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376th out of 575 books
—
603 voters
Material World: A Global Family Portrait
In an unprecedented effort, sixteen of the world’s foremost photographers traveled to thirty nations around the globe to live for a week with families that were statistically average for that nation. At the end of each visit, photographer and family collaborated on a remarkable portrait of the family members outside their home, surrounded by all of their possessions—a few...more
Hardcover, 256 pages
Published
October 11th 1994
by Sierra Club Books
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I checked this out from the library thinking I'd get some enjoyment flipping through it over the next couple of weeks. Fast forward to me sitting on the couch ignoring everyone for about 5 hours straight so I could read this cover to cover.
Visually, it's stunning - I've never seen anything like this. 30 families from 30 different countries were selected to represent the 'average' (subjective I know). They are photographed sitting outside their home along with all of their material possessions. T...more
Visually, it's stunning - I've never seen anything like this. 30 families from 30 different countries were selected to represent the 'average' (subjective I know). They are photographed sitting outside their home along with all of their material possessions. T...more
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Although this book is a bit dated (from 1994), it singlehandledly explained so many concepts to my kids that it's value can't be underestimated.
There are a number of countries (30?) portrayed in this book. Each country features an average income family, many photographs of the family, explanations about their daily life, and tidbits about their income, life, and dreams.
It is a wonderful resource, and really taught all of us (me included) to appreciate what we have, to appreciate different cultur...more
There are a number of countries (30?) portrayed in this book. Each country features an average income family, many photographs of the family, explanations about their daily life, and tidbits about their income, life, and dreams.
It is a wonderful resource, and really taught all of us (me included) to appreciate what we have, to appreciate different cultur...more
I enjoyed this look at families and the possessions they value, across 31 countries. What the photographer did was contact statistically average families from 30+ countries, photograph the contents of their house for 'The Big Picture' and then follow them around for a few days, to get a better picture of their daily lives. Even though only a few pages were dedicated to each family, you did feel like you got a taste of their lives. It also was impossible to be completely detached - in one family,...more
Gorgeous, poignant photographs show financially "average" families from around the globe posing in front of their dwellings with all their material possessions. The text and additional photos supply details ranging from household income, number of hours worked per week, percentage of income used for food, typical meals, and most-treasured or most-coveted items, to comparisons of various countries' televisions and toilets.
This book has haunted me since my first encounter with it years ago. Even...more
This book has haunted me since my first encounter with it years ago. Even...more
This was a really neat book. I first heard about it in my World History class. We were talking about the present day and my teacher pulled up a website that had a bunch of pictures from this book. It's was really shocking to see how much people eat in a week and how little some people spend.
I used this book and A Hungry Planet this past summer at my church camp were I was a consular. We all looked at some of the pictures that I had pulled out and we talked about how we could help people who didn...more
I used this book and A Hungry Planet this past summer at my church camp were I was a consular. We all looked at some of the pictures that I had pulled out and we talked about how we could help people who didn...more
Okay, yes, published in 1994, Material World is a bit dated. You can see it in the geopolitical situations referenced, the brands visible, and -- at least for the more Western countries -- the clothes and hairstyles that clearly signal that zoinks, this is the '90s!
But that's missing the point of this amazing book, which is to show *relative* material wealth among statistically average families around the world in a very visual and tangible way. And the gap between, say, first- and third-world...more
But that's missing the point of this amazing book, which is to show *relative* material wealth among statistically average families around the world in a very visual and tangible way. And the gap between, say, first- and third-world...more
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Aug 02, 2009
Julie Suzanne
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
All Ages
Recommended to Julie by:
Rose & Sarah (recommended to Morgan)
Well, this book consumed my Sunday, and I feel that I've taken a quick tour of the average family in 20 countries. The content via photograph was amazing, but I felt that there wasn't enough explanation. I'd have preferred a documentary, I suppose, as I didn't feel that was able to learn enough from the pictures. Perhaps I didn't dedicate enough time to each photograph, but I ended up with way more questions than answers.
I think my son will enjoy this, but the text is too difficult for him. He'...more
I think my son will enjoy this, but the text is too difficult for him. He'...more
I have given this book as a gift to so many of my friends. I hope that with this book, others will see how simply one can live - and live happily! It is shocking to see the meager existence of people in other "worlds". Guests in our home have picked it up to browse through it - and it is difficult to put down. It is such a fascinating & colorful book! It has provided some great "material" for deep conversation over the years.
This book sits prominently on a table in our living room. Several t...more
This book sits prominently on a table in our living room. Several t...more
To be honest, I didn't read every word in this book. Viewing the pictures and reading bits and pieces here and there is definitely sufficient. This fabulous book shows how people live around the world. Specifically, it shows a family from each selected country with all (or most of) their material possessions.
I picked up this book a couple of nights ago, quickly became engrossed in it and suddenly, an hour had passed. Today, I looked at the book with my 3 girls (ages 9, 7 and 4). They were compl...more
I picked up this book a couple of nights ago, quickly became engrossed in it and suddenly, an hour had passed. Today, I looked at the book with my 3 girls (ages 9, 7 and 4). They were compl...more
A great book about how families live in different countries around the world. It goes into just the right amount of depth. I loved how the question, what is your most valued possession? is answered differently by everyone. It was really cool to be able to get a little tour of each family's life and see what goes into the make-up of their household. My favorite part of the book was the "photographer's notes" which accompany each family and country. That made it really personal. Great photographs...more
I remember what year I read this because it was just after my first child was born. The stories and photos in this book are incredible and eye-opening, but what really changed me was the "wish list" each family gave. The contrasts between what industrialized country families wanted and what "developing" county families wanted was amazing. The U.S. family was in Texas, and one of the things they wished for was (if I remember correctly) a new boat. A family in an African country wanted a new cow s...more
Amazing book that uses beautiful photographs, meaningful statistics (how many TVs and bikes do they own instead of GDP), and minimal text to illustrate an average home and lifestyle of families from around the globe. (I will say that the uber-religious Texas family is not what I think of as the "average" American family, but I guess you have to pick someone.)
An important book to linger over and look back on when we need reminders about how blessed our lives are--and how much excess we hold in o...more
An important book to linger over and look back on when we need reminders about how blessed our lives are--and how much excess we hold in o...more
An incredible book! I only wish there were a more recent edition; this one was published in 1995.
From Amazon.com:
A fascinating look at the material possessions of families throughout the world. These people have been determined "average" for their countries and have agreed to have photographers move the contents of their houses outside in order to create visible representations of their relative standards of living. The dirt house and few possessions of Mali residents contrast with the 4 cars,...more
From Amazon.com:
A fascinating look at the material possessions of families throughout the world. These people have been determined "average" for their countries and have agreed to have photographers move the contents of their houses outside in order to create visible representations of their relative standards of living. The dirt house and few possessions of Mali residents contrast with the 4 cars,...more
This book is fascinating. It is collaborative work of 16 photographers who spent a week in 30 different countries with a "statistically average" family (number of family members, wages, size of home, etc). The man who put it all together, Peter Menzel, has his work regularly published in National Geographic, Time, etc. There are enough words, but the pictures tell so much more. The last photo for every family is of them outside their home surrounded by all their possessions from inside arranged...more
I just can't get over this book! I've been meaning to get to it and in the time between when I checked it out and when I read it, my kids and husband have been leafing through the pages. I finally picked it up yesterday and in my spare time the last two days I read it all (much of the book is photographs).
It was wonderful, yet heart-wrenching to enter the homes and see the lives of people who struggle every day just to eat. It was interesting to learn what their most treasured items were. This b...more
It was wonderful, yet heart-wrenching to enter the homes and see the lives of people who struggle every day just to eat. It was interesting to learn what their most treasured items were. This b...more
Borrowing from Amazon:
Amazon.com
In honor of the United Nations-sponsored International Year of the Family in 1994, award-winning photojournalist Peter Menzel brought together 16 of the world's leading photographers to create a visual portrait of life in 30 nations. Material World tackles its wide subject by zooming in, allowing one household to represent an entire nation. Photographers spent one week living with a "statistically average" family in each country, learning about their work, their a...more
Amazon.com
In honor of the United Nations-sponsored International Year of the Family in 1994, award-winning photojournalist Peter Menzel brought together 16 of the world's leading photographers to create a visual portrait of life in 30 nations. Material World tackles its wide subject by zooming in, allowing one household to represent an entire nation. Photographers spent one week living with a "statistically average" family in each country, learning about their work, their a...more
Really a fantastic to way to give you perspective. I love that the author states the purpose as being to give the reader an idea of the average life of the average Joe in other countries. It's amazing to see the disparity between the different middle-classes and be able to peek in the life of those who have outhouses, or never have enough to eat dinner (Haiti), or who live a primitive but very contented existence. Wish they would do another one... Or even an update on the families involved.
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I wanted this book for a long time and wasn't disappointed. Getting to see a visual picture of a family along with all their belongings in several different countries really puts perspective on what we have, take for granted, don't need, etc. There were also interesting facts at-a-glance which i thought made the book very readable even as a conversation piece when someone picks it up and leafs through it. I would have liked more countries covered and maybe charted comparisons, etc.
Ever feel like your kids (and yourself, for that matter) take for granted all of your "things?" This book is an eye-opener. This is a big book full of photographs and statistics of families from all over the world and from all walks of life. Each family is photographed outside of their dwelling place with all of their earthly possessions. Wow. I might need to purchase this one to have on hand when the kids complain about not having enough shoes! (They actually have TOO many!)
This book is almost twenty years old, but I would expect the contrasts it illustrates to be just as stark today. (I'd actually love -- knowing that this is unrealistic -- to see the same project done today; it would be interesting to see where the greatest/fewest changes are.) The point is not exactly what each family has, but more how big the difference is between, say, the standard of living / statistical average of the family in Japan compared to the family in Mali compared to the family in I...more
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I first read this book in college and picked it up again recently to read with my 7-year-old. The exact stats are dated, but the overall picture still rings true. A great way to gain a basic understanding of how wealth is distributed around the world and how that distribution affects real people in their day-to-day lives. Don't pick it up if you're not willing to face some tough truths about the American lifestyle in comparison to the rest of the world.
A multi-faceted book, it can be used as a great pictorial browse-thru book as well as a source of compelling world-wide info. This book takes you into the homes of families around the world and displays their possessions and daily routines for all to see. It shows their vast differences in material holdings and dreams. It was an intriguing eye-opener for me, as what is take for granted in one country, is the life's wish in another.
I absolutely love this book. The guy has people take everything out of their home and photographs them with all of it. There are lots of information and stats throughout the book. This book is good for any age kinder to adult. It offers great perspective on life and even looking at the pictures is informational. Might have kids draw a picture of their family with all there stuff too. Just to see how much of their stuff kids can remember.
If you only flipped through this book and looked at the pictures you are missing everything. Anyone who gave this book less than a 4 star rating looked at the stuff and missed the content.
This book and "Women in the Material World" are amazing because they explore our values and viewpoint through interviews about how a person looks at the world and what they physically have.
Read these books and please DON'T flip through them.
This book and "Women in the Material World" are amazing because they explore our values and viewpoint through interviews about how a person looks at the world and what they physically have.
Read these books and please DON'T flip through them.
If it was still 1993 I would have given this book 5 stars, but since the nature of the information is statistical, and the purpose of the book is to give people in one country insight into people in another, it is outdated. I'd say it is also on the brink of being "weedable" from the library. The pictures are still stunning, and it does serve as a timecapsule for how families and life used to be, but I would love to read a new edition of this.
Every American should read/look at this book. The authors have captured actual physical representations of the disparity in the standards of living around the world and it is riveting! I've had this book for over ten years and every time I study the pictures, I see something new or it strikes me differently. A great way, especially, to show teens how lucky they are and how much more they have than the rest of the world.
This book is a stunning study of how different standards of living are across the world. It is one thing to know this on an intellectual level and to see tidbits of images here and there, but it's a very visceral experience to see these images all in one place, to study the eyes of the family members as they sit in the midst of all their worldly possessions. With the holidays approaching, I read this with my kids as a reminder to appreciate how much we have and as a blatant attempt to curb the g...more
Editor Peter Menzel explains the project best in the foreword: "Madonna, the ultimate Material Girl, came out with her Sex book... The world needed a reality check."
Indeed, the book is from 1994 and the snapshots capture 30 families and their countries in history. That it is now out-of-date is not a drawback; at worst, it is absolutely harrowing. In 1994, the Iraqi family wishes for the embargo to end. The Bosnian family wants the fighting to end. The Haitian family wants the island-wide poverty...more
Indeed, the book is from 1994 and the snapshots capture 30 families and their countries in history. That it is now out-of-date is not a drawback; at worst, it is absolutely harrowing. In 1994, the Iraqi family wishes for the embargo to end. The Bosnian family wants the fighting to end. The Haitian family wants the island-wide poverty...more
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