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Photo spreads, with brief commentaries, of possessions of families in more than 50 countries. Awards: SLJ Best Book. Annotation. A fascinating project--sponsored by a number of international organizations--resulting in this richly intriguing book (it will get well-deserved promotion and distribution via all sorts of media). Sixteen photographers traveled to 30 nations to live for a week with families that are "statistically average" for that nation. At the end of each visit, photographer and subjects collaborated on a portrait of the family, outside of its home, surrounded by all of its material possessions--a few jars and jugs for some, an abundance of electronic gadgetry for others. The 360 color photos are accompanied by information about the standard of living in each country, notes by the photographers about their experiences, and profiles of family members and their lives. We are witnessing the emergence of a unified world economy, as exemplified by NAFTA and GATT, that will, in theory, make goods available at cheaper prices, create new jobs throughout the world, raise standards of living, and benefit the average family. However, population growth and resource exploitation will also affect these potential benefits as patterns of consumption change. In stunning photographs and text, Material World demonstrates the present context for the emerging global economy, what it means to be "statistically average," by displaying families in more than thirty nations outside their homes - with all their possessions in view. Among the 350 stunning images are those of a family in lush Samoa juxtaposed with a Kuwaiti family and the two Mercedes-Benzes parked outside their desert home a family in Iceland posing with their treasured string instruments while a family in Sarajevo huddles outside their bullet-ridden apartment. The text describes what it means to be "average" in each of thirty very dissimilar cultures and the impact of each way of life on the local environment. Statistical information about each country accompanies the photo-essays so that readers can easily compare one culture with another.… (more)
User reviews
The book is stunning, and I mean that both in the sense that the photos are beautiful, and also that it is often a shock to see how people live around the world. It is a window into lives most of us never give a thought to - farming families in Bhutan, Albania, and Vietnam with very few possessions; struggling families in Mongolia, Mali Ethiopia, and Haiti. There are families in Iraq and Bosnia who had recently faced open warfare in their neighborhoods. And there are more affluent families, for example in Kuwait, Japan, and the US. Despite their means, all of these families welcomed the photographers into their homes with hospitality and generosity.
This book provides valuable insights about life around the world, giving the reader an opportunity to place her own family's life into perspective with that of 30 international neighbors. And the book puts a human face on the challenges and struggles of people everywhere. The last page of the book has only a quote from Albert Einstein: "Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding."
I have used this
Method: Find a “median” family in 33 countries willing to be photographed and interviewed concerning their economic life.
The title pictures for each country are fascinating. The family is posed in
The concept of wealth differs even yet – Western Samoans are pictured with their livestock; Guatemalans with their loom and religious pictures. Uzbekistanians , with their 29 quilts, stand in front of their 2 room (sort of heated) winter home and 4 room summer home with open-air kitchen. Mongolians dismantled half of their tent-like “ger” for the photo, displaying western-style beds and furniture, television and kitchen gear all in one room. In Mali, even the broken pots are inventoried.
Each chapter offers more photos and descriptions of lifestyles. An Iraqi mother living in a Western-design apartment, ignores kitchen counters to sit on the floor and prepare food on a hot-plate. (something I’m likely to do too.) How war affects everyday life is covered in Bosnia. In Butan, a healthy baby is covered with flies as he sleeps because the livestock live in the ground floor spaces of the home.
Statistics for country and family are provided for comparisons.
It was impossible to take in at one reading, but infinitely fascinating.
This should be on everyone’s Must Read list. Highly recommended.
I think my son will enjoy this, but the text is too difficult for him. He's the type that enjoys examining every detail in a photograph/picture, so I think this will be the perfect match for him anyway.