Peacock Pete and the Invisible Sweat by Mark Humphries

Have you ever watched a perfectly ordinary man change the moment he realises someone is watching?

Meet Peacock Pete.

Pete isn't one man. He's a type — and once you learn to spot him, you'll start seeing him everywhere.

In the pub. At the gym. On the golf course. At work. On a date. Wherever there's an audience, there's always the possibility of a little extra chest expansion, an unnecessary display of expertise, or a suspiciously casual mention of something impressive.

Peacock Pete and the Invisible Sweat is a warm, illustrated journey through the strange and surprisingly familiar world of male peacocking — the posturing, performing, exaggerating and subtle repositioning that appears when there's something to prove.

With British observational humour, gentle satire and a keen eye for human behaviour, Mark Humphries explores the gap between the confident display on the outside and the invisible effort going on underneath.

This isn't a book about bad men. It's about familiar behaviour — the little performances most of us have witnessed, and some of us may reluctantly recognise.

Once you've met Peacock Pete, you'll start seeing him everywhere.