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Material World: A Global Family Portrait
Called “Fascinating! An incredible book” by Oprah Winfrey, this beloved photography collection vividly portrays the look and feel of the human condition everywhere on Earth. 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 jars and jugs for some, an explosion of electronic gadgetry for others. This internationally acclaimed bestseller puts a human face on the issues of population, environment, social justice, and consumption as it illuminates the crucial question facing our species today: Can all six billion of us have all the things we want? “Material culture, laid bare in this way, is surprisingly intimate―and whets a persons appetite to see the world.” ― The Atlantic “This remarkable book vividly presents its own cross section of families today, with the energy and intimacy of a work of art for our times . . . This is a record of striking value. No time traveler could bring back a more valuable resource.” ― Scientific America “Striking.” ― San Francisco Chronicle
256 pages, Hardcover
First published October 11, 1994
41 people are currently reading
2107 people want to read
About the author
Peter Menzel
26 books46 followersPeter J. Menzel is an American freelance photojournalist and author, best known for his coverage of scientific and technological subjects. His work has appeared in many national and international publications including National Geographic, Forbes, Fortune, Wired, Geo, Stern, Paris Match, Life and Le Figaro. In conjunction with his wife, writer/producer Faith D'Aluisio, Menzel has also published six books including Material World: A Global Family Portrait (1994); Women in the Material World (1996); Man Eating Bugs: The Art & Science of Eating Insects (1998); Robo sapiens: Evolution of a New Species ; Hungry Planet: What The World Eats (2005). He is the founder of Peter Menzel Photography and Material World Books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 204 reviews
November 7, 2015
A travel back in time (circa 1993), yet also showing how some things have stayed unchanged. Here we visit families in 30 nations bring their house things outside the home (though some can't be included, and are listed towards the end of the book). One can remember that some things have improved since, yet some things are worse (I'm here thinking about the family in Iraq - how are they doing now?). At the book's time South Africa is still organising post-Apartheid, the recent fall of Communism means there's still not a clear picture of the 'next enemy' (though the first attack on WTC is happening around here), and the fall has brought uncertainty to both Russia and the countries who have gained their independence from it (shown in the Uzbekistan family's case). Guatemala also feels uncertain after the civil war has ended, Kuwait has recently become free again from Iraq, and in Sarajevo the snipers are still doing their damage - the peace will start happening next year for them.
Each family's story is accompanied by country information, photographers' comments, and family information. One family information is wishes, what they want to have: there are some you really want them to have (irrigation system, a garden, animals, better seeds, farm tools, fish disease drugs), some that are just 'want better' but not really necessary (newer or bigger luxuries) and some touching one (a typewriter for children, to stay alive, peace). You can really see the differences: some families have only useful things, some have loads of things that are not all essential. From the family in Haiti (shaving with blunt razor and no shaving cream *ow*) to Kuwait (two Indian servants, 4 cars and a huge 45-foot-long sofa, for example).
Things I noticed:
- VCRs, LPs and cassettes still common (one or two families had CDs). This book available on CD-ROM
- cellphones not mentioned but telephones
- a few times there are computers, but not many - no doubt Internet is just really beginning
- objects of religious practice appear, particularly at the poorer end: holy books, statues, altar objects, posters etc.
- I kept thinking that some would benefit from solar-powered things or wood-free/little-wood-needing stove systems
- clothes and hairstyles show some remains of the 80s; they do show the time of the book
Sometimes the stories are paused to show things around the world: TVs, meals and toilet spaces. At the end of the book is an information table of certain information about each country, like literacy percentage, life expectancy, average number of children etc. But in the end, the book shows our common humanity, the difference in material goods and circumstances, and the desire for better and for a balance.
A good view with great pictures and something you want to read again and again. Loved it :)
Each family's story is accompanied by country information, photographers' comments, and family information. One family information is wishes, what they want to have: there are some you really want them to have (irrigation system, a garden, animals, better seeds, farm tools, fish disease drugs), some that are just 'want better' but not really necessary (newer or bigger luxuries) and some touching one (a typewriter for children, to stay alive, peace). You can really see the differences: some families have only useful things, some have loads of things that are not all essential. From the family in Haiti (shaving with blunt razor and no shaving cream *ow*) to Kuwait (two Indian servants, 4 cars and a huge 45-foot-long sofa, for example).
Things I noticed:
- VCRs, LPs and cassettes still common (one or two families had CDs). This book available on CD-ROM
- cellphones not mentioned but telephones
- a few times there are computers, but not many - no doubt Internet is just really beginning
- objects of religious practice appear, particularly at the poorer end: holy books, statues, altar objects, posters etc.
- I kept thinking that some would benefit from solar-powered things or wood-free/little-wood-needing stove systems
- clothes and hairstyles show some remains of the 80s; they do show the time of the book
Sometimes the stories are paused to show things around the world: TVs, meals and toilet spaces. At the end of the book is an information table of certain information about each country, like literacy percentage, life expectancy, average number of children etc. But in the end, the book shows our common humanity, the difference in material goods and circumstances, and the desire for better and for a balance.
A good view with great pictures and something you want to read again and again. Loved it :)
April 1, 2019
I expected this to be mostly "about" the photos, but, truly, the photos And the text here are well worth careful study. This book is approaching its thirtieth birthday and I'd love to see an updated edition, but it is still fascinating and eye-opening. The disparity in material possessions among "average" families around the world is astonishing. Having moved to a new house within the last year I have a pretty good idea of what my family's stuff would look like spread out across our lawn, and, while I already was aware that we have a lot relative to most families in the world, this really brought our rather absurd level of material abundance home to me. A disconcerting but valuable book.
March 5, 2015
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 cultures for their own value, and to see these families- so diverse, with lives completely alien to us- as so very like us as well.
What particularly struck me when reading this book was the smiles on the faces of the very poorest families, and the stressed out looks on the faces of the people who had much much more. Although technically it is a book about material possessions (and what that means to different people), I came away feeling that those things really mean less than nothing, that the lives of these people are in their stories and their faces, and that we Americans worry far too much about having the latest of everything.
A wonderful, beautiful, haunting book.
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 cultures for their own value, and to see these families- so diverse, with lives completely alien to us- as so very like us as well.
What particularly struck me when reading this book was the smiles on the faces of the very poorest families, and the stressed out looks on the faces of the people who had much much more. Although technically it is a book about material possessions (and what that means to different people), I came away feeling that those things really mean less than nothing, that the lives of these people are in their stories and their faces, and that we Americans worry far too much about having the latest of everything.
A wonderful, beautiful, haunting book.
November 28, 2019
Being on strike means I can spend time in my spiritual home, the reading room of a legal deposit library. This is a great opportunity to read difficult-to-find books that have been on my to-read list since about 2008, such as this one. ‘Material World’ is a photography project that gives an extraordinary snapshot of the world in 1993. A team of photographers toured the globe, finding a nationally average family in 30 different countries and chronicling their daily life and possessions. Looking at some of the storage approaches taken by those with lots of things, I couldn't help thinking of Marie Kondō. In a way this book echoes her ethos, by using the accumulation of possessions, or lack thereof, as a way to gain deeper understanding of family life.
The portrait of each family is accompanied by national statistics for their country, a sketch of their daily routine, and brief reflections from the photographer. These latter are uniformly interesting. Of the statistics, the most striking is the percentage of income spent on food. In Haiti, this was 80% and in Russia, 60%. The most memorable of the portraits for me was from Sarajevo, Bosnia during the brutal war. The family photo includes two armed UN soldiers, several wrecked vehicles, an old mortar shell, and their war-damaged home in the background. The text describes the country’s breakdown: this average family had no electricity, gas, running water, or reliable access to food anymore. The 65-year old mother in the photograph had not ventured out of the flat for nearly 3 years, due to fear of urban warfare. While other families in the book express fear of theft and violence, notably in Russia and South Africa, only in Sarajevo is it so chillingly visible.
As the book is now 25 years old, I can’t help wondering how average families have changed in the time since. During subsequent years, I imagine the greatest changes in possessions available to an ‘average’ family have occurred in the middle income countries, especially China. Given increases in wealth inequality, though, perhaps not. With the rise of fast fashion and portable devices, the volume of possessions in rich countries has surely increased on average, though.
The British family portrait inevitably invited comparisons with my life in 1993. Compared with the wonderfully stereotypical-looking Godalming family photographed, mine definitely had fewer possessions (no microwave, VCR, or large musical instruments, for instance). Yet the book also makes clear that the UK was (and still is) one of the world’s wealthiest countries. In 1993, my family were materially better off than the vast majority of humanity.
‘Material World’ is a striking snapshot of material culture across the world in the early 1990s. The photographs are beautiful and invite careful perusal. When combined with the text, they add up to a powerful work of global anthropology, full of details like when the children go to school, who works and where, and how the family feels about the future. I’d love to read a re-run of this project 25 years later, comparing average families across the global anew. It's just really interesting to see people's stuff! While there may have been some changes, overall global patterns of wealth and poverty probably aren’t that different. In 1993 it was TV that brought disparate places into awareness of each other; today the internet also does so. Across the world, then and now, people still need the means to prepare and serve food; wash and store clothes; sit and sleep. The range of different possessions used for these purposes, and homes that hold them, are fascinating to see chronicled with such deliberation.
The portrait of each family is accompanied by national statistics for their country, a sketch of their daily routine, and brief reflections from the photographer. These latter are uniformly interesting. Of the statistics, the most striking is the percentage of income spent on food. In Haiti, this was 80% and in Russia, 60%. The most memorable of the portraits for me was from Sarajevo, Bosnia during the brutal war. The family photo includes two armed UN soldiers, several wrecked vehicles, an old mortar shell, and their war-damaged home in the background. The text describes the country’s breakdown: this average family had no electricity, gas, running water, or reliable access to food anymore. The 65-year old mother in the photograph had not ventured out of the flat for nearly 3 years, due to fear of urban warfare. While other families in the book express fear of theft and violence, notably in Russia and South Africa, only in Sarajevo is it so chillingly visible.
As the book is now 25 years old, I can’t help wondering how average families have changed in the time since. During subsequent years, I imagine the greatest changes in possessions available to an ‘average’ family have occurred in the middle income countries, especially China. Given increases in wealth inequality, though, perhaps not. With the rise of fast fashion and portable devices, the volume of possessions in rich countries has surely increased on average, though.
The British family portrait inevitably invited comparisons with my life in 1993. Compared with the wonderfully stereotypical-looking Godalming family photographed, mine definitely had fewer possessions (no microwave, VCR, or large musical instruments, for instance). Yet the book also makes clear that the UK was (and still is) one of the world’s wealthiest countries. In 1993, my family were materially better off than the vast majority of humanity.
‘Material World’ is a striking snapshot of material culture across the world in the early 1990s. The photographs are beautiful and invite careful perusal. When combined with the text, they add up to a powerful work of global anthropology, full of details like when the children go to school, who works and where, and how the family feels about the future. I’d love to read a re-run of this project 25 years later, comparing average families across the global anew. It's just really interesting to see people's stuff! While there may have been some changes, overall global patterns of wealth and poverty probably aren’t that different. In 1993 it was TV that brought disparate places into awareness of each other; today the internet also does so. Across the world, then and now, people still need the means to prepare and serve food; wash and store clothes; sit and sleep. The range of different possessions used for these purposes, and homes that hold them, are fascinating to see chronicled with such deliberation.
October 26, 2019
Pleasantly surprised at how thought provoking Material world is. It's a bit dated being over 20 year old now (1993) but the age doesn't diminish the realities of how people lived then and now in various counties around the world. The common factor seems to be the needs for basic things, safety, food and shelter. I thought this book would focus on the photos more so than a learning experince but the interviews were the most powerful. To see the human experince in this way really helps bring things into perspective. We forget how much we have and what it means to have things.
June 9, 2025
This book was hugely influential in shaping my understanding of the world. Wish there was an updated version
August 15, 2012
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 countries still exists, even if some countries have moved up the scale quite a bit in the intervening years, and it's that gap which is the really provocative thing about Material World. All your crap from Ikea getting you down? Get over it; you don't live in a mud hut, and much of the world still does.
A by-product of the photos is that they also capture international ideas about beauty and functionality; some households possess almost purely functional objects, whereas others have some space for "decorative" objects -- which may or may not appear hideous, or simply head-scratching, now (the Kuwaiti 45-foot-long sofa comes to mind...).
Maybe revisiting Material World almost 20 years later is sort of perfect, because in looking at 1994, what's striking is not the thought that "Wow, those Texans sure have a lot," but rather, "That's it? They've got to have twice as much stuff by now!"
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 countries still exists, even if some countries have moved up the scale quite a bit in the intervening years, and it's that gap which is the really provocative thing about Material World. All your crap from Ikea getting you down? Get over it; you don't live in a mud hut, and much of the world still does.
A by-product of the photos is that they also capture international ideas about beauty and functionality; some households possess almost purely functional objects, whereas others have some space for "decorative" objects -- which may or may not appear hideous, or simply head-scratching, now (the Kuwaiti 45-foot-long sofa comes to mind...).
Maybe revisiting Material World almost 20 years later is sort of perfect, because in looking at 1994, what's striking is not the thought that "Wow, those Texans sure have a lot," but rather, "That's it? They've got to have twice as much stuff by now!"
May 27, 2011
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 our homes. Also gives a helpful insight into the foundation of political and social events happening throughout the world.
For parents, this was a great visual way to talk to our children about how lucky our lives are--and world geography, too.
The most powerful moment for me was this: Each family is asked what they hope for, and answers range from a new truck to a TV to new cooking pans. The one thing the Guatemalan family hoped for: survival.
The book was created in 1994, and I would love to see an updated version. HIGHLY recommend.
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 our homes. Also gives a helpful insight into the foundation of political and social events happening throughout the world.
For parents, this was a great visual way to talk to our children about how lucky our lives are--and world geography, too.
The most powerful moment for me was this: Each family is asked what they hope for, and answers range from a new truck to a TV to new cooking pans. The one thing the Guatemalan family hoped for: survival.
The book was created in 1994, and I would love to see an updated version. HIGHLY recommend.
February 10, 2011
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't have as much as we did. I really think it touched some of my campers because the rest of the week they would come up to me when we had down time and ask if they could look at the book.
I really liked this book and I think everyone should read it!
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't have as much as we did. I really think it touched some of my campers because the rest of the week they would come up to me when we had down time and ask if they could look at the book.
I really liked this book and I think everyone should read it!
November 4, 2009
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.
May 4, 2010
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.
August 5, 2024
We had a copy of this on the shelf at my childhood home since... yeah, about 1994. It really did play a part in shaping how I see the world.
Amazing, groundbreaking work.
Amazing, groundbreaking work.
July 7, 2018
This was a good book. It talks about different families from all over the world. It was about the struggle of life for families, or the easy way. I personally recommend it.
August 3, 2024
I love the premise of this book and some of the pictures are great but it’s a very heteronormative/ nuclear family view of the world. The writing is typical white dude from national geographic.
October 10, 2008
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 book doesn't just cover developing and war torn countries, but also the affluent and the comparisons were startling.
The idea behind the book was to find average families within the countries chosen by the author, pull all their worldly possessions outside in front of their house and take a photograph. The family members are pictured with their possessions and the items are all listed. The pages that follow tell something of the politics and history of the country, certain statistics as well as reporting on the daily life of the family.
I have been working my mind around simplifying and how to become less materialistic. This is something I have struggled with. I have also been trying to actually put the ideas into practice. I'm so grateful to have read this book and to be exposing my family to it so that we have more of a picture in our minds of what life is like around the world. I think it will be easier for everyone to draw the line between wants and needs.
Although this book was written in 1994, it feels timeless to me. Of course things change over time. It's interesting that I read this at such an unstable time in U.S. economy. What will our lives look like in five, ten years? Will we experience some of what I have seen pictured? Will we work hard just to spend 50% of our income on our food?
Of note were double page spreads comparing meals, toilet facilities, televisions etc. plus the photographer's notes within each family.
I highly recommend this book to everyone!
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 book doesn't just cover developing and war torn countries, but also the affluent and the comparisons were startling.
The idea behind the book was to find average families within the countries chosen by the author, pull all their worldly possessions outside in front of their house and take a photograph. The family members are pictured with their possessions and the items are all listed. The pages that follow tell something of the politics and history of the country, certain statistics as well as reporting on the daily life of the family.
I have been working my mind around simplifying and how to become less materialistic. This is something I have struggled with. I have also been trying to actually put the ideas into practice. I'm so grateful to have read this book and to be exposing my family to it so that we have more of a picture in our minds of what life is like around the world. I think it will be easier for everyone to draw the line between wants and needs.
Although this book was written in 1994, it feels timeless to me. Of course things change over time. It's interesting that I read this at such an unstable time in U.S. economy. What will our lives look like in five, ten years? Will we experience some of what I have seen pictured? Will we work hard just to spend 50% of our income on our food?
Of note were double page spreads comparing meals, toilet facilities, televisions etc. plus the photographer's notes within each family.
I highly recommend this book to everyone!
June 11, 2011
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, 45-foot long sofa, and 12+ oriental carpets lined up outside the luxury home of a family from Kuwait. Each chapter includes the original spread of possessions, statistics about each family and country, as well as further pictures of daily life and some observations by the photographer. Interspersed among the chapters, which are divided by region, are pictorial representations of such interesting comparisons as televisions, meals, and toilets. Almost all of the pictures are in full color. Menzel hoped this would be "a unique tool for grasping cross-cultural realities." It is that and much 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, 45-foot long sofa, and 12+ oriental carpets lined up outside the luxury home of a family from Kuwait. Each chapter includes the original spread of possessions, statistics about each family and country, as well as further pictures of daily life and some observations by the photographer. Interspersed among the chapters, which are divided by region, are pictorial representations of such interesting comparisons as televisions, meals, and toilets. Almost all of the pictures are in full color. Menzel hoped this would be "a unique tool for grasping cross-cultural realities." It is that and much more.
March 18, 2013
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 India compared to the family in Kuwait. Given the amount of time that has elapsed since the book's publication, the numbers are not as useful as they once were, but at the same time in some ways very little seems to have changed.
I don't know if the photo quality or the printing was off -- something seems to have been -- but the book suffered slightly from an occasionally awkward layout of photos and text. That said, again, the value is really in the contrasts.
I don't know if the photo quality or the printing was off -- something seems to have been -- but the book suffered slightly from an occasionally awkward layout of photos and text. That said, again, the value is really in the contrasts.
July 2, 2016
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 to end. How many of the children in the photographs have died since then? How many of the houses have been destroyed? Whose lives have improved?
It's a brilliant book and I would have given it 5 stars, except that I believe its successor - WOMEN IN THE MATERIAL WORLD - is even better. It covers fewer countries for the sake of profiling each subject in greater depth.
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 to end. How many of the children in the photographs have died since then? How many of the houses have been destroyed? Whose lives have improved?
It's a brilliant book and I would have given it 5 stars, except that I believe its successor - WOMEN IN THE MATERIAL WORLD - is even better. It covers fewer countries for the sake of profiling each subject in greater depth.
May 11, 2013
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 to flip quickly through its pages and witness the stark contrasts so powerfully and immediately revealed in images is heartbreaking, sobering, staggering. And life-changing, if one allows it to be. It inspires deep gratitude and a hunger for humility and justice. Highly, highly recommended.
This book has haunted me since my first encounter with it years ago. Even to flip quickly through its pages and witness the stark contrasts so powerfully and immediately revealed in images is heartbreaking, sobering, staggering. And life-changing, if one allows it to be. It inspires deep gratitude and a hunger for humility and justice. Highly, highly recommended.
September 20, 2014
A blogger I followed had this on her book list and I immediately knew I wanted to read this book. I had already seen the project of a week a groceries around the world, (https://fstoppers.com/food/what-week-...) and loved it. I wanted to have a chance seeing possession around the world. Luckily our local grocery store had donated this to the library a few years back, so I was able to borrow it right away. It was fascinating! I loved the small fact box about each family. Knowing how big their homes were and how many people was something I was particularly interested in. The only thing that I wish was recorded a little better was the toys the children had. I was very curious about that, but there wasn't much information on it (even though there were toys in some of the photos). It was a perfect book to read on my reducing waste and simplifying journey.
February 27, 2008
One of the most absorbing nonfiction books I have ever read. One median family from 31 countries was chosen to remove all the contents of its home and display those contents in front of the home. Surprisingly, USA was not the home with the most contents. Saudia Arabia was, with Iceland second, money wise. Saudia Arabia's family was probably not very common since median is the middle between High and Low. A Saudi low is like a 3rd world home, but a Saudi High would be so rich that a median would be well to do, and it was. An indoor swimming pool and limousines. Other assets of the book were summaries of each country concerning developed and undeveloped areas, age, education, etc. One neat centerfold was a picture of the bathroom of each home.
August 15, 2009
One of my all-time favorite books: big beautiful photographs of families from all over the world, posed in front of their homes, with all of their worldly possessions on display. Families participated in Vietnam, India, China, Russia, Tibet, Japan, Finland, Cuba, Brazil... and Texas, among other places.
If you're ever feeling sorry for yourself, you slobby American, just thumb through this book for about 10 seconds.
I love the generally optimistic view of humanity in these photos: laughing families, comforting grandparents, loving partners... The vast gulf between the rich and poor is very apparent-- but, hokey as it is, the book does come off as a portrait of the human family-- with more in common than not.
If you're ever feeling sorry for yourself, you slobby American, just thumb through this book for about 10 seconds.
I love the generally optimistic view of humanity in these photos: laughing families, comforting grandparents, loving partners... The vast gulf between the rich and poor is very apparent-- but, hokey as it is, the book does come off as a portrait of the human family-- with more in common than not.
December 3, 2014
These photo essays are short pictorials of an average family in various countries around the world. Menzel found families willing to bring the entire contents of their houses out so he could photograph them. The images are fascinating and startling. Vignettes, like TVs around the world, keep the book from seeming too bleak. Included on the 3-4 pages on each family are stats. on the average income, life expectancy, literacy rate and birth rate for each country. Personal interviews are also included - interesting, strange and often sad. Women in the Material World contains much of the same information and images as Material World, though presented from a woman’s perspective. Check them out and see how the other 98% lives.
February 3, 2014
This book is a great choice for demonstrating distribution of wealth, different cultural values, and just appreciation of different styles of life around the world. A family is photographed outside their home, be it a McMansion or a reed hut, with all their possessions in the yard in front of them. Great for grades 3-8 and up for learning about different cultures.
March 20, 2014
This is one of my favorite books of all time! I pick it up whenever I start feeling ungrateful or my heart and focus in the world is on the wrong things. It puts life into perspective. The book is tremendously visual - it's a photo journal. It shows families from all over the world and the entirety of the material possessions in front of their homes. Fantastic.
May 13, 2007
It misses out on 5 stars from me because no variation within countries is shown, and that's a flaw I really noticed, but it's otherwise a wonderful book that gives quite a bit of information about the economic status of the world's citizens country by country.
May 15, 2014
I loved this more than I thought I would. In addition to the wonderful photography, the information about each family and country was so well written. I didn't think I would read them all, but I did. I wish it wasn't so dated, I would love to see an updated version.
April 30, 2021
Wow. I mean, I love photo essays (such as Family of Man series) anyway, and perhaps this is slightly out of date (1993), but it was no less amazing. The authors and photographers traveled to more than 30 different countries to profile a random (usually) family and their homes and possessions, painting an intimate portrait of life in that country.
Some seem hum-drum normal to us in the US - Germany, England - and others, such as Ethiopia, where the family's wish in the coming year is a second change of clothing, or Bosnia during the civil war, not so familiar. So many ways that people are the same all around the world, one human family, and the heartbreak of poverty through no fault of the people, forced on them by government corruption, or just plain lack of functioning government. Here is the face of the Human race, provided without comment and left for you to make your own conclusions. Perhaps saddest - beyond the hopelessness of Bhutan and Mali - was Russia, so cosmopolitan and first-world, yet so third-world at the same time, where the husband of the profiled family was murdered in his car on Christmas day. How do you go on? And how common is it among the human populace. And worse - why?
An amazing book, filled with fascinating families and glorious color photos.
As far as I can see, the number one decider of poverty vs. survival is running water. If you have running water in your home, anywhere on this planet, you are very rich indeed.
Some seem hum-drum normal to us in the US - Germany, England - and others, such as Ethiopia, where the family's wish in the coming year is a second change of clothing, or Bosnia during the civil war, not so familiar. So many ways that people are the same all around the world, one human family, and the heartbreak of poverty through no fault of the people, forced on them by government corruption, or just plain lack of functioning government. Here is the face of the Human race, provided without comment and left for you to make your own conclusions. Perhaps saddest - beyond the hopelessness of Bhutan and Mali - was Russia, so cosmopolitan and first-world, yet so third-world at the same time, where the husband of the profiled family was murdered in his car on Christmas day. How do you go on? And how common is it among the human populace. And worse - why?
An amazing book, filled with fascinating families and glorious color photos.
As far as I can see, the number one decider of poverty vs. survival is running water. If you have running water in your home, anywhere on this planet, you are very rich indeed.
September 14, 2018
This stunning book is the pictorial result of travel to 30 specific countries, not to see the sights and tourist attractions, but to focus time and camera lens on 30 willing families in each of those countries. The photographer captured each particular family with their household possessions in a cover photo titled "The Big Picture" and each possession pictured (they were moved to an outdoor setting with the home in the background) was listed in an accompanying indexed photo. Then, additional photos show a typical day and its activities for each family, or the individuals as they go about their work or schooling. Two other interesting page spreads in the book show typical meals of each household, and typical toilet facilities for each household. Although this would now be perhaps a study on "digital devices," there is also a pictorial comparison of the television sets of 16 of the 30 countries. The result is that the reader finds that other people in other lands tend to need the same things such as water, food, shelter, education, order, and work and play. Many families have pets as part of their circle. Perhaps we are more alike than we are different.
October 5, 2017
My kids AND I found this book absolutely fascinating! We hated having to return it...but there were holds on it so we could not renew. This might be worth finding used.....it's like a grown up/older kid version of the favorite "Children Just Like Me" DK book. MUCH more in-depth snapshots of living, more countries visited, more pictures....Families are highlighted, instead of just an individual child. It's getting a bit dated so it's depictions might be a bit dated as well...but still very effective at getting the point across. Would love to see this project done again with more recent data and pictures.
We are loving the other books in this series that focus on specific elements (the food one is a close tie as a favorite with this one) but this is a nice, general, overall view that touches upon food and clothing as well.
Warning: there were was one shot of topless woman but it is easily avoided and not highlighted or in your face. In fact, I didn't even notice it until it was pointed out to me!
We are loving the other books in this series that focus on specific elements (the food one is a close tie as a favorite with this one) but this is a nice, general, overall view that touches upon food and clothing as well.
Warning: there were was one shot of topless woman but it is easily avoided and not highlighted or in your face. In fact, I didn't even notice it until it was pointed out to me!
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