I just ran across two reviews of books that show material possessions in photographs - I haven't read either (just put one on reserve at our library) but i have read Mendelsohn's "What the World Eats" and it was really beautiful and enlightening.
Both reviews have a lot of sample pages shown:
http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2011/04/08/material-world-peter-menzel/
http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2011/08/08/where-children-sleep-james-mollison/
I poured over 'What the World Eats' over and over again. Yes, it is truely enlightening.
I'm disappointed that my library doesn't have 'What the World Owns' yet.
Sorry, Julia, that was me trying to be clever - the Mollison book is called "Where Children Sleep" and the Menzel one is "Material World".
A friend of mine has a photo exhibit (and a book coming out, I understand) showing photos of people's refrigerators:
http://markmenjivar.com/you-are-what-you-eat/statement/
I bought Material World probably close to 15 years ago, and I love it. I have lent it out to several of my kids' teachers, and I still pull it out on occasion. It's truly fascinating and eye-opening. I've decluttered several hundred books in the last few years, and this one is definitely a keeper!
We've been relatively poor during most of my kids' lives. I bought Material World to show them how they were relatively rich, at least compared to say, kids in Mali. It helped.
I remember stalling my ex in mid-rant once. He was whining about how poor we were. He was unemployed at the time, and we were living on my tiny disability check and food provided by our family and friends. His screeching of "We've got absolutely nothing!" got stalled by my chiming in with "Except a mobile home, a truck, a car, a dishwasher, a microwave, 3 TV's, a VCR, a DVD player, a stereo with surround sound, a washer and a dryer." I knew we were dreadfully cash poor at the moment, but I was sick of him ranting about not being able to buy more stuff! Poor looks an awful lot like privileged when you are in America and comparing yourself to the 3rd world.
Gave me goose bumps to read this story, for some reason. Reminds me of the time when I was a child and complained that I never got what I wanted. My mom handed me a pencil and a piece of paper and told me to write down everything I wanted and didn't have. I don't remember this, but she says I sat there for two hours and though about it, then finally handed back a blank sheet of paper and never brought the subject up again.
Parsifal - that's a great story. My husband asked me recently what I wanted if I could have anything. Once he made clear that it had to be something possible, not "the ability to fly" or "jeans that make my thighs look skinny", I was stuck! I couldn't think of anything!
And yet, when I go into a store, I so often find things to buy. Hmmm....
Wonderful and moving pictures and commentary. Thank you for posting.
i've seen these before....but i always like another look!
i am struck anew at how billions of people manage quite well with just the simplest of possessions.
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