége de 'Pataphysique and the Oulipo. His voluminous oeuvre includes biographies of Raymond Roussel and Alfred Jarry, as well as an encyclopedia of practical jokes and a dictionary of French slang. Caradec was a devoted specialist in Alphonse Allais, compiling and editing his collected works, and was one of the first historians of the bande dessinée in France.

Acknowledgments -- ix
On the Beauty of Gestures -- 1
1 The Head -- 37
2 The Temples -- 47
3 The Ear -- 53
4 The Forehead -- 59
5 The Eyebrows and the Eyelashes -- 63
6 The Eye -- 65
7 The Nose -- 71
8 The Mouth -- 83
9 The Lips -- 95
10 The Tongue -- 101
11 The Teeth -- 105
12 The Cheeks -- 109
13 The Chin -- 115
14 The Neck -- 121
15 The Shoulders -- 127
16 The Armpits -- 133
17 The Arm -- 135
18 The Forearm -- 147
19 The Elbow -- 153
20 The Wrist -- 157
21 The Fingernails -- 163
22 The Hand -- 167
22.5 The Fist -- 193
23 Both Hands -- 201
24 Hand to Hand -- 225
25 The Thumb -- 235
25.5 The Thumb is Not Alone -- 243
26 The Index Finger -- 251
27 The Middle Finger -- 273
28 The Ring Finger -- 277
29 The Little Finger (The Pinky) -- 279
30 The Torso -- 281
31 The Chest -- 283
32 The Hips -- 291
33 The Waist and the Stomach -- 293
34 The Buttocks -- 297
35 The Groin, the Genitals, the Thighs -- 301
36 The Knees, the Legs -- 307
37 The Foot -- 311
Bibliography -- 315
Image Credits -- 317
Index -- 319