In Becoming Adolf, Rich Cohen combines research about the Toothbrush mustache and about his own experience.Rich found out that people defined him by his toothbrush mustache and what it had resembled.However, Rich found out that the toothbrush mustache died when Hitler died.

Rich used his personal experience and his research to write a story that people would show how a toothbrush mustache can be related to Hitler. Many people would see the mustache on Cohen and knew Hitler wore one so they would look at Rich in a matter that was disrespectful or just look away. He researched leaders who had made a bad name for theirselves and most of them wore mustache. He looked into the research as to why Hitler wore a mustache and how this defined Hitler as a person.