Contrasts 21c: People & Places - Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia

by Bill Caplan

When the author and his wife traveled to Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia to visit and learn about the ethnic settlements in the mountain highlands and river deltas, no book was intended. They sought only to meet people and explore their environs. What transpired instead was an eye-opening experience about human adaptability, the incredible contrasts between rural and city life still present in this 21st century, and a reflection on life’s values. They returned with more than 10,000 photographs and a lot to ponder. Contrasts 21c is a photo essay about people and places in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia that hopes to bring attention to the cultural diversity of this region and its challenges. The warmth of the people they met, their adaptability, and their spirit are what inspired this book. 

The mountainous terrains, lowlands and banks of the Mekong and Red rivers—lands of stunning beauty—are home to a rich diversity of cultures, an admixture of ancient tradition and present-day reality. From linear villages lining roadsides and shorelines, to small hamlets and large cities, this is a story best experienced by exploration, best told through its images—the people—their faces, their eyes and often their smiles; and these most incredible places. 234 pages of the author’s select photographs interspersed with text and maps tell this story of 21st century contrasts, the cultural diversity of this region, and its challenges. 

260 pages, Hardcover

Published October 21, 2018

About the author

With a passion for people-friendly building design, an engineer's understanding of sustainability and a 34-year career in high-technology, Bill Caplan’s books address the built environment from a human and environmental perspective. A sober look at our efforts to contain global warming and the public's self-delusion with “green” and “sustainable” living inspired his writing Thwart Climate Change Now, published by the Environmental Law Institute (2021). Buildings Are for People, a holistic approach to designing sustainable user- and community-friendly buildings published in 2016. Contrast 21c: People & Places followed in 2018, a photographic essay about people and places in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam highlighting disparities between rural and urban areas, struggles adapting to a 21st-century environment. Caplan holds a Master of Architecture from the Pratt Institute Graduate School of Architecture and a Materials Engineering degree from Cornell University College of Engineering.