Material World: A Global Family Portrait

With its beautiful photography and engaging text, everyone who has picked up this book from our coffee table over the years has enjoyed it. But no one has loved it as much as my daughter has. Now eleven, she has read it so many times since she first found it at the age of four that our copy is in pieces. She has grown up with this book at her side, taking new information and insights from it with each reading. In the early years, we looked at the pictures together with more discussion than reading. Later we moved on to read the text, followed by a period of fascination with the statistics. Then she began reading and rereading it cover-to-cover by herself. In the years of looking at it with her, I never tired of it myself.

She also loves Hungry Planet, Around the World in 80 Diets, and Women in the Material World. After reading them all many times, she begged me to get more books like them. I bought a trove of similar photojournalism books about people around the world, but none of them have come close to meeting the bar set by Peter Menzel and Faith d'Aluisio.

I thought my six-year-old daughter might be interested in this book, as she liked What the World Eats (same authors, kids' version of Hungry Planet). It seemed like an accessible way to learn about daily life in other countries--especially important for understanding the earthquake in Haiti in human terms. But I wasn't prepared for how obsessed with it she would become. On first pass, she took inventory of each family (how many children, boys or girls, what ages); that in itself can be revealing. Then she started noticing more and more. She has spent hours pouring over the photographs, shown it to friends ("Toilets of the World" is especially worth sharing), brought it to bed with her, and even studied the table of demographical information in the back. I had no idea statistics on literacy and infant mortality would be so fascinating. It's beautiful, inviting, sobering, affirming, and raises all kinds of questions for discussion. This is the kind of book children could browse again and again over the years. Every family should have it around.

"Material World," written during the 1990 U.N. International Year of the Family, is a major achievement and, although it can seem dated in areas, is still timely and relevant for our world today.

Profiling 30 families from across a wide spectrum of the 183 U.N. member states, "Material World" depicts these families' struggles and triumphs in words, pictures, and statistics. Many of these vignettes are uplifting--the Cuban family holding on to each other as their nation suffers through communism--and many are very saddening--the three Carballo children sleeping in fear of being robbed each night. It is highly useful in perspective building and also a good way to see how others live elsewhere in the world. It is not going to make one "proud to be an American," but it is also not an "America-bashing" book. "Material World" demonstrates very powerfully the old proverb: 'It's not getting what you want, it's wanting what you've got.'

The Albanian family, with its minute amount of belongings; the Brazilian family, struggling to survive the slums; the Mexican sisters, window shopping before getting the very special treat of an ice cream bar--all exemplify this ideal. The children are in particular very inspiring, rising as they do above the conditions many sadly live in. This is their life, their daily bread--and in a powerful example, they make the most of it.

"Material World" is inspiring, beautiful, and still timely, even over ten years after its publication.

My first grade class's current unit is Community and World, and I had to purchase this book as soon as I discovered it. As young children attending a small private school, it's difficult for them to have a true grasp on the word "poverty" and to place their own lives within the context of the world at large. This book, though now a bit dated, was a very straightforward way to give them a little taste of the lives that other children lead around the world. When we looked at a photo of the family from Mali (Africa), one student asked, "That's ALL they have?" It wasn't in a snide or mocking tone but one of thoughtfulness and introspection. The photos led the children to start many great discussions: how a simple mosquito net might make the difference between life and death in some places in the world, and what it would be like to live without things that are so unthinkingly easy for us to access, like electricity or proper healthcare. The book is an amazing resource that I know I'll be sharing with many future first graders to come.

I discovered this one-of-a-kind book while paging through my favorite book catalog. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it, and bought it immediately for full price at my nearest bookstore (I NEVER pay full price - I was that excited!) On a cue from my catalog's annotation, I left it casually available in our family room. Within 10 minutes, my 9-year-old "material girl" zoomed in on the large, glossy cover, and asked about the book. I played cool: "Just a new book I really like... it's about all kinds of families and what kinds of stuff they have." Warily sensing the "educational" angle, she left it untouched as I left the room. Ten minutes later, she impatiently called to her 6-year old sister: "Look at this picture! This is a real family and this is all their stuff, even their beds! Where's their car? Look at these 2 little Mexican girls buying Barbies!" Unable to resist the text by now, she amended: "Oh, they're just looking. They don't have money to buy them." A thoughtful pause followed. Were the darling kids in the picture the anonymous "poor people" they heard about so often at school? They don't look unhappy in the photos...they look just like a regular family. YES! CONNECTION! It took the 2-page "Toilets of the World" spread to hook their 8-year-old brother, but this book remains an unending source of fascination for all of us. I am making a list of families to buy it for. Please take my word on this: I love language, but Material World's pictures tell a story of common humanity that could never be conveyed the same way in words. Don't miss this book.

This is such an exciting book because it brings so many cultures together and shows us how fascinating other people live. Its so easy to take for granted the things that you have in this world when there are others who have simply nothing. Menzel photographs families outside their homes with their belongings. While most families have adequate provisions, some seem to be from a different century. Its hard also to fathom how some of these families live, such as the Bosnians who hide in fear, or the Ethiopian children who have tasks such as collecting dung and pasting it onto their walls, while Nepalese families live about their livestocks and have marijuana growing in their fields. I appreciate the spreads showing different bathrooms (ranging from a hole in the ground to Turkish standing commode), foods, and classrooms. Besides the pictures of families and their possessions, Menzel included facts about the families' countries and pointed out why this would be considered a stereotypical family. This was surprising because I didnt realize that a rural Chinese family would be the norm, nor did I suspect that smaller families would be the norm for some Latin American countries. I also thought it was interesting that Menzel included a table comparing the wealth of the countries, its amazing that such poverty exists. It really opens up your eyes to the global portrait. I agree with another reviewer that this is definately a must have for gift giving and personal collection. This is perfect for any photography love, or anyone intrigued by the world and its people.

What does the average Ethiopian home look like? What is the average Cuban family's hope for the future? How much does a carrot cost on the black Market in Bosnia? Which country has the highest fish consumption per capita? What does the average Japanese father have for breakfast?
It may seem trivial, but these are the questions that Peter Menzel and the creators of "Material World" have tried to answer. And the answers they found are more profound than you might think. 30 very different countries, and 16 excellent photographers, trying to show through images, statistics and interviews how the world's average families live. The differences are astonishing: the financially average Abdullah family in Kuwait is both literally and figuratively a world removed from the Cakonis in Albania.
In this book, created to celebrate the United Nations International Year Of The Family, sumptuous photographs, show each family with their material possessions spread around them outside their homes: while one family's material wealth seems to consist almost entirely of carpets, another's is made up of animals and cooking pots. One family has four cars, another a single and ragged looking donkey. More photographs show each family in the course of the average day, and coupled with data based on interviews, they answer questions such as: do the children go to school? Where does their food come from? What does their house look like? And most tellingly, what is their most treasured possession? More light hearted sections, which explore average televisions, toilets and meals across the world, show at once how alike and different we are.
The creators of "Material World" have sought, and achieved a fine balance. They contrast not only those countries which we know to be rich or poor, but also look at how other factors, such as war and technology, affect families. The information is implicit rather than explicit, conveyed only through the images and words of each family; while the photographers' impressions are expressed in small "photographer's notes" sections, their main function is simply to show us the real lives of their subjects. No judgements are passed, nor opinions given. The reader is left to examine the evidence for themselves.
"Material World" works on many levels. The quality of photography and the compilation of each section make it beautiful to look at - a smart and very PC coffee table book. The statistical information and photographs together provide a wealth of material for use in schools. Flipping backwards and forwards to explore the differences yourself is as much fun as "Where's Waldo", and the writing is so good that "Material World" is a great book to snuggle up with and read. I can only pick one fault with this book: the more trivial statistical data is not always consistent. For example, data on percentages of income spent on food is only available for some families, making comparison impossible. However, this is a small fault. "Material World" is a fantastic book, original, interesting and well put together. Highly recommended to anyone with even a slight interest in the subject.

This book is an incredibly eye-opening journey around the world, showing you how much "stuff" people in different countries have. It shows a variety of families standing outside with everything they own, which makes it easy to get a quick visual reference of how much it all looks like. I used this book for my high school global issues course I taught this past year--the sustainability unit--and students were shocked. They kept asking to look at the book days after I showed it. It's a great starting point for examining global consumption patterns, culture, wealth and income gaps and the like, as well as launching debates about who should pay to clean up environmental damage caused by consuming and throwing out so much stuff. I hope the authors create an updated version soon: many students scoffed at the 90s fashions shown in the photographs and insisted "but things have changed!" I'd like students to see how things have changed and how they've stayed the same.

This is a very interesting book--more like a written documentary--that explores the lives of families in a number of countries based mainly on their possessions. Beautiful photos accompany each section, including the "Big Picture," in which the family is photographed with all of its belongings. Country statistics are also included, as well as interviews with family members and daily life photos.
The value of each family's possessions, as well as the family's values (what's important to them, etc.) are stressed. However, I noticed that while standard of living may differ considerably, everyone, no matter their location, seems to want bascially the same thing: education, a better life for their children, security, etc. This realization was perhaps the best part of the book for me.
What also impressed me was the fact that this book is filled to the brim. There's no way to read it cover-to-cover, really. Instead, it's more of an experience. It must be taken in. Every time I pick it up, I see something differently, in a new light.
You don't have to be an economist or an anthropologist to enjoy this book. On the contrary, anyone who has any interest at all in the outside world would enjoy it. Because the photographers spent so much time with each family, I truly felt like I was transported to each country, like I had a more complete understanding of what it was like to live there.
The residents weren't just faceless, nameless inhabitants of a distant land but were brought to life. And since it was basically told in their own words, very little to no bias is able to come through. Lastly, I have to congratulate the authors for putting together a balanced portrait of life around the globe. The choices were well-made and quite diverse.
Highly recommended!

"Material World" is one of those books that EVERYONE should read. It really is beyond description...deceptively simply yet incredibly moving in its stark simplicity. In these pages about families across the globe, we see scenes from their everyday life. When we glance at the pictures of each family on their lawn surrounded by all of their material goods, the difference between the average American family and the average Ethiopian family couldn't be plainer. We look at the faces on these pages, hear their thoughts on the future, and compare their lives to our own...and suddenly the people in other countries seem real to us, and the faceless people of the news suddenly have faces and thoughts and homes and families. Peter Menzel and all of the others who have worked on this book have done a brilliant and wonderful thing when they created "Material World". They have done what no "You should be grateful..." or "Think of those people in other countries..." could have done...they have made the world real to us.

This book was a required "textbook" in a high school "Science and Sustainability" pilot class my school did in junior year. I remember we generally used the books in class but could check them out to take home if we wanted. I checked one out and din't want to give it back. I think I skipped two classes that day just sitting in the student lounge poring over it, and I think the people reading over my shoulder probably had other things to do as well, but I couldn't put it down, it was so fascinating. So of course I bought my own and I can still pick it up and pore over it for another three hours with the same fascination. It's real life, and the families are real people that you feel somehow close to after reading this. I love this book and show it to everyone. This book will change the way you look at things. Also, for those who think that this book is primarily about material goods around the world, you couldn't be more wrong. Each chapter shows an incredibly detailed portrait of life in another country, and is as wonderful for introducing kids to other cultures as it is for opening their eyes to economic realities. Enjoy.

Great pictures. Interesting concept that definitely moves you. Gives a general idea of the struggles our world went through in the 90s.

Note that this is going to show you photos from the mid-90s and therefore may not mean that much to the younger generation. Also, some of the copy is a little sloppy, like saying there was a rifle in a picture, when it was really a shotgun, sort of shows a lack of focus or care for detail. In any interesting book that has to do with material possessions, there is bound to be a political bias - but it's not too prevalent in this book.

Overall, a good photo essay with an intimate peek into how the world lives.

I just got this for a birthday present yesterday. I absolutely love all the images from the early 90s taken all around the world and the information in the margins is fascinating. My only complaint is that the binding has completely come apart after only a few hours of reading the book. Fortunately the pages are bound and sewn in small packets so I should be able to fairly easily glue everything back together with book-binding glue, but I am disappointed that the original glue came loose so quickly. Again this is a great book and highly worth your time, just be prepared to glue it back together.

We bought this book in 2005 from a "bargain table" but never really sat down and read it. Here it is December 2013 and I am wondering what has changed in the world in 20 years. I am in awe that these authors and photographers convinced people to lay their possessions on to a street to photograph. This is a profound book one all North American children need to see in order to appreciate their little section of the world. Every North American should have this book in their library.

This book was created from pictures taken in the early 90's, so it is s bit dated, especially in the more developed nations. Things like computers and other tech is obviously missing. I know that many destitute Africans now even have cell phones, not shown here. Otherwise, this is a great book and is very educational. After reading it, I got to wondering what my possesions on the street would look like...

I homeschool my two children, and this book, along with Hungry Planet, are among my best resources for teaching my kids economics, geography, and sociology. The families portraits are fascinating, and by the end of the book, you find yourself wanting to pop over for dinner with any or all of them! A picture IS worth a thousand words. Amazing!

My 10 year old daughter was attracted to this book as we browsed in the local bookstore, and we bought it impulsively. Five years later, it turns out to have been the most important nonfiction book that has entered our house. It is a treasure trove of information delivered in an irrisistable format, and it says more with photos and simple facts than any narrative ever could. It portrays what you really want to know about another culture: how they live. The facts point up the distribution of wealth in the world in a more pointed and poignant way than a book that tries harder by saying more. We have given it countless time as a coming of age gift.

This book is filled with striking, thought-provoking photographs that portray differences in material wealth as they exist throughout the world. Focusing on individual families from across the globe, text describes the cultural setting within which they live. This information is accompanied by a picture of the family outside of their home, alongside all of their belongings. The contrasts are amazing. The pictures convey deep respect for their subjects. This book is an amazing resource for anyone who would like to broaden their awareness of the global distribution of wealth. We used it at our church to visually demonstrate inequity to a class of 1st-3rd graders.

I read this book and thought it was very insightful. As far as having more "Stuff" well we aren't happy because we have more, just look at the amount of people on Prozac. These people in the book are happy because they have each other not "Stuff". That was the message I got from the writers. Great job!!!

Material World by Peter Menzel is one of the most exciting and informative books I have come across in a long time . No other book I have ever read has given me such in depth knowledge of the lives and circumstances of people living in other countries around the globe. The photographs are breathtakingly beautiful and the statistics are fascinating. Ursula Michelson, author of Alzheimers Patients in the Nursing Home: How Well Do Caregivers Meet Their Needs?

While visiting New Mexico a couple of years ago I had the opportunity to see an exhibit relating to this book at a museum. It was awesome. I'm so glad I bought the book, because it allows me to share this exhibit with others. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about how people in other countries live and what they hold dear. The photographs are terrific, and the writers asked all the right questions. It was a real eye-opener.

I thoroughly have enjoyed this book, looking at the people from around the world and their possessions and realizing how different I live from another. It was amazing to see each family so proud, of either how little they have or how much they have, and to have all that they own on display (from in the dead of winter to floating on a boat!).

I teach economics and always bring this book to class when we discuss economic development and relative incomes. The pictures in this excellent book really give substance to the impersonal numbers on a list of countries with their respective per capita incomes. The pictures always have a dramatic effect on the students. I've probably "sold" thirty copies of this book in the past two years.

The photographs that are highlighted in "Material World" reveal people and their possessions, people from many countries, rich and poor. To see how many others in the world live gives us only a glimpse of our good fortune here in the U.S. A valuable and timely book.

This is an amazing glimpse into the lives of people all around the world. 16 of the worlds leading photographers spent a week with each family in the book. They got to know them, asked them questions about what their life was like, and took the most wonderful pictures!

I got this book in the mail, and wasn't able to put it down until I got to the end! Bravo!

At a familiy's dinner table:
FATHER: You know, we're lucky,
CHILDREN: Oh no, here we go again.
FATHER: we have health, food, a home, a vehicle, ...
CHILDREN: Whatever.
This book may change that conversation after your children see some of the pictures in this book.

This is my favorite book - ever. So frequently we don't bother to really know about other people on our planet, so to see global life from the individual's viewpoint is surprising and humbling. I like to give this book to friends and family - everyone is always amazed.

I AM TERRIBLY DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS BOOK! I THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE CLEVERLY PRESENTED. WHY AREN'T THINGS JUST STACKED UP ON ONE ANOTHER IN A TWO-DIMENSIONAL PLANE? FROM THE COVER, IT LOOKS LIKE THE PERSPECTIVE IS ALWAYS FROM THE TOP. WHAT THE HECK? ARE WE JUST LOOKING DOWN ON THESE PEOPLE? AND WHY ARE THE CAUCASIANS ON TOP AND SHOT AT NIGHT, WHEN THE PERUVIANS ARE ON THE BOTTOM AND SHOT DURING THE DAY?

This book is an attempt to shame Americans for living in the land of plenty. So what we have more stuff than other folks do! Most of the world is hobbled by war and bad government so people have less wealth than Americans. But I'm not losing any sleep over it. The Sierra Club is a political organization and this book is just that. . . politics. Read the part about American family ... "the legacy of slavery" and the "uneven distribution of wealth". What pure hooey!